The Silent Epidemic |
Public school dropouts from all across the country told us that most had passing grades, big career dreams, and were confident they could have graduated. They suggested what research supports that effectively combating dropouts requires—accurate information in schools about the dropout problem, higher expectations, more individualized instruction, alternative learning environments, better teachers who keep classes interesting, and more engaged parents.
Nearly half of dropouts surveyed for The Silent Epidemic said the main reason they left school was because classes were not interesting.
Nearly 70 percent said they were not motivated to work hard and two-thirds would have worked harder if more were demanded of them.
Approximately one-third left for personal reasons (to get a job, become a parent, or care for a family member) and one-third cited "failing in school" as a major factor.
Parental involvement is also a critical factor, with students whose parents were only "somewhat" involved or "not very" involved in their schooling more likely to drop out. Many of these parents only became involved when they realized their child was in danger of dropping out and by then, of course, it was usually too late.
The 10-Point Plan
Support Accurate Graduation and Dropout Data: Schools and communities cannot adequately address the dropout problem without an accurate account of it. The National Governors Association established a 50-state compact to ensure a common definition for high school graduation rates. These rates, and the data systems that will allow states to collect and publish graduation and dropout rates, should be made available at the district and school levels and the data should be disaggregated by racial and ethnic subgroups. States and school districts should set benchmarks for raising graduation rates and should monitor progress toward such goals.
"Establish Early Warning Systems to Support Struggling Students: Research shows that you can predict with 66% accuracy a student in elementary school who will go on to drop out from high school. Because dropping out of school is a slow process of disengagement for most students, we have an opportunity to identify and address early indicators that signal the need for more support for students to stay in school. High schools need to develop early warning systems to help them identify students who are in need of extra academic or other supports and to have strong partnerships with elementary and middle schools to ensure students stay on track.
Provide Adult Advocates and Student Supports: Students need adult advocates who can help identify academic and personal challenges early and get students the support they need. Schools need to connect to communities in ways that offer a wide range of supplemental services and intensive assistance strategies for struggling students—attendance monitoring, school and peer counseling, mentoring, tutoring, double class periods, internships, service learning, summer school programs, after school programs, and more—with strong adult advocates who can help identify academic and personal crises early and get students the support they need from schools and communities.
Support Parent Engagement and Individualized Graduation Plans: Research shows that parents' engagement in their children's school lives results in multiple benefits to the students, such as improved school attendance, educational performance, classroom behavior, and emotional well-being. Parental involvement also provides benefits to schools, such as more parental support for the mission of their children's school, a better understanding among parents of their roles, and more overall support for schools among parents. Schools and parents need to strengthen their interactionsaround student performance. Schools should also develop an individualized graduation plan for each student, have the expectation that students will graduate ready for college and the workforce and regularly communicate with parents about progress towards completing such a plan.
Establish a Rigorous College and Work Preparatory Curriculum for High School Graduation: Students taking a rigorous core curriculum in high school are better prepared to succeed in college and in the workforce than students taking less challenging coursework. States and schools need to have high standards for all students and tie high school graduation requirements to the expectations of colleges and employers.
Provide Supportive Options for Struggling Students to Meet Rigorous Expectations: Student learning needs and styles differ widely; in response, states and districts should develop support options that allow all students to graduate from high school prepared for college and the workplace. These choices may include 9th grade academies that support entering freshmen, second chance schools where student dropouts can continue earning course credit, and other entirely new school models that combine personalized learning environments with high expectations. Schools should establish safe school environments, expand choices for students to make school more relevant to their lives and goals, and promptly address their special needs to keep them on track for graduating.
Raise Compulsory School Age Requirements under State Laws: Most states passed their compulsory school age requirements in the late 19th or early 20th century when the country had a very different economy, permitting students to leave school at 16 or 17 to enter the workforce. Over the last decade, many states have raised their compulsory school age from 16 to 18, recognizing that a high school education is the minimum required to compete in today's global economy. Research supports the relationship between raising the compulsory school age and reducing the dropout rate.
Expand College Level Learning Opportunities in High School: Dual enrollment, early college programs, and Advanced Placement (AP) programs allow high school students to earn credit toward high school and college simultaneously. States and school districts should expand access to these programs.
Focus the Research and Disseminate Best Practices: The Government Accountability Office noted that while states and school districts have implemented numerous interventions designed to increase high school graduation rates, there has been too little focus at the national level to evaluate and disseminate existing research and best practices. Clearinghouses of well-evaluated best practices should be established to assist states and schools.
Make Increasing High School Graduation and College and Workforce Readiness a National Priority: Local, state and federal policymakers, educators and students should be brought together with experts and innovators through national and state summits, regional and local conferences and public forums in schools and communities to discuss the incidence of, causes of and solutions to the dropout epidemic. All avenues to invest leaders in a better understanding of the problem and common solutions should be undertaken to focus national attention on the dropout epidemic.
How You Can Help
Learn about the 10-point plan released at the May 9th national "Summit on America's Silent Epidemic." More than 100 organizations that represent a full range of educator and community stakeholders with disparate political stripes support these 10 action steps to reduce dropouts.
Be a mentor or adult advocate for a student or students in your area
If you own a business, offer an internship or summer job opportunity for a local student. Emphasize the importance of staying in school to prepare for success in college, work and life.
Advocate for local, state and federal policies that support students' staying in school to prepare for success in college, work and life.
Offer a work-study program through your own business or current employer.
If you are a high school dropout, speak out to other at-risk students about the difficulties you face and your regrets about your decision to drop out
For Parents Remember that dropping out is not usually a sudden act, but a slow process of disengagement over time for most kids. There are a number of signs to look for that could signal trouble—indicators your child may be struggling with school or beginning to disengage from the school environment for one reason or another. Warning signs include:
Low grades
Being held back a grade Staying connected to your child by working closely with his or her administrators and teachers, keeping abreast of schoolwork, and perhaps volunteering at school events or in the community will keep problems from spiraling out of control and may significantly reduce the chances that your child will become another dropout statistic.
For Parents: A Call to Action
Learn about the 10-point plan released at the May 9th national "Summit on America's Silent Epidemic." More than 100 organizations that represent a full range of educator and community stakeholders with disparate political stripes support these 10 action steps to reduce dropouts.
Be involved in children's education. Support them by recognizing hard work and improvement as much as achievement and good grades, and help them to learn the importance of time management and good study skills.
Be an advocate. Ask your school system about graduation rates. Push for a curriculum that is rigorous and relevant, preparing every child for college or post-secondary training for the world of work. Make sure there are enough places and meaningful activities in your community for every child's out-of-school time.
Help young people see the practical value of education. Be a classroom volunteer lecturer to bring your business expertise to youth. If you have a business or workplace that will allow it, offer apprenticeship or internship opportunities. Encourage youth to explore their personal strengths, interests and hobbies, and how they can be used in different career fields.
Join the Strong American Schools campaign to galvanize the public to demand change and real leadership on education.
For Educators Students who have dropped out consistently say they believe classroom instruction should more closely mirror real-life experiences and needs to be more relevant to the world at large. Internships, service learning projects, and other real-world learning opportunities are just a sampling of the kinds of programs that might more effectively engage at-risk students. Smaller class sizes, more individualized attention, and one on one teaching can also improve outcomes for these students. Basic discipline, increased supervision and school safety efforts can help as well. And sometimes, just giving a student a pat on the back or praise for a job well done can go a long way toward keeping he or she connected to the school environment. Schools also need to identify adult advocates who can link up with at-risk students and help guide them throughout their academic careers, and need to remain committed to keeping the lines of communication open between parents and faculty. Parental involvement is often the key to maintaining student engagement. As educators, you have the opportunity to affect real, meaningful change in the lives of many at-risk students. We know you are committed to reversing this alarming dropout trend and we welcome your input as we convene a national dialogue on this critical issue.
For Policymakers
At the School Level
Offer multiple paths to and through high school and into college or work for students at risk of dropping out. These pathways include alternative schools with individualized educational plans, theme-based schools for the arts and sciences, small learning environments with more one on one instruction and interdisciplinary teaming of teachers and students.
Partner with innovators in school reform that are demonstrating success in boosting student achievement, and high school graduation and college-going rates. For example, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has invested more than $1.7 billion to support new models in more than 1,800 schools in communities across the country, These models include:
The Early College High School Initiative operates 160 schools across the nation that recruit traditionally low-performing students, many below grade level, to attend high schools that require enrollment in college courses. In the inaugural class, more than 95 percent of entering ninth graders have graduated with a high school diploma, and more than 80 percent have been accepted into a four-year college.
In New York City, graduation rates increased to 79 percent in the first set of high schools that replaced high schools that had graduation rates ranging from 31 to 51 percent. These new schools promote more academic rigor, provide greater access to advanced courses, support students through the transition to high school, and increase course relevance to students' personal experiences and career aspirations
Host or join local summits to end America's Silent Dropout Epidemic. America's Promise will host summits in Houston, TX on July 14-15, 2007 and Nashville, TN on July 31-August 1, 2007 in which community leaders across the nation will receive training on how to confront the dropout crisis and to convene local dropout summits. In conjunction with this effort, Mayors across America will be sent graduation rate reports for their cities and towns and challenged to host dropout summits to increase high school graduation rates and improve college and workforce readiness among their student population.
At the Policy Level
Provide students with multiple pathways to graduation via traditional public schools, magnet schools, charter schools, private schools, virtual schools, and alternative education programs that provide students another chance for academic success.
Make high school more relevant through dual enrollment, career and technical education, and other programs that create meaningful links between high school, postsecondary education, and the workforce.
Align high school graduation standards with college entrance requirements and employer expectations to ensure that curricula are rigorous and relevant and that students are successful in life after graduation. For more information on the connection between high school graduation requirements and college and workplace expectations, visit Achieve's Web site. |
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