Where Do Dropouts Fall?

It won’t be long now, before high schools will be celebrating their success in graduation exercises. Unfortunately though, the lists of graduates who actually receive diplomas will probably be shrinking! Each year there are significant numbers of high school seniors who are unable to receive diplomas due to failed grades, incomplete work or dropping out. Many students drop out in earlier grades.

Local dropout rates seem to be high. What is being done to curtail them?

A new statewide uniform method of reporting dropouts has many school officials worried. In many cases the dropout rates have doubled, with some educators hoping the new system of reporting will focus attention on the growing problem.

Perhaps related, John Stossel, of TV’s “20/20” fame spoke recently at Colby College. In his “free-market” education theory, children would receive better educations than the current public school models, because teachers and schools would have to be more accountable.

He cites statistics that U.S. children in public schools, are as well educated in the fourth grade, as students anywhere in the world. He claims that they fall behind by the eighth grade and that the world-wide gap is much wider by the time students enter twelfth grade.

Whether or not you agree, “a free market is designed to deliver what people want”
Is your public school delivering all you want it to?