Do after-school programs help close the academic gap in African American and Latino middle school students?
Many middle school students who are failing academically will become part of the ever-increasing drop out statistics in our nation. More than 7000 students in the U.S.become dropouts every school day, nearly 1.3 million students per year. It is estimated that dropouts from 2006 alone will cost taxpayers $17 billion in Medicaid and uninsured medical expenses alone over the ir lifetimes (Alliance for Excellence Education, 2010). Sadly, dropouts often have children that become dropouts and a cycle is created which continues (Dropout and TruancyPrevention,2011). Given these statistics and costs to society, it is imperative that we seek solutions to this problem.
The concern for at-risk students and dropout
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Young adolescents offer afterschool providers a special set of challenges which they must overcome in order to attract and retain participants. For example, young adolescents are more autonomous, busier, better able and more likely to articulate specific needs, and less appeased by activities designed for a general audience. While youth in grades six through eight can clearly benefit from participation in afterschool, programs must recognize the needs of these youth and employ innovative strategies to attract and keep them engaged.
The goal was to also gain a better understanding of the perceptions of administrators, teachers, and students in order to determine which aspects of the afterschool program were perceived as engaging and served to promote student achievement. As schools struggle to meet federal achievement standards, after-school programs being viewed as a source of academic support for youth at risk of school failure. Including a disproportionally large number of economically disadvantaged and ethnic minority
When it comes to high school dropout rates, there are many factors that need to be considered before attempting to suggest a reason, and a solution to the issue. One of the first
In October 2000, the overall picture of high school dropouts had changed little since the late 1980s (Kaufman et al. 2001): For every 100 young adults enrolled in high school in October 1999, 5 had left school without completing a program; of 34.6 million U.S. young adults aged 16-24, 3.8 million—almost 11 percent—had not completed high school and were not enrolled. Some studies have shown that students in schools with a concentration of multiple risk factors (e.g., large schools, large classes, high poverty, inner city location) have less than one chance in two of graduating from high school; furthermore, the economic costs of dropping out have increased as time goes on (Castellano et al. 2001). Adjusting for 50
Dropout factories are a serious problem with high schools. A dropout factory is a school with a high number of dropouts. Middle schools feed poorly educated kids into high school. These kids are not ready for high school, so they drop out. There are more then 60 percent of kids who do not make it from freshman to sophomore year. There are over 1000-documented drop out factories in the United States. In one school, there were 1,2000 freshmen, and the next year there were under 300 sophomores. Most of the kids have at these schools had a third grade reading level. In one case,
High school dropout rate is a significant indicator of future success in life. For high school dropouts, it is harder to find jobs and earn as much money as their graduated peers. On the outside looking in, not being able to graduate is usually associated with school performance, socioeconomic status, parents’ education level and/or lack of motivation. Moreover, there are also underlying factors of race and gender and they both affect performance in high school immensely. In order to study dropout rates, focus should be put on the group of students at risk of dropping out.
Across the United States, high school students can encounter a variety of issues that hinder their ability to successfully complete course work to earn the required credits towards graduation. High schools across the United States have an obligation to ensure that students are achieving and receiving a diploma. It is also in the school’s best interest to ensure students are gradating both funding wise and for the overall school rating. When a student does not receive a high school diploma the action affects the student, community and the school. High school dropouts may find it harder to obtain a job that would provide a stable and productive income verses a high school graduate thus, the financial disadvantage in turn can cause
The dropout problem is not only an individual problem, but it is costly to society as a whole. Warren & Halpen-Manners (2007) explained, “high school dropouts is of fundamental social, economic, and political importance and has major implications for educational policy and practice, patterns of economic and racial/ethnic inequality, and the quality of America’s workforce” (p. 335). Coupled with that, Neild et al (2008) further argued going through the portal into adult life without high school credentials carries severe economic and employment penalties. Also, Kennelly (2007) explained “When students drop out…. the toll of the quality of life and the prosperity and competitiveness of the communities where they live and collectively across
Students who drop out of school have more likely to have been suspended numerous times when they were enrolled in school. The consequences of punitive discipline for this can be shattering. Kids who are repeatedly suspended, or expelled, are likely to fall behind in school. This is the part of the pipeline that leads to their eventual dropout. 3,030,000 students drop out of high school annually. That 's 8,300 a day! 75% of US crime is committed by a high school drop out. The research correlates dropout to suspensions and expulsions. Students
The America’s Promise Alliance released their 2014 Building a Grad Nation report highlighting that, “for the first time in U.S. history the nation’s on-time high school graduation rate rose above 80 percent.” While this is a huge accomplishment for the organization, and its partners that have been devoted to helping create conditions for educational success for all young people, there is still a remaining 20 percent of students not completing high school. In 2013, nearly 4.1 million students enrolled in 9th grade, following this statistic as a guide, an estimated 820,000 students will not complete high school with their peers. History has shown that while it may not be the root cause, dropping out of high school has been correlated with
Did you know that 1.2 million high school students drop out of school every year just in the United States alone (11 Facts)? The decrease of high school graduation rates is a fairly important issue, and there are plenty of reasons to propose a change. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the current standard dropout rate of high school students is 7.4%. High school dropouts encounter way more difficulties and challenges than a high school graduate would. An average high school drop out lacks the basic education that one needs in order to be successful in life. They are more likely to face problems dealing with financial insecurity, communication skills, and of course, educational matters. With a high school diploma, one is more likely to get hired for a job, earn a higher income, and educate oneself even further. Some possible causes of high school students dropping out include stress, boredom, family problems, pregnancies, and drugs. With that said, with every issue, there is always a solution. By taking the problem at hand and looking at it from a broad perspective, we can thoroughly identify the source of the high dropout rates of U.S. high school students. There are countless factors that may be the cause of this epidemic, but a few ideas including making learning more relevant, limiting the workload given to students, and providing mandatory classes on drugs and safe sex may possibly be a solution to this
Due to dropouts in the United States, “there are 16 percent are unemployed and 32 percent live below the poverty line”. Levin & ROUSE stated to decrease dropout rate the “produce a new graduate are taken into account, there is a return of $1.45 to $3.55 for every dollar of investment, depending upon the educational intervention strategy”, using this method they are able to reduce the number of high school dropouts. This would include different states should implement advanced plans, that are relevant to their communities; this will help keep young students engaged. With this method they are able to reach students at an early age before they approach high
“A recent, systematic review of research exploring dropping out of high school indicates that grade retention is one of the most powerful predictors of dropping out of high school” (Jimerson 6). This alarming fact should be the main reason to stop grade retention in schools. Especially since interventions provide an alternative that promotes the student keeping them engaged and in school. It costs roughly $18 billion per year to keep grade retention an option in schools (Powell 29), which results in the student eventually dropping out. Instead, these funds should be used towards intervention programs that promote success and prevent some of the negative consequence’s grade retention presents, possibly at a fraction of the cost. With that being said, schools should be providing targeted interventions in order to provide students with the best chances of
They socially stimulate relationships, competence, community involvement, and leadership, as the lifestyles of its participants often inhibit these aspects. Alternative activities were provided to counteract delinquent behaviors including substance abuse, gang involvement, and other criminal activities. As a result of participation in after school programs, the grades of the at-risk adolescents improved and the academic achievement gap began closing. Career and general educational support was also provided, academically helping the adolescents. Involved at-risk adolescents are receiving the support needed to aid them along the path to success. This same supports must continue to be provided for other at-risk adolescents in need, as their future may depend on
Christenson, S, L., Thurlow, M. L. (2004). School Dropouts: Prevention Considerations, Interventions, and Challenges. Current Directions in Psychological Science, Vol. 13, No. 1 pp. 36-39 Published by: Sage Publications, Inc. on behalf of Association for Psychological Science. Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org.memex.lehman.cuny.edu:2048/stable/20182903
Did you know that in a single year about 1.2 millions students dropout from high school in the United States that's a student every 26 seconds, or 7,000 a day. Even about 25% of high school freshman will drop out before graduating. With so many high school dropouts, it leaves schools wondering why students are dropping out and their reason for it. In the 1970s-1990s areas with low income housing resulted in high crime statistics and dangerous choices in the youth of the time were a major cause in high high school dropout rates.
Education reform has been at the forefront of federal legislation for the past few decades. Despite the academic gains made since the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB; a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act first enacted in 1965 and reauthorized in 1994), nearly one-third of all high school students leave the public school system before graduating (Orfield, Losen, and Swanson, 2004), and the problem is particularly severe among students of color and students with disabilities (Greene & Winters, 2005). By the end of the 2011 school year it is estimated that more than 1.2 million of the nation’s students would decide to dropout of high school (Altenbaugh, Engel & Martin (1995); Cortez and Cortez (2004). One of the greatest challenges for educators and educational institutions revolves around dropout prevention and ensuring students are enrolled through high school until they graduate. In California continuation high schools are invisible school settings due to the perception communities have established overtime. However, state school authorities estimate that over 115,000 California high school students will pass through one of the state’s 519 continuation high schools each year, either on their way to