Which States Have the Best High School Graduation Rates?
Reader Comments
Online Public K-12 Education
What effect are online public schools, which bring many dropouts back into school, and which also improves test scores, having on state dropout rates? Florida has been a leader in online K12 education. What has been the effect there? And shouldn't returning students be included in the survey?
Point of accuracy
Just to clarify: The "graduation rate" referred to in the Education Week report is the percentage of kids who graduate in FOUR YEARS of high school.
Some kids are held back a year (this is not uncommon in the 9th grade), and some may drop out and get their GED a few years later. None of those students would be considered "graduates" under this limited definition, but they do indeed graduate.
The article also extrapolates the information to say that 30% of students drop out, which is wholly inaccuarate.
to New Mexico
First, AP courses are plenty challenging, and many 16-18 year old students need the close interaction of AP classes versus the large auditorium classes of colleges.
Second, the students dropping out typically have problems with basic arithmetic and reading levels between 4-8th grades. College classes are not the answer for these students.
Finally, the problem rests with apathetic students who "need" constant attention from the internet, text messaging, television, or video games. If you polled how many hours students spend on homework and how many hours are spent on other activities, (and I have) you would find students who have little to no work ethic towards school work.
Sometimes subjects just can't be made that interesting. I don't care what song and dance a teacher does, long division and fractions really cannot be made that interesting.
Here in New Mexico
we have one of the lower graduation rates, somewhere in the 50-60% range, depending on whose statistics you choose to believe.
Do you know what some educators here are touting as one solution that has proven promise? A concept of "pushin' 'em FORWARD" (because they are bored).
One of the ideas showing the most promise is partnering high schools with colleges or community colleges to offer dual credit courses. Get college credit while in high school. Get challenged. Get out of the high school silly-stuff environment. Get serious. Save time. Save money. Create a "magnet" to grow up.
I say, good. Forget the A/P stuff. Get 'em in real college ASAP.
