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A lot of attention lately has been directed toward the problem of high school dropouts. The first thing to do is to realize that it’s not just a local problem. The Gates Foundation calls it a “Silent Epidemic.” We just seem to have more than our share of the epidemic. I am going to try to explain how that is and what one segment of our educational system is doing about it.

Locally – by way of comparison — the Wayne County Learning Corp. has adopted an interesting metaphor of a plumbing pipe with “leaks” – showing where we lose students along the way, resulting in the eventual actual dropping out of school before high school graduation. These “leaks” start early-on, even before kids enter kindergarten, because it’s well known that many kids have been starting kindergarten way behind their peers – and in most cases never catch up. Richmond Community Schools (and others) have attacked this “leak point” with Early Childhood Education and then all-day kindergarten. Another “leak point” comes when they move from elementary to middle school. And then the most crucial one, when they enter ninth grade. Up to that point, they may be falling behind, and in effect mentally “dropping out” but they can’t actually leave, so they are “moved along.” At the ninth grade level, they are close to being able to physically dropping out, or in many cases just “disappearing” from the school system. Experience has shown that ninth grade is the point at which most students decide whether they intend to graduate.

O.K., let’s look at our local crop of potential dropouts. Some 71% come from the free & reduced lunch category (which is the school’s measure of low economic status). But it might also be said that not ALL dropouts come from this level. Even more telling is the statistic that 77% were retained in 9th grade level, which means that more than three-fourths of future dropouts were not “making it” successfully in the 9th grade.

Why Do They Drop Out?

Now…..WHY do they drop out? Is it entirely due to lack of “smarts” or ambition? There are some significant other correlations. Locally, 47% say they dropped out because classes weren’t interesting. Some 43% missed too many days of school. Kids can’t learn and teachers can’t teach anybody not in class. A similar 42% spent too much time with people who were not interested in school. Bad company – peer pressure. Additionally, 38% had “too much freedom and not enough rules in life.” Does this mean they need less peer pressure and more parental pressure? Now, all of the above are reasons (or excuses) for dropping out. The final statistic – the bottom line – is that 77% were failing too many courses to be promoted to the 10th grade. It’s important to note that even if they are not “promoted,” they won’t be thrown out of school; they can continue. It’s just that a high failure rate in the ninth grade makes continuing in school tougher and is a strong indicator that many in this group will drop out.

What’s The Academy Doing?

So here we come to the Richmond High School’s Ninth Grade Academy. What is it doing about dropouts?

Currently, about 400 kids enter ninth grade each year from the middle schools. They have their own section on the second floor at the high school and their own teachers in English, math and biology. A number of programs in teaching, research and mentoring support this special section – but I am not going into detail about these because I am not competent – nor is most of the public – in evaluating them.

This banner, signed by all 9th graders, now appears permanently on the second floor at RHS.

That’s up to the teachers; they are the professionals. Those of us in the public have some interest in what they are doing, but we are primarily interested in the results. As an outside observer, it seems to me that the most important thing about the “academy” is that it is giving special attention so that all students, especially potential dropouts, do not “get lost in the crowd,” or “fall between the cracks,” or become “leak points” in the system. Take your choice. Or as Rae Woolpy, Ninth Grade Principal, puts it: “We now have a group fully dedicated to helping solve this problem.”

What Are The Results?

Well, so far, there have been no miracle solutions, but there are signs of progress. Some figures cited by Woolpy are: Compared to 2005-2006, the 2006-2007 ninth graders have: 1) Decreased the number of course failures by 33%; 2) Decreased the number of students failing one or more classes by 19%, and 3) Increased the number of students with 10 or more credits (sophomore status) by 4%. Of course, that last figures is the goal, the most important, and it is not a major improvement, but all changes are positive. There is still more work to do. One interesting aspect of the program is the attempt to develop a class spirit, as represented by the large banner on the second floor, reading “Class of 2010 – Graduate Together.” Class identity and spirit can be a strong motivator.

As the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation summarizes: “The dropout epidemic in the United States merits immediate, large-scale attention from policymakers, educators, the non-profit and business communities and the public.” I’m sure that all of us hope that the Ninth Grade Academy is one building block in the solution and continues its upward trend toward higher success levels.

–Vic Jose

Vic Jose :: Aug.12.2007 :: Uncategorized ::

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