StudentTracker for High Schools Knowledge Base

It’s common for outcomes to change when you generate a report for the same cohort at different times. For example, a StudentTracker report for your high school 2025 cohort generated in the fall of 2025 may have different outcomes than a report generated for the same cohort in the fall of 2026.

The following are the most likely reasons for the changes:

1. StudentTracker reports are dependent on the postsecondary data that the Clearinghouse has in its database at the time your report is generated. At the time of the initial report generation, it’s possible some postsecondary institutions had not yet have submitted data for the current or a past term. StudentTracker for High Schools PDF reports are generated against the most recent effective date. When an institution submits enrollment or degree records after the effective date, these records will not appear in reports until the next effective date. For more information on effective dates, see About Effective Dates and Academic Years.

Reminder: In StudentTracker 3.0, visualizations and reports are based on real-time postsecondary data submitted to the Clearinghouse and refreshed every morning, rather than on effective dates.

2. Because postsecondary institutions update their enrollment data several times during a term, data may change, especially enrollment status. Postsecondary institutions may also correct errors, and some of these updates may be retroactive.
3. FERPA (Federal Education Rights & Privacy Act) blocks can affect which records appear in certain reports. Students have the right to place a FERPA block on their postsecondary records. Blocked records can be counted in the StudentTracker aggregate reports, but they cannot be returned in the Student-Level or Analysis-Ready reports. FERPA blocks can change at any time.
4. The outcomes in StudentTracker 3.0 are defined by the date on which you view your visualizations or generate a report and by the methodology used to calculate the outcome. For example, the Currently Enrolled outcome displays counts of students with an enrollment that crosses through the current date. If outcomes are viewed before the fall term starts, such as on August 17, or during the winter holidays, Currently Enrolled counts may be very low.

Note: StudentTracker 3.0’s built-in help content explains each outcomes methodology.

5. The Clearinghouse regularly reviews the matching algorithm for enhancements. As small updates are made, you may see changes in your outcomes and aggregate counts. The Clearinghouse will notify users when large enhancements are made. For more information on matching, see How StudentTracker Matches Students.
6. Finally, always start by checking the number of students counted for each cohort to ensure they are accurate and consistent. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center uses the following date range to define a high school cohort: 9/1/YYYY – 8/31/YYYY+1. For example, the 2026-2027 cohort is defined as high school graduation dates that fall between 9/1/2026 – 8/31/2027. This formula is documented within the StudentTracker 3.0 application, at the end of the PDF report packets, and on the StudentTracker Knowledge Base.

If you have any questions about your outcomes, please email StudentTracker@studentclearinghouse.org with details.