New Study: 1 in 4 California High School Students Drop Out

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Today's San Francisco Chronicle featured a startling study--24%, or 1 in 4, California students will drop out of high school. Educators had initially estimated the dropout rate at 13%, but new measuring technology that gives each student a unique and anonymous ID number reveals otherwise. This is a disturbingly high margin. And the dropout rate is highest for African American and Latino students.

The new measurement system allows the state more insight into what's going on. For example: 54,000 students reported that they were transferring schools, but they never actually showed up to their new (or old) school. 4,600 completed all their credits, but missed the state's mandatory exit exam. 770 died.

Several district, school and state education spokespersons are quoted in the article, and it's clear these folks are concerned--as they should be, whether the numbers show a 1% or 42% dropout rate. It makes me sad that it takes a study like this to wake folks up to what's been an issue in many of these school systems for a while.

We've talked about some of these issues in this group before: the importance of "real-world" applications in the classroom, family support, career counseling and mentorship programs to keep kids in school. But are these types of programs enough? What's really at the root of this crisis?

What are your reactions to these numbers?

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Parent Replies to "New Study: 1 in 4 California High School Students Drop Out"

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Unfortunately many schools have "lost funding" and it does not seems that the teachers are getting the necessary resources to even teach their classes. My daughters school just sent home a notice stating that there will be no further after school activities unless a teacher is willing to volunteer. I mean when will this country end the bureaucratic nonsense and assist us in putting our kids first? This is a tragedy and we need to stand up and do whatever it takes to turn things around. If they can talk about bail outs for banks why can't we talk about education overhaul? Children are our future and it does not seem we are preparing them for the real world.

>kids need that family support system from day one; by the time they hit high school, it's too late.

This is so true -- we lose kids gradually through elementary, middle, high school, until finally in the senior year, the class size is 20-25% smaller.

We simply cannot wait for all families to evolve.

>I'd love to see a system in this country that's more consistent and proactive about academic success. It can't be just the schools doing the job to educate the kids academically and the parents as key support vehicles.

Many principals and teachers try very hard to get the families most in need of school attention in for conferences etc., but with limited success. In fairness to all many of us are pretty consumed with surviving and getting through the day.

One possible solution might be to systematically recruit a small corp of committed parents, to "electronically" help the community stay on every single child in school.

This can be done.

It certainly does seem to fill a need and provide options for kids who might otherwise not be motivated to continue with a formal education....

Speaking about losing the "trade" courses, LAUSD's Santee High School has paired up with LA Trade Tech College to allow students to train in culinary arts and tourism. The article appears in the LA Times at

tinyurl.com/5lddsq

The goal is not either the vocational track or college track, but to give high school students the ability to graduate from high school, with an AA degree and job skills. To me, this is a wonderful compromise, especially in areas where students cite needing to help their family as reason to drop out.

Doesn't this seem like a best-case scenario?

I would not mind one or two classics, but is there not some contemporary literature that could be studied as well.

9th grade for us is Romeo and Shakespeare, and I found a translated version, so I think we're good (adding a video version). And Romeo and Juliet is at least a love story (though tragic) before anything else. Actually my son really wants to read it, to my big surprise. However, I know the following years will be Hamlet, MacBeth, and something else that I do not remember, but still a tragedy. There are plays that I find great by Shakespeare. Why focus on the very morbid?

I have no problem reading litterature. I find this is great and necessary for all kids. However, my experience with my oldest son was that they tend to focus on books that are extremely dark and ignore pieces that are more contemporaneous and could be more accessible for some kids. A mix of all this, or more of a focus on classics for kids that are in Honor classes and AP classes, could be a good idea.

In 8th grade, nearly every single book that they studied ended by the death of one of the main characters. Luckily, the teacher added the Outsiders, which, though still dark, was more accessible to the kids as it was at least in a big town and in a more modern environment. It was a relief after getting them to understand the Depression in rural areas with Of Mice and Men and To Kill a Mockingbird. (in addition of The Diary of Anne Frank, Flowers for Algernon, and The Giver). The language of these books is not hard, colloquialism apart, but the themes are so dark that it was getting depressing for him to read that.

(Sorry, I am focused on English because it is my son's weak point, but I am sure there are parents for whom it is the same in Maths, or Social Studies, or Sciences).

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