Oregon is likely to see a 2 percent increase in its high school graduation rate next time it is calculated, even if no real change occurs in the percentage of students who earn degrees.

That’s the result of the state’s decision to include modified diplomas, which have been omitted in the past, in its overall graduation rates.

The move follows the state’s success in tightening requirements for the modified diplomas and convincing the federal education department that the result is “a recognized equivalent of a high school diploma,” according to The Oregonian newspaper.

The most immediate benefit will be access to federal financial aid for those who earn modified diplomas and seek financial help to attend community college.

That’s a worthy goal to help students who can make good use of post-high school training and otherwise couldn’t pay for it.

The result will also cause confusion in comparing graduation rates from year to year, an issue of some importance in a state widely criticized for having one of the worst four-year graduation rates in the nation. The new rates will require an asterisk every time they’re referenced, to explain what percentage can be attributed to the addition of modified diplomas.

Modified diplomas are earned by students with learning difficulties or medical conditions that prevent them from keeping up with grade-level learning. The modified diploma allows students to earn some of their credits from special education classes.

The new calculations will still exclude extended diplomas, GEDs and certificates of attendance, The Oregonian reported.

Graduation rates have assumed growing importance in the political arena, partly because they are used as shorthand to judge school districts’ success, but also because Gov. John Kitzhaber focused on them in his school reforms. His 40-40-20 goal aims at having 100 percent of students earn a high school diploma by 2025. That’s a tall order in a state where the 2013 figure was 68.7 percent, a tiny increase over the previous year’s 68.4. Oregon was ranked second worst in the nation for 2012, according to one of the several ways to calculate graduation rates.

Earning a high school diploma is a critical step, but educators need to focus on preparing students for what happens next. That means ensuring all graduates are fully prepared for jobs or for advanced education.