Article on High School Drop Out Rates

Must-read new report on high school dropouts

I have long considered high school drop-outs not only the least soluble of our education problems but the least clear. School districts have traditionally fudged the numbers, reporting their drop-out rates as only 5 or 6 percent, a grossly deceptive one-year rate.

The National Governors Association and other policymakers, ashamed of this charade, have put an end to it. Everyone is switching to a four-year drop-out rate, the percentage of ninth-graders (about 31 percent nationally) who do not receive diplomas four years later. The improved data has not only raised the level of the debate but also made possible a new report with some unnerving revelations about graduation rates.

My wife made the mistake of letting me go with her to her office last Sunday to catch up on work. While there I read the new Education Week report, “Graduation by the Numbers: Putting Data to Work for Student Success,” and kept squealing at one statistical surprise after another. I insisted on reading each one to her, delaying her efforts to get back outside on a nice weekend day.

The report’s prime author is Christopher B. Swanson, vice president for Research & Development at Editorial Projects in Education Inc., the nonprofit that owns Education Week. (Bias alert: I am on their board.) Swanson is a national expert on dropouts. This is some of his best work. He has mined the latest data in remarkable ways.

He discovered, for instance, that just 25 of the 11,000 U.S. school districts with high schools accounted for one out of every five students who failed to graduate in 2007, the most recent year with relevant data. Those 25 districts at the top of the dropout scale had a quarter million non-graduates, as many as were counted in the lowest ranked 8,400 districts.

Here they are, followed by their number of non-graduates in 2007:

1. New York City, 43,643
2. Los Angeles, 42,174
3. Clark County, Nev. (Las Vegas) 17,479
4. Chicago, 16,731
5. Miami-Dade County, 13,261
6. Philadelphia, 9,324
7. Houston, 9,266
8. Broward County, Fla. (Fort Lauderdale), 9,093
9. Detroit (class of 2009), 8,754
10. Dallas, 8,054
11. Charlotte-Mecklenburg, N.C., 6,386
12. Hillsborough County, Fla. (Tampa), 5,773
13. Hawaii (statewide district), 5,731
14. Orange County, Fla. (Orlando), 5,656
15. Palm Beach County, Fla., 5,507
16. Prince George’s County, Md., 5,426
17. Gwinnett County, Ga., 5,115
18. DeKalb County, Ga., 5,073
19. San Bernardino City, Calif., 5,051
20. Baltimore, 5,047
21. Duval County, Fla. (Jacksonville), 5,002
22. San Diego, 4,836
23. Milwaukee, 4,680
24. Albuquerque, N.M., 4,637
25. Pinellas County, Fla., 4,280

The problem is so concentrated that a concerted effort to raise graduation rates in just those districts could bring significant improvement nationally. New York being number one is no surprise. It is the biggest district, with 1.1 million students. The more students you have, the more dropouts you are likely to generate. But notice, Swanson wrote, that “despite its smaller size, the 678,000-student Los Angeles Unified generates a comparable number of dropouts, owing to a graduation rate 14 points lower than in New York City.”

I think Los Angeles’s higher dropout rate could be related to its higher portion of recent and often illegal immigrants, a factor that connects with another of Swanson’s revelations -- a 140-year history of four-year graduation rates in America.

The long graph stretches over two pages below Swanson’s article, “Progress Postponed.” It shows the percentage of high school graduates among those old enough to receive diplomas from 1870 (2 percent) through 1900 (6.4 percent), through 1940 (50.8 percent), through 1969 (the peak year, 77.1 percent), to 68.8 percent in 2007. I had never before seen this laid out with such clarity.

Why have graduation rates been declining since 1969? The timing suggests to me that the surge in immigration has something to do with it. Immigrants account for a significant number of poor people in the country. Poverty correlates with leaving high school before graduation. When I called Swanson about this he suggested an additional factor. Graduation rates were high in both high school and college in the late 1960s, perhaps a temporary phenomenon caused by even the most restless male students of my generation not wanting to expose themselves to the draft and the Vietnam War.

There’s more. I tend not to blame schools for large dropout rates. The higher percentage of students from impoverished families, the higher the school's dropout rate is going to be. The educators have little or no way to change the circumstances of their students’ family lives. But Swanson and his staff analyzed the demographic factors associated with dropouts and published a chart that makes me wonder if I should be so quick to excuse the schools.

Swanson identified a pool of urban districts that matched the profile of the nation’s largest urban school systems and then singled out those whose graduation rates were significantly higher than what would be predicted from their size, poverty level and other characteristics. Above, I identified the 25 districts that produce the most dropouts. Here is the flip side of that, districts that seem to have had success reducing the dropout rates despite my assumption that they couldn’t. The district names and locations are followed by the number of percentage points their graduation rate in 2007 exceeded what was predicted:

1. Newport-Mesa, Newport Beach, Calif. (29)
2. David Douglas, Portland, Ore. (20)
3. Texarkana, Texarkana, Tex. (19)
4. Memphis, Memphis, Tenn. (18)
5. Visalia, Visalia, Calif. (18)
6. Jonesboro, Jonesboro, Ark. (18)
7. Mesa, Mesa, Ariz. (16)
8. Hamilton County, Chattanooga, Tenn. (16)
9. Madera, Madera, Calif. (15)
10. Phenix, Phenix City, Ala. (14)
11. United, Laredo, Tex. (14)
12. Fort Smith, Fort Smith, Ark. (13)
13. Evansville-Vanderburgh, Evansville, Ind. (13)
14. Hemet, Hemet, Calif. (12)
15. Riverside, Riverside, Calif. (12)
16. Ferguson-Florissant, Florissant, Mo. (12)
17. Cumberland, Fayetteville, N.C. (12)
18. Long Beach, Long Beach, Calif. (11)
19. Little Rock, Little Rock, Ark. (11)
20. Muscogee County, Columbus, Ga. (10)
21. Warren Township, Indianapolis, Ind. (10)

The most eye-catching charts and revelations are in the back of the report, but “Graduation by the Numbers” has good articles in front, too. The Stockton, Calif., schools, for instance, reassigned several office staffers to check the whereabouts of students listed as dropouts. They interviewed neighbors. They pursued leads. They tracked down large numbers of students who had not left school, but had moved to another area. That, and improved programs to keep students in school, reduced the district’s dropout rate from 52.5 to 17.7 percent in just one year.

I am reading, and rereading, the whole report. It provides a useful context for just about everything I have ever read about dropouts. If this is the hardest problem to solve in education, we are going to need the best data we can find, and Swanson has provided a lot of it.

Read Jay's blog every day at http://washingtonpost.com/class-struggle.

Follow all the Post's Education coverage on Twitter, Facebook and our Education web page, http://washingtonpost.com/education.

By Jay Mathews  |  June 10, 2010; 1:00 AM ET

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Naming Africans

The issue of naming those of African descent caused quite a stir this week in class. This is a very important question because it leads to another important issue raised by this weeks discussion leader of who should be included in the Black Liberation Movement. These two important questions are essential to issue of education as a vehicle of social justice for Blacks in the US. I tend to shy away from taking on these very two controversial issues because I don't feel I have a well established knowledge base to make an informed argument as to what to call people of African descent and who should be included in the "fight for Blacks".

Hilliard gracefully took on the discourse on the past, present and future naming people of African descent. Although our class discussion pointed out the flaws of his argument and "troubled" his terminology of choice as the AHS would say, I do not necessarily see a need to do so. From our conversation, I have found validity in the use of the term African based on Hilliard's argument. It is in this discourse that we can being to define and find our place in the cosmos as Hilliard put it and then work towards utlizing a transformed education as a method of social justice.

And so this brings me to the evolution of the naming of people of African ancestry. Beginning with the term "colored" which was interchangeably used with "Negro" before the 1960's. And then a shift took place towards "black" then "Black" and even more recently the term "African American" joined the lineage of the multiple names of Africans. And as this weeks' facilitator brought up we can ever forget the the enduring and malicious term "Nigger" which has been ever-present in eveyr era as a term whites used to refer to Blacks in the US. Along with these, we have the wonderful adjectives that describe people of African heritage: "minority", "inner-city" "at-risk" and the list goes on.

Understanding this heritage of being named and possessing little autonomy to chose a name for themselves, I can understand Hilliards' position in using African. He argues that his main reason for using the term African is "African fits our actual historical, cultural, and even political circumstances more precisely than any other name... The African continental name reflects that reality of common cultural heritage and a common political need." Taking this assertion literally, I would have to question the use of certain terms and phrases such as common cultural heritage. But taking a step back and remembering a statement that was stressed in class I can too, say this may be a viable term in the debate of naming Africans.

Prof. Smith brought to the forefront the experience of being Black. Although we know there is no cookie cutter mold of what it means to be black, we can identify a common thread.Prof. Smith stated where are Blacks located that oppression doesn't exist or hasn't existed. This is such a deep question. From imperialism to slavery to modern day "inner-city" living we see examples of oppression. Could this not qualify as that common political need mentioned by Hilliard. Can the many variations of a "Black experience" be the very reason why we can be called Africans? I hope to get the chance to examine this issue more in-depth. But if I were to answer today, I would say based on this Hilliard may have validation in his choice to name people of African descent Africans. And if we were to accept this as a valid argument, we could move onto the Black liberation movement and in turn influence education for social justice.

We began to discuss the stereotypes and perceptions of Blacks in America. It is sad what is  broadcasted over the media. This video is disturbiing, and shows the impact the media has in perpetuating negative images of Black America.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY04gIruZ4E&feature=related

Were you aware?....

A picture to highlight some of the issues discussed in class this weekAccording to my test results, I am not at all aware of equity and diversity in the US. I have fallen victim to the many myths embedded within American culture, which perpetuate a deceptive notion of a lovely diverse melting pot where everyone is created and treated equally. Much to my surprise and dismay, I answered two questions correctly. My strategy for answering the questions on the Equity and Diversity Awareness Quiz was to choose moderate answers. The possible answers were either percentages or something to do with comparing numbers. So, I thought things in the US are obviously not equal, but I didn't imagine the answers being to either extreme of too low or too high. I sat with confidence, reading and answering the test questions, thinking that even if i didn't know the correct answer, my strategy wouldn't steer me wrong and I would be better off than merely guessing the answers.  My strategy failed me miserably.I will begin by addressing the two miserly questions I answered correctly. The first one dealt with the issue of the US military budget.  The question was: 

The U.S. military budget is by far the highest of any country in the world. How much higher is the U.S. military budget than that of China, the world’s second biggest military spender?- I answered 7 times higher. It baffles me that we can spend so much money to kill people (essentially that is what happens in a war) but we are having an issue reforming health care so that every citizen can aafford to see a physician or reform our school systems so that all school are given the same resources to excel. Just a thought.

The next question I answered correctly was:

A Princeton study of elite universities in the U.S. found that legacy applicants—people, usually white and wealthy, with a parent or grandparent who attended the institution—are far more privileged by legacy status than applicants of color are by affirmative action policies. The study determined that legacy status was roughly equivalent to how much of a boost to an applicant’s SAT score?- I answered 160 points. Basically legacy status allows a university to offer preferential treatment to a college applicant who has a family member who attended the university. What a joy to know that I could work as hard as I want but if my parent didn't attend my school of interest it could cost me 160 points added to my SAT score. This validates the statement that it's not what you know but who you know. Very sad but true.

Two questions shocked me when I learned the answers. The first dealt with drug possesion laws for conviction:

Powder cocaine (largely used by wealthy people) and crack cocaine (largely used by economically disadvantaged people) contain roughly the same amount of the drug per gram. Under federal law, how much of these substances must an individual be convicted of possessing to be sentenced to a mandatory minimum of five years in prison?- I answered 5 gram of powder or crack cocaine. This is because I didn't read the question thoroughly, I know I have heard of this before, the laws are called the Rockerfeller laws in NY. The answer was actually 500 grams of powder or 5 grams of crack cocaine. Looking at who usually uses what drug by race signifies the embedded racism in our legislative system. If this isn't blatant racism, I don't know what would be considered such. This exemplifies the use of government and law to uphold a tradition of racist ideologies. 

The second question addressed the issue of the inequity in health care. Health care is a present topic of interest, the results of the following question highlight the issue of unequal access to health care:
Compared with White women, how likely are African American women in the U.S. to die during childbirth due to a lack of access to prenatal care, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality?- I answered twice as likely, the answer was in fact four times as likely. As a country, it is our duty to examine and heed to such statistics which attest to the current state of health care. This is among the many inequalities faced by people of color. It is something we need to get under control. It is unreal to be named one of the "richest countries in the world" and have citizens dying because of a lack of access to healthcare.


As an aspiring helping professional,it is imperative to begin to first educate myself and then others of the facts of inequality in the US. Addressing these issues is the only way to begin to remedy the wrongs caused by inequities in all aspects of society.


This is the link for the Equity and Diversity Awareness Quiz
http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/quiz/quizNEW.pdf

Go Tell It On The Mountain...

This past Thursday Sigma Gamma Rho and Malik Fraternity held a program which invited Reverend Erwin Lee Trollinger to speak on the plight of inner city youth. The purpose of this program was to discuss the "threats and uncertainties of inner city youth". Reverend Trollinger has been working with inner city youth in Mount Vernon for about 20 years. He is the director of a community center and from the recounting of his experiences he has seen it all when it comes to youth within the inner city. I commend Rev. Trollinger for his commitment and dedication to youth in need especially those within the foster care system. But I must say, I was left unimpressed by the program.


I felt that Rev. Trollinger would be most effective speaking to those he seeks to help more. It sounded more as a motivational speech and I think that would have been more appropriate for youth in which he was more versed in addressing. I am fully aware of the need to mentor youth from the community I am from and this is the very basis of my career choice. So I think although Rev. Trollinger's speech was very well presented, I feel that he brought nothing new to the discussion on helping black youth. I felt as though I had heard everything he said before, such as being a positive role model for kids in my "hood" and  mentoring those who may not be on the right path. I would have wished for something more thought provoking, something fresh on this issue.


The video that was shown before he began to speak was insightful. But once again brought up arguments that I have already heard.  The statistic presented were rather grim associated with students of color, it was said that there was only a 50% high school graduation rate. Which meant 50% of students of color were dropping out of high school. The video also made a connection between schooling and imprisonment. There is a connection between failing schools and successful prisons. In fact, in the US fourth grade reading scores are used to predict how much prisons will be needed as stated in the video. I spent some time trying to find a credible source to validate this assertion but had a hard time, nevertheless I can't say I doubt it. This then connects to the multi-billion dollar business of prisons, because full prisons means cheap labor. And this translates to a modern form of slavery. This is what I took most from the program.


Knowing the statistics and what potentially happens to youth of color from the inner city, I do see the need in me being a mentor and example for those in my community. But I hope that by taking on the career choice that I am, I will be able to move beyond being a mentor and facilitate change in some of the systemic and structural issues that may be the cause of the "plight of inner city youth".

NCLB... Beginning to remedy the wrongs

This week happened to be my favorite, for both assigned readings and class discussion because these are some of the issues I want to study when I get to grad school. Our focus this week was on the achievement gap. We examined different explanations for it and for possible ways to begin to close the achievement gap. The No Child Left Behind Act sought to reform eduction and attend to the achievement gap. But due to misguided execution, NCLB may be a culprit in maintaining the gap and harming most the children it promised to help.

As stated in Hammond's reading this week, a debt is owed to those students of color and of lower status that have been historically disenfranchised by the education system; those who have been repeatedly forced into a place of disadvantage because of unequal access to quality education. NCLB is currently helping to perpetuate the inequalities faced "minority" and low-income students. NCLB was written with great prospects in mind, "a victory for American children" is what Hammond reported. Today, it seems more children are losing as a result of NCLB.

Accountability is a great point raised by NCLB, without teacher's being held accountable for their students failure is sure to go unchallenged. I believe that the way in which teacher's are being held accountable is the deficiency in NCLB lies. As we discussed, it is so much easier to quantify a teacher's success by the grades his/her class receives on a standardized test. This method is cost efficient and allows for ease in data collection and analysis. Unfortunately, a student is more than a test score and it is careless to base a student's ability and achievement on one score. The process of assessment is destroying our schools and forcing teachers to deliver low-quality education.

Ironically, this past Monday President Obama sent his plans for NCLB to congress, which would retain annual testing and data-driven accountability  but would add resources and flexibility to meet new goals. His goal is to take emphasis off yearly improvement, and federal outlines of school failure and begin to utilize broader measures of progress. The current goal of proficiency by 2014 is being replaced by the goal having all high school graduates prepared for college and a career by 2020. This is a point we brought up in class, I think that by expanding the goal beyond proficiency benefit the students in the long run. It will be visible to the students that a greater investment is being made into their futures.

Obama's plans make a shift from punative measures to a system of remediation for the lowest 5% of schools who don't meet performance goals and rewards the schools that do. Personally, I believe that this is a start. But ultimately will not completely remedy the achievement gap. Based on the reform suggested by President Obama, there is still a heavy dependence on high stakes testing for measuring student and school progress. Hammond calls for a paradigm shift in national education policy, what President Obama has outlined is just a remodel of NCLB. In the end I think it will take a complete new plan which doesn't depend on assessment, and is committed to supplying high-quality teachers and resources to all students to ensure that no child is indeed left behind.

This is a news article speaking on President Obama's plans for NCLB. It more descriptively outlines some of the attentive plans for education policy reform.
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/15/opinion/la-ed-nclb16-2010mar16

This is a CNN news report on President Obama's plans for reforming NCLB. I'm curious to know what your thoughts are on these plans for reform, do you all think they have potential?
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/15/obama.education/index.html?eref=rss_us&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_us+%28RSS%3A+U.S.%29