You appear to have an informed insight in to this national problem. Setting high standards and sticking with them is certainly part of the solution. However, a more important ingredient I believe is missing: A structured family.
Society has failed these kids. I'm not talking about money, text books, or facilities. Just that most don't have responsible fathers in their life to help them achieve. We can all thankfully point to exceptions to my point. However I'm talking about the majority. Our society just doesn't acknowledge or recognize that the nuclear family is important anymore. So these kids pay the price of our arrogance.
I agree completely that family stability and commitment to a child’s education is critical.
Yet in ghetto schools like Douglass,stable two parent families are as rare as hen’s teeth and if you work around black teens,you know that the institution will never come back,These kids haven’t the slightest clue as to how to build healthy relationships,not to mention marriage and a family.The girls will end up single parents just like THEIR moms and the cycle will be repeated ad infinitum.