High School Dropouts: A Full-Fledged Epidemic

Posted by on January 8, 2007

[posted from Public Education Network newblast]

HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS: A FULL-FLEDGED EPIDEMIC

A day of reckoning has arrived for dropouts and their schools. Nationally, dropouts are three and a half times more likely to be incarcerated than high school graduates. California taxpayers foot the bill for hundreds of millions of dollars in welfare, child care, food programs, housing assistance and medical treatment for the poor ? most of whom lack a high school diploma. For decades, researchers have linked high-stress, high-demand jobs where workers have little autonomy or control with higher incidences of heart disease. Students who fail in school usually fail in other areas of life later on, such as by becoming involved in criminal activity, using illegal drugs, experiencing unplanned pregnancy or other social problems tied to feelings of failure, hopelessness and disempowerment. Now state and federal accountability systems have challenged schools to stem the tide of dropouts, writes Kristi Garrett. Educators can create a schoolwide culture that promotes resilience by setting high expectations, promoting caring relationships between students and adults at the school, and providing students with opportunities to participate in decisions about their education and be involved in the community. Taking note of students who are skipping classes and working closely with them to identify and solve problems is essential.

http://www.csba.org/csmag/csMagStoryTemplate.cfm?id=103