Connect for Kids / Child Advocacy 360 / Youth Policy Action Center - Graduation & Dropout Rates

Graduation for All: "At This Rate, We'll Lose Generations"

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:54:31 -0500

Texas graduation rates haven't improved much in over 20 years. In fact, the 2008 Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA) study finds that Texas schools lose one high school student every four minutes—that's one-third of the state's students. So what would it take to get to a drop out rate of zero? IDRA's Grad4All looks at what can work, and how adults can get involved to make sure more students in Texas and across the country graduate on time and with the skills they need to succeed.

AT&T Aspire: Connecting Our Youth

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:34:45 -0500

The AT&T Aspire Program is a $100 million initiative to address high school success and college and workforce readiness. The AT&T Aspire program includes four key components: grants to prepare students for college, job shadowing opportunities, researching the high school dropout issue and solutions, and supporting 100 community dropout-prevention summits.

CAP Event, "College-Ready Students, Student-Ready Colleges"

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:36:16 -0500

On August 12th, 2008, the Center for American Progress presented, "College-Ready Students, Student-Ready Colleges: Enhancing Degree Completion Through Student Empowerment and Systems Change," an event focusing on the issues surrounding higher education. At the event, speakers discussed rising costs, the need for more federal involvement, and agreed on an overall need for change in higher education.

What works? The Need to Evaluate Programs Targeting Out-of-School Youth - A CFK Summary

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 06:12:53 -0500

Too few young people are ready for college, work and life. So what do we know about the programs designed to reach young people before they “disconnect” and help ensure all youth finish high school ready for a successful adulthood. A July 18, 2008 Working for Change forum—sponsored by the Community Service Society of New York in collaboration with the Coalition on Human Needs—looked at what’s being done and how well it’s working to improve graduation rates and reconnect young our youth. Maria Allen has this summary.

Effective Teaching and At-Risk/Highly Mobile Students: What Do Award-Winning Teachers Do?

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:56:37 -0500

This study reviews the literature and explores the practices of six teachers who won national and/or state awards for working with students who are at-risk or highly mobile. The study was designed by

Diplomas Count 2008

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:06:07 -0500

This year, 1.23 million students will fail to graduate from high school.

Youth Conference on High School Dropout Rate - What do Teens Think?

Tue, 06 May 2008 13:49:28 -0500

In February 2008, about 200 teens gathered to discuss the school dropout rate in New York City, covering such factors as peer pressure, lack of support from parents, schools and the community, barriers for immigrants and gender inequities.

Why Ninth Grade Matters: A Student's View

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 23:12:49 -0500

As the nation's soaring drop-out rates draw new attention and concern, parents and policymakers struggle to find ways to give kids an urgent message: staying in school is important. But sometimes, the messenger is as important as the message. Here is a young man's own cautionary tale of high school struggles, republished here with permission from YO! Youth Outlook.

Making Good on a Promise: Supporting the Educational Goals of Dropouts

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:36:42 -0500

This Jobs for the Future report looks at whether our society makes good on its promise of a second chance for young people who have dropped out of high school. Among the myths shattered by the research review: dropping out is not just a problem of the poor, but socioeconomic status—not race—is a key indicator for dropping out.

Whatever it Takes: How Twelve Communities Are Reconnecting Out-of-School Youth

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:49:03 -0500

America is in the midst of a "drop-out" crisis. Nationally, only about two-thirds of all students who enter 9th grade graduate with regular high school diplomas four years later. Rates vary widely across states, but on average, 72 percent of female students and 64 percent of male students graduated in 2001; the numbers for African American students is as low as 50 percent.

Community-Based Learning: Engaging Students for Success and Citizenship

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 23:17:54 -0500

Research shows that as many as 60 percent of students are "chronically disengaged" from school. This report from the Coalition for Community Schools offers evidence that community-based learning—which integrates different strategies, including service learning, place-based education, environmental and civic education, and work and community service—can help re-engage students using real-world content and issues.

An Overview of Alternative Education: Helping Disconnect Youth Succeed

Tue, 14 Mar 2006 08:15:42 -0600

2006 estimates put the number of youth who are not in school, do not have a diploma, and not working at 3.8 million. For these young people, labor market prospects are often gloomy. This Urban Institu

A Majority of States Are Way Off on Graduation Rate Calculations

Tue, 06 Dec 2005 13:01:30 -0600

Based on the averaged freshman graduation rate, a new measure the U.S. Dept. of Education is using to assess more accurately and comprehensively how many students are graduating from high school, 11 states drastically overestimate the number of students who graduate from their high schools. The biggest offenders include North Carolina, New Mexico, Mississippi, Indiana and South Dakota, according to the Alliance for Excellent Education summary. New Jersey, North Dakota and Wisconsin graduated the highest percentages of their high school students on time, while Washington, DC, South Carolina and Georgia had the lowest graduation rates.

Drop-Out Data Grim in Texas

Wed, 23 Nov 2005 09:30:21 -0600

Texas schools lose a student every four minutes. Since 1986, 2.2 million Texas students have dropped out -- leaving the state with an estimated net loss of $500 billion, according to the 2004-05 attrition study by the Intercultural Development Research Association. The study includes attrition data for each Texas county, as well as components of strong school holding power.

Department of Ed Releases Graduation Rates

Wed, 23 Nov 2005 09:23:41 -0600

The U.S. Department of Education reports slight improvements on high school graduation rates for public high schools in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, five territories, and Department of Defense bases overseas. The percentage of high school students who graduate on time, four years after they enter, increased from 72.6 for the class of 2001-02 to 73.9 percent for the class of 2002-03. Thirty-nine states saw their rates rise, one experienced no change, and 11 saw declines over this two-year period. For the class of 2002-03, the rate ranged from a high of 87.0 percent (New Jersey) to a low of 59.6 percent (District of Columbia). Fourteen states had rates of 80.0 percent or higher, while 10 states and the District of Columbia had rates below 70.0 percent.