IOWA

One of the states reporting the National Governors Association's four-year cohort graduation rate, Iowa is one of the few states factoring this rate into the state's accountability system. Iowa is among one-third of states that has established the maximum compulsory attendance age at 16. 

The state funds its dropout prevention and recovery programs via a block formula grants called the "Additional Allowable Growth." Enacted in 2006 under SB 2272, the "Additional Allowable Growth" allows school districts to set aside less than 5 percent of their annual budgets to serve returning dropouts and students at risk of dropping out. This amounts to an estimated allocation of $75 to $100 million per year.