Discovering Drop Outs

This month's TIME magazine covers the hidden problem of high school drop out rates. While there's great debate about the numbers, many researchers believe that 33% of public high school graduates will drop out. The numbers are much worse for Latinos and African Americans who experience dropout rates approaching 50%. In some states, legislators are taking action. Credit recovery programs and alternative environments are popular solutions. Disincentives are also being used (e.g., taking away driving or work permit priviledges.) It's good to see mainstream coverage of this awful problem. High school dropouts fare horribly in today's economy. Employers want to see a diploma. Completing high school not only tells the employer that you have certain skills, it says that you're committed to completing something. The TIME story is interesting, but the really good stuff is in a related report by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, "The Silent Epidemic." Check out these factoids: Why do students drop out? * 47 percent of dropouts said classes weren't interesting * 43 percent had missed too many days of school and couldn't catch up * 38 percent said they had too much freedom and not enough rules in life * 35 percent said they quit because they were failing in school * 32 percent said they had to get a job and make money What are dropouts' experiences in high school? * 88 percent had passing grades, and 70 percent said they could have graduated if they had tried * 69 percent were not motivated to work hard; 66 percent would have worked harder if more had been demanded of them How do dropouts feel about their decision? * 81 percent said they now believe graduating from high school is important to success in life * 74 percent said if they were able to relive the experience, they would have stayed in school * 47 percent agreed it was hard to find a good job without a diploma What might have kept dropouts in school? * 81 percent called for more "real-world" learning opportunities * 75 percent wanted smaller classes with more individual instruction * 71 percent favored better communication between parents and schools and more involvement from parents I know I'm completely biased, but I think these kids are starving for career education and work experience programs. TIME article available here (if you subscribe): http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1181646,00.html Additional info available in a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation report, "The Silent Epidemic" http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Education/TransformingHighSchools/RelatedInfo/SilentEpidemic.htm