The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) requires the State to calculate a four-year cohort rate. Utah implemented this federally defined cohort graduation rate in 2008. The graduation rate for the 2016 cohort includes all students who started ninth grade in the 2012-13 school year, plus students who transferred into the Utah public education system after ninth grade. Students in the cohort have four possible final outcomes: (1) Graduate; (2) Continuing Student; (3) Other Completer; and (4) Dropout. The "Graduate" category includes students who have earned a basic high school diploma or an adult education high school diploma achieved by September 30 following the end of their cohort school year. "Continuing students" are students who have been allowed to continue attending school beyond their senior year, or those who transferred to higher education or the Utah College of Applied Technology (UCAT) without first receiving a high school diploma. Students considered "Other Completers" include those who completed the General Education Development test (GED) or a Certificate of Completion or students with disabilities who participated in the Utah Alternate Assessment (UAA). The "Dropout" category includes students who have not completed graduation requirements, such as those who have withdrawn, dropped out, or have been expelled. Under the federal requirements, students who take longer than four years after entering ninth grade to receive their high school diploma are also considered dropouts. State graduation rate highlights include: (1) Utah's statewide graduation rate for the 2016 cohort was 85%; (2) 38,326 students graduated from high school in 2016; and (3) Over the past five years, Utah's graduation rate has increased by 6.4 percentage points. [For the 2015 report, see ED601978.]