This article asserts that the federally reported dropout statistics provide a false picture of high school graduation rates, and utilizes the Cumulative Promotion Index developed by The Urban Institute to provide more accurate information on graduation rates. Using self-calculated statistics, the study provides a break down in the difference in graduation rates by race and includes narratives about students who have either dropped out or felt “pushed out” of school due to pressure experienced by officials to raise schools’ overall test profiles. A few of its key findings and recommendations are: (1) Low graduation rates show a strong relationship with indicators of school segregation; (2) Enrollment-based data are a necessary check on unscrupulous calculations of high school graduation rates; and (3) The use of Title I funds in high school should be increased for dropout and intervention programs.