Dropout

The Impact of Truancy on Student Performance

In 2010, Nebraska passed a law requiring schools to refer students to juvenile court when they accrue over 20 absences.  However, according to the Omaha World Herald, new data suggests that the number of students who missed more than 20 days may have increased during the 2010-2011 school year.  In light of this preliminary data, Nebraska is considering possible improvements to the law.  A task force convened in early July 2011 suggested focusing on curbing truancy in elementary school before it becomes habitual.  The

Diplomas Count 2011 Briefing Overview: Grad Rates Rise, but Over One Million Still Drop Out

On June 7, 2011, Editorial Projects in Education (EPE) released Diplomas Count 2011: Beyond High School, Before Baccalaureate—Meaningful Alternatives to a Four-Year Degree. This edition, the sixth in the annual series by the publisher of Education Week, follows previous versions of Diplomas Count by reporting graduation rates throughout the nation, but also has a special focus on the space between high school graduation and a four-year college education.

New High School Graduation Statistics and Legislation

Last week, the National Center for Education Statistics released new statistics about graduation rates and dropouts in public high schools.  The report, Public School Graduates and Dropouts from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2008–09, showed a slight growth in the national Average Freshman Graduation Rate (AFGR) from 74.9% in 2007-08 to 75.5% in 2008-09.[1] The AFGR varied widely by state and ethnicity.  States reported rates as low as 56.3% in Nevada and as high as 90.7% in Wisconsin.  Between the 2007-08 school y

Validating the Early Warning System Tool Indicators in Rural Contexts

Could high school dropout indicators tested in urban areas also predict high school dropouts in my rural state of Idaho? We all realize schools large and small, rural and urban, need student data tracking systems. The Early Warning System (EWS) Tool v2.0, available from the National High School Center, is a free, downloadable Excel-based tool that uses readily available student-level data to identify students who exhibit early warning signs that they are at risk for dropping out of high school.

Recommendations to Keep ELLs Challenged and Graduating

In previous posts, we reviewed President Obama’s recent town hall remarks on Hispanic educational attainment and discussed the challenges faced by English language learners in accessing challenging coursework and fulfilling graduation requirements.  Getting students on track early in high school by ensuring access to college preparatory coursework in English and mathematics is critical to keeping them on track to fulfilling college entrance requirements.

President Obama Speaks About Educational Attainment and College Preparation for Hispanic Students and English Language Learners

On March 28th, President Obama participated in a televised town hall meeting at Bell Multicultural High School in Washington, D.C. with students, parents, and teachers to discuss Hispanic educational attainment. The event was part of Univision's "Es el Momento" (The Moment is Now) initiative, which is focused on creating a college-bound culture in the Hispanic community.

Between the school years of 2006–07 and 2019–20, the number of Hispanic public high school graduates is projected to increase 60 percent.[1] As Obama stated during the town hall meeting,

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