Large cities, high-poverty areas in the South and the Southeast are pockets for dropout factories.

What About No Child Left Behind?

The good news is that the list of failing schools has not increased under No Child Left Behind. The bad news is that the list has not gotten shorter either. NCLB has focused on reading and math in the elementary levels. However, after five years, the new NCLB proposed revisions will focus more on high schools and the graduation rates. The new proposals will designate more money for high schools and put more pressure on them to raise academics. President Bush is likely to sign this into law.

Reading and Math

Reading and Math have been the main focus of No Child Left Behind for the past five years. Science is now being added which makes many teachers and administrators squirm. Some schools have taught little science and social studies because they have devoted extra time to the instruction of reading to raise those low scores. Schools are now considering longer school days and longer school calendars to schedule the extra teaching time to meet federal academic goals. Longer school days will cost more for increases in teacher salaries. Funding is already tight in most schools.

Graduation Rates

How many students graduate? Nationally, whites graduate overall at 70%. Minorities (Hispanics and blacks) graduate at 50%. Some schools don’t collect data effectively to even know how many graduate. [Nancy Zuckerbrod, abcnews.go.com, October 30, 2007]

What Happens To Dropouts?

The answer to this question is known because these students soon become statistics at taxpayers expense. Dropouts soon end up

• Unemployed
• In prison
• Living in poverty
• Receiving government assistance
• Less healthy
• Divorced
• Single parents

Prevention Ideas

When 500 dropouts were asked what could have helped them stay in school, they were quite frank. Some said that the lack of school counselors made it impossible to plan high school properly. Some students say they wait nearly a year for a visit with the school counselor. Others stated that no one encouraged them to improve in school, graduate, attend college or tell them just how to gain admission. By the time they did discover what was expected for graduation, it was too late to catch up.

Other students made the following suggested changes:

• Better teachers
• Better mentoring between students and teachers
• Offer more alternatives
• More school-to-home communication
• Schools should offer real-life opportunities
• More supervision
• Tutoring
• Summer school

Some schools are offering a "5th Year of High School" to students that want to return after leaving. The students work at their own pace, attend classes around their work schedule, and work in small groups or 1-on-1 with instructors. Getting students back in school to finish--a second chance--may be the solution for many.

Making High Schools Accountable

The new NCLB provisions would mandate that schools have an accurate measuring tool for graduation. Counting the seniors that enter and taking the percentage of those that graduate is not accurate. 50% could have dropped out in the sophomore and junior year. This is not a true picture of graduation rates. [Nancy Zuckerbrod, abcnews.go.com, October 30, 2007]

Trickle Up Effect?

Will the academic improvements at the elementary levels trickle up to high schools? Schools that do not have strong goals for high school students will face sanctions. Scores alone will not be the only factors considered—graduation rates are now being added to the mix.

Some organizations are encouraging students to stay in school. The Ad Council and U.S. Army have teamed together to form Boostup. http://www.boostup.org.

Related articles: School Proficiencies Inconsistent, Citizens Vote-No Child Left Behind

Read previous articles on Educational Issues.

Copyright article 2007 Barbara Pytel. All Rights Reserved.