Withdrawal Code Verification Audit
Withdrawal Code Verification Audit
2024 Withdrawal Code Verification Audit Results (Mar 2026)
2023 Withdrawal Code Verification Audit Results (Apr 2025)
2022 Withdrawal Code Verification Audit Results (Jan 2024)
2021 Withdrawal Code Verification Audit Results (Sep 2022)
2020 Withdrawal Code Audit (Sep 2021)
Withdrawal Code Verification Audit
The State Board of Education Rule 160-5-1-.28 requires all Georgia local education agencies (LEAs) to document reasons for all student withdrawals from Georgia public schools. The Governor’s Office of Education and Workforce Strategy (GOEWS) reports LEAs that do not comply with this requirement to the State Board of Education (SBOE). The Withdrawal Code Verification Audit seeks to gain additional information and documentation (when required) to ensure LEAs are complying with SBOE Rule 160-5-1-.28. More specifically, the audit has the following goals:
• Verify the accuracy of LEA-reported withdrawal codes (Codes C, D, H, J, K, N, X, 2, 3, 5);
• Ensure school systems follow the Georgia Department of Education’s (GaDOE) requirements for data training, reporting and storage;
• Aid school systems in detecting and correcting errors in data reported to GaDOE;
• Ensure data quality and accuracy of graduation rates; and,
• Provide additional support to school systems and schools in refining and improving data reporting and storage practices.
The Withdrawal Code Verification Audit reviews withdrawal codes reported to the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) for students in grades 9–12. The audit primarily focuses on schools with withdrawal rates that exceed the statewide average but also includes a few randomly selected schools. Importantly, errors in withdrawal code reporting can lead to inaccurate graduation rates, affecting both perceptions of school performance and the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI).
The audit has three phases, as outlined in the Process Overview document linked above:
• Phase 1: Data Review and School Selection
• Phase 2: Communication
• Phase 3: Investigation and Reporting