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Graduation Rates a 'Catastrophe' in Cities
AP Via AOL News ^ | April 1, 2008 | KEN THOMAS,AP

Posted on 04/01/2008 12:06:48 PM PDT by rightwingintelligentsia

WASHINGTON (April 1) - Seventeen of the nation's 50 largest cities had high school graduation rates lower than 50 percent, with the lowest graduation rates reported in Detroit, Indianapolis and Cleveland, according to a report released Tuesday.

The report, issued by America's Promise Alliance, found that about half of the students served by public school systems in the nation's largest cities receive diplomas. Students in suburban and rural public high schools were more likely to graduate than their counterparts in urban public high schools, the researchers said.

Nationally, about 70 percent of U.S. students graduate on time with a regular diploma and about 1.2 million students drop out annually.

"When more than 1 million students a year drop out of high school, it's more than a problem, it's a catastrophe," said former Secretary of State Colin Powell, founding chair of the alliance.

His wife, Alma Powell, the chair of the alliance, said students need to graduate with skills that will help them in higher education and beyond. "We must invest in the whole child, and that means finding solutions that involve the family, the school and the community." The Powell's organization was beginning a national campaign to cut high school dropout rates.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.aol.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: atriskstudents; cities; cleveland; detroit; dropouts; indianapolis; powell; publicschools; teens
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To: Eric in the Ozarks
These stories reside in a newsroom’s tickler file, to be hauled out every year and dusted off for fresh statistics. Like the Venereal Disease story, its an evergreen, to be offered up on a slow news day.

LOL! Oh, you mean like those endlessly recycled women's magazines articles, such as...


41 posted on 04/01/2008 1:06:23 PM PDT by yankeedame ("Oh, I can take it but I'd much rather dish it out.")
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To: Arthur McGowan
Brilliant post.

I read in the Washington Compost this past weekend (I only buy the $2 for 2 paper special for the coupons) that the current Chancellor for the District of Columbia public schools stated that the system serves the adults, not the children, and that this needed to change. She is not a lifetime educrat, from what I can tell, and warned the Mayor before he hired her that she wasn't going to be making nice with a lot of folks by putting the kids first.

If that's all true, think of how amazing and crazy that all is. I do hope she's being honest, and the Mayor backs her up.

The State takes my property taxes for education, whether I use it or not -- I hope that State leaves me the heck alone if I want to homeschool. Pipe dream?

42 posted on 04/01/2008 1:18:24 PM PDT by elk
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To: wintertime

ping


43 posted on 04/01/2008 1:20:55 PM PDT by wintertime (Good ideas win! Why? Because people are not stupid.)
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To: xtinct
Middle school is the worst, because apparently here in California, you can't expel a student unless he's going into juvenile or some other institutionalized setting. We had a boy caught redhanded with a bag of pot, a pretty sizable amount (read: intent to distribute) right in History class. It fell out of his pocket right in front of the teacher. This 8th grader already has a record a mile long, including theft, fights, disrespect, and everything else.

He was suspended for one day. He also received a summons to appear in court (since he's so young, you know they won't do much to him.) The day after his suspension, he is right back in class, hanging out with decent kids. I WISH the drop out rate were higher in middle school. These are the kids you want OUT.

44 posted on 04/01/2008 1:36:54 PM PDT by A_perfect_lady
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To: dr.zaeus

“In Detroit’s public schools, 24.9 percent of the students graduated from high school...”

Jenny Granholm, the Berkeley communist governor of MI, has designated Detroit as a “cool city.”


45 posted on 04/01/2008 1:38:10 PM PDT by sergeantdave (Governments hate armed citizens more than armed criminals)
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To: chopperman
"That’s a shame. The ‘Burgh’ was once the sixth largest."

Just one more benefit of 50 years of dhimmicrat control.

46 posted on 04/01/2008 1:42:25 PM PDT by Pietro
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To: yankeedame
Don't forget "Ten Tips to Drive Him Crazy in Bed!" (I swear, that's on the Cosmo cover EVERY SINGLE MONTH.)

Sooner or later I'm going to have to look and see just what these secrets are.

47 posted on 04/01/2008 1:47:26 PM PDT by A_perfect_lady
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To: Paradox

Correct, this is largely a cultural problem, first and foremost,
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

It is a problem of fatherless kids born to unmarried welfare moms. Unfortunately this cultural dysfunction is spreading into all racial and ethnic groups.

Expect to see the rise of the “Clockwork Orange” generation.


48 posted on 04/01/2008 3:30:03 PM PDT by wintertime (Good ideas win! Why? Because people are not stupid.)
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To: rightwingintelligentsia
. In Detroit's public schools, 24.9 percent of the students graduated from high school,
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

And?,,,,The government bureaucrats running these centers of failure have the audacity to insist on supervising **homeschoolers**??

Unbelievable!

49 posted on 04/01/2008 3:32:56 PM PDT by wintertime (Good ideas win! Why? Because people are not stupid.)
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To: rightwingintelligentsia

There is a reason babies shouldn’t have babies.

If you are an uneducated drop out, you will raise uneducated drop outs.


50 posted on 04/01/2008 4:53:48 PM PDT by TASMANIANRED (TAZ:Untamed, Unpredictable, Uninhibited.)
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To: rightwingintelligentsia

These stats are horrifying. And should horrify any parent who isn’t into seeing their own children live a life of crime and/or a life of perpetual welfare. But OTOH, with Democrats always saying “every child a wanted child” (Sturgeon General under Bill Clinton), every child dropping out can whine to a Democrat about.. racism, sexism, being a victim. And that politician will use it the same way Hillary and Obama use the platform: Grow taxes in order to create more dropouts.


51 posted on 04/01/2008 6:09:30 PM PDT by Alia
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To: rightwingintelligentsia

Many things to keep in mind:

Dropout rates are actually counted from 1st grade. If a student moves away, but no record request comes from another school, then the student counts against the original school’s graduation rate. Even more interesting, if the student does enroll in another school, yet no records are requested, new records are started - and then that school (if a public school) is on the hook too...

Another scenario - students who commit crimes and end up expelled and/or in prison - they also count as “drop-outs”.

Students who fail a grade and/or are held back - if they get to be 18 and take their GED, that counts against the school’s graduation rate.

Let us also consider the fact that every child that starts 1st grade, but end us homeschooled - they are “drop-outs”.

Now - let us look at the figures in the report - Of course, blacks are shown to have the highest drop-out rate. Having dealt with many students (black and white), the Vast majority (like 99.9%) of black students who do not graduate - every one was unmotivated by ANYTHING. They give in to peer pressure to NOT succeed in school. There is still a great deal of hatred in the black community for success. It is still looked at as “trying to be white”. I have seen many very bright black students who are treated incredibly bad by other blacks for being successful in school. It is almost as if many believe that academic success is betraying the race. It is truly frustrating.

I have had students who have, when younger (elementary), were polite and motivated students. By the time they get to Jr. High and especially High school - they are completely different kids. Even when the parents seem concerned, the kids change. They no longer wish to succeed. They just want to show out for their friends.

I know some die-hard, superior teachers who want to poll their hair out over some of the kids who are so smart, yet completely unmotivated by anything but showing out/partying/etc.

No matter how the numbers are run - they will be manipulated to be an excuse for more money. Money will NOT solve the drop-out rate. What will help is getting to the root of the problem. Drugs, poor parenting, and a community/culture that holds itself back.


52 posted on 04/01/2008 7:48:25 PM PDT by TheBattman (LORD God, please give us a Christian Patriot with a backbone for President in 08, Amen.)
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To: PurpleMan
Hmmm, I'm detecting a pattern... Of course, they won't.
53 posted on 04/01/2008 8:36:11 PM PDT by Reaganesque
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To: KSCITYBOY

They know how to count now?


54 posted on 04/01/2008 8:43:31 PM PDT by fatima
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To: rightwingintelligentsia

In ‘71 we graduated 95% in a class of 550 in a rural/industrial/farm community.

I’m not a big fan of psychology, but I always thought that, “You get the behavior that you reward”, was accurate.


55 posted on 04/01/2008 8:45:22 PM PDT by G Larry (HILLARY CARE = DYING IN LINE!)
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To: CarWashMan

What makes you think they wonder.


56 posted on 04/01/2008 8:48:12 PM PDT by fatima
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To: janeliberty
Positive Peer Pressure.Kinda know those words.Did TV around them for 10 years.Lost our funding when our priest died.Father Joe.I don't know about your part of the woods but here in Philly they kill you if your name hits the papers and you achieve.Acting white-is that what you mean?
57 posted on 04/01/2008 9:00:53 PM PDT by fatima
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To: KSCITYBOY
Rates in the large cities have been very high for at least 30 years. Why is this a shocker now!

Because it's an election year and a Republican's in the WH.

58 posted on 04/01/2008 9:02:48 PM PDT by Richard Kimball (We're all criminals. They just haven't figured out what some of us have done yet.)
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To: rightwingintelligentsia
It's really sad. I am working as a Librarian in what is called the School Aged Parent Center. It is just unbelievable how young some of these girls are (12 years old in some cases). At least they are not aborting. However, we all are paying dearly for their behavior and their awful choices in life. They get great treatment and support, but at at a great price.It is sinful that our society has fallen so low. Most don't even speak English and are from the Barrio. It makes one really depressed. God help us if Obama, or Hillery are elected.
59 posted on 04/01/2008 9:09:44 PM PDT by Empireoftheatom48 (My tag line is broken)
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To: rightwingintelligentsia

Who the heck wants to sit around for 12 years learning how to be the perfect socialist when a life of crime is right now?


60 posted on 04/01/2008 9:16:22 PM PDT by JoeSixPack1
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