Essay on Grading System Reform

In their article, Levin and Rouse say that in the United states the dropout rate has fallen since the 1970s. They state that programs should be enforced to promote dropout prevention. While these programs may be expensive, more high school graduates benefit the economy in the long run.

There is a high school dropout crisis far beyond the imagination of most Americans, concentrated in urban schools and relegating many thousands of minority children to a life of failure (McMurrey, 2014). The impact of dropouts has an effect in our country. A life of failure can contribute to these students growing up and having a possibility of unemployment due to the lack of education. There are higher chances of living in poverty, having health issues, and higher possibilities of going to prison. McMurrey (2014) states that our country is now planning how many prison beds they will need by looking at third grade reading scores. All of these factors contribute to a future crisis. If the country is looking at third grade reading levels, they assume that children will not

Alfie Kohn discussed multiple fabulous points in his article, “Degrading to De-Grading”. The author suggests more effective ways to assess students’ progress other than numerical or letter grades. Kohn goes into detail about why our current grading system is flawed. Grades can cause students to lose interest in learning which causes them to stop taking challenges. If students are not engaged and interested than they are not retaining the information they are being taught. The grading system can also cause students to develop unhealthy competition with one another for instance, “I got a better grade than you!”. Indeed, grades are a wonderful concept, but they tend to be more hurtful than helpful. In some cases, grades can have positive effects on students. For example, setting goals for various assignments, or receiving help where they are struggling. Though, there are alternatives that could make positive changes in the system.

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

$10,510, that’s how much less a high school dropout earns annually than an individual with a high school diploma according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. A dropout is less likely to be employed, more likely to be incarcerated and more likely to live in poverty. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, due to incarceration, less paid in taxes and other factors a high school dropout costs taxpayers $292,000 over their lifetime. The financial costs alone should be enough to find ways to increase graduation rates. Research has shown early predictors of dropout are parental education level and early low literacy in the child. Families from one generation to another have a difficult time escaping poverty and families from one generation to another have difficulty improving literacy

Status dropout rates are reported by the NCES (The U.S. National Center for Education Statistics) as proportion of young adult’s ages 16-24 not currently enrolled in school who have not completed a high school diploma or equivalent. Dropout rates status differ by many demographic factors, including gender, race, and ethnicity, immigration status, and geographic location. In the United States dropout rates are higher in males than females. Hispanics have the higher rate, followed by African Americans, non-Hispanic, whites, and Asian Americans.

From 1972 to 2006 high school dropout rates decreased from 6.1 percent to 3.8 percent. A majority of this decline occurred between 1972 and 1990, when the rate dropped to 4 percent. However, from 1990 to 1995 there was a surprising increase in dropout rates (Laird & others, 2008). Since then there have been numerous debates and discussions on the issue of dropout rates and how to handle them appropriately. From the information above, it is very evident that the United States wasn’t directly involved with the matter. As a result, stated before, President Barack Obama made his claim towards this issue. This urged most states across the nation to raise the dropout age (Ho, 2017). In fact, a study co-authored by Alan Krueger, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, found that in some states approximately 25 percent of potential dropouts stayed in school since the compulsory schooling age was moved to 18. With an additional year of schooling that 25 percent will increase their earnings by at least 7 percent when

Pragmaticism, indeed, will dictate that schools, assessments, and organizations long-established will not be altered for light and short-lived causes. Hence, a gradual shift in culture and method must occur which reforms the quantitative nature of grading systems. However, let the negative effects of the current grading system be known in a direct way:

In the first section, Erickson considered the need for a more consistent and clear grading system. When Minnetonka High School decided a new and improved grading system was essential, Erickson pondered what factors should determine a student’s grade. For a considerable amount of time, grades could be affected by presence, manners, determination, extra credit, and contribution. These grades, however, were meant to represent and embody only what a student has learned and the knowledge he or she acquired.

There are clear racial and economic disparities that exist in regards to high school dropout rates. Researchers found that African-American and Hispanic students experience higher rates of dropouts compared to White students. In 2012, the dropout rate for African-Americans was 7.5 percent. For the Hispanic population it was 12.7 percent, and for Native Americans it was 14.6 percent. All of these rates of minority dropout which are all significantly higher than the rates of Whites and Asians/Pacific Islanders (United State Department of Education, 2015). This was also true for students living in low-income families. They maintained greater rates of dropping out with 5.9 percent, while students from higher income families dropped out at a

In addition, high school dropouts have caused many hardships that negatively affect the American economy. Individuals, who have not received high school credentials, live such experiences as poverty, unemployment, teenage parenthood, and criminal activity (Esch, 2003). For example, without the minimum of a high school diploma, individuals are susceptible to a cycle of poverty (AYPF, 2006). Esch (2003) explained that in any given year, the likelihood of slipping into poverty is about three times higher for high school dropouts than for those who finish high school. He mentioned that high school dropouts lack many skills to be hired for decent jobs; therefore, students are more susceptible to be dependent on the public assistance. Researchers revealed that if one third of high school dropouts were to remain in school and earn a diploma, the federal government would save almost 11 billion annually from reducing funds needed for food stamps, housing

According to the census 2000, the total number of people in school between nursery and high school is approximately 57 million. Out of those 57 million, roughly 49 million are in public school. In students 15 – 17 years old, 30.8 % are below the modal grade. Furthermore, between 10 through 12 graders the annual dropout rate is 4.7%.

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

    It's June, and another graduating class is hoping, among other things, to achieve high grades. Of course, "high" is a subjective target. Originally a "C" meant average; today however, the expectations and pressures to give and receive "A's" and "B's" takes its toll on teachers and students alike. This nullifies the value of the traditional grading scale and creates a host of entirely new problems. The widespread occurrence of grade inflation seriously affects the credibility of secondary and post-secondary education in America.

Will negatively affect a student's future. Bob Keeshan once said,”Children don't drop out of High School when they are 16 they do so in the first grade and wait 10 years to make it official.” Throughout the years studies have shown that in a year 1.2 million students drop out. Which leads that only 25% of High School students during their freshman year fail to graduate. Dropouts in the United States have became a very trending thing we must get to the bottom of this problem. Young adults should not be making these decisions it's time to step in.