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Findings
Reasons why so many students fail to graduate:
Students who are not academically challenged;
Students who need to financially support themselves or their families;
Students who are not engaged by traditional high school offerings;
Students who do not possess adequate literacy skills to complete high school requirements;
Students who have difficulty with attendance;
Students who have substance abuse problems;
Students who have been impacted by violence -- in their homes, in their schools, or in their communities;
Students who have become parents;
Students who interact or communicate poorly with teachers;
Students who do not speak, read, or write English well, or not at all.
In 2001, students from families with the lowest incomes were six times more likely than their peers from families with high incomes to dropout within a school year (National Center for Education Statistivs - November,
2004).
Solutions
Early academic intervention to target literacy skills;
Early intervention to target English language development;
Student connection to one significant adult at school (middle and high school);
Safe schools;
Increased counseling (quantity and quality) - both career and personal;
Using student input to identify causes and solutions;
Students who become parents need to be high school graduates themselves to break the dropout cycle
School-to-work initiatives which connect mid- and secondary-level school experiences to the world of work and careers;
High schools must offer a range of educational choices - one size does not fit all
Clear academic standards and expectations for courses and high school graduation
Recognition and honors for students who persist at achieving standards - rewarding hard work as well as ability.
Source: State Department of Education response to House Memorial 73 (November 17, 1997)
State perspective...
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