High School graduation rates are key indicators of accountability for high schools and school districts in Oregon. Beginning with the 2008-09 school year, the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) implemented the cohort method of calculating graduation rates. The cohort method identifies the year the student entered high school for the first time (known as the high school entry year, or cohort year) and uses longitudinal student data to determine the student's outcome after four years. An extended rate, allowing one additional year for completion, is also tracked and reported as the 5-year Cohort Graduation Rates. The cohort graduation rate is published annually. These reports include other outcome categories for students in the cohort, in addition to graduates, and are disaggregated by student groups such as race/ethnicity and gender. Under Oregon's State Plan, high school graduation rate targets were set for each year of accountability. Due to the additional time needed to calculate accurate Cohort Graduation Rates, the 2018-19 rates will be used as part of the 2019-20 Accountability Year determinations. [For "Cohort Graduation Rate: Policy and Technical Manual. 2017-18 Graduation Rates -- Based on Students First Entering High School during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 School Years," see ED591110.]