Helping and Supporting Educational Systems by Starting a Foundation

In a society which is relying increasingly on education, graduating high school is quickly becoming an important accolade to ensure a student’s success in society. According to a study completed in July of 2011, high school dropouts cost between $320 billion and $350 billion annually in lost wages, taxable income, health, welfare and incarceration costs. (Zhao, 2011) As well as the financial impact, there are many other aspects that should be addressed when looking at high school dropout rates. The most prevalent example is the fact that systematically, the education system has shown significant signs of unbalance in the distribution of dropout rates across different races and or ethnicities. In 2009, 4.8 percent of of blacks and 5.8 percent of Hispanics between 15 and 24 dropped out of grades 10-12, compared with 2.4 percent for white students. (Zhao, 2011) With statistics like this, it is important that we not only ensure our education system is operating in a successful way, but also providing equal education and opportunities for students of all races, ethnicities, income levels, and religious backgrounds. By examining our education system, we as educators will be able to address and hopefully resolve the issues related to the unequal dropout rates in high schools across the nation.

At-risk students are students who are “at-risk” of not completing high school. Students who consistently perform below expected academic standards are regarded as at-risk (Ng & Wong, 2013). Dropping out of high school is a complex social problem for which no simple solution exists. While the most obvious characteristic of at-risk students is academic underachievement, there is solid evidence for using other characteristics to assist in identifying these children.

In 2001, due to a change in the criteria used to identify learners as at-risk, Texas public schools experienced an increase in the number of students identified “at-risk” of dropping out of school. Senate Bill 702 (2001) expanded the definition of who were at-risk and who were eligible for additional educational support and services. In Texas, a learner is at-risk of dropping out if she/he:

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

In North Carolina, from 2013-2014 to 2014-2015 there was a 6.6 percent increase in crime rates within schools for high schools, also during this time there was a 4.8 percent increase in dropouts (Hinchcliffe, 2016). For the school year of 2014-2015 the dropout rate was 2.39 percent, which was a increase compared to the previous year that had a rate of 2.28 percent (The Progressive Pulse, 2016). High school dropouts are known to face issues in their future in regards to their socioeconomic status, job attainment, and other risk factors that may influence their lives in the long-term. It has been found that high school dropouts earn an estimated $9,000 less per year on average compared to individuals that graduate. They are also more likely to live in poverty, it was also found that dropouts are three times more likely to be unemployed compared to graduates which puts them at a further disadvantage (Burrus & Roberts, 2012). The consequences of dropping out not only affects the individuals but also our society, due to its contributions to governmental costs; in 2001 there were 40% of high school dropouts (16-24 years old) receiving government assistance (Burrus & Roberts, 2012).. This portrays how high school dropouts leads to further problems and affect others.

Many policy makers in the United States have becomes especially concerned about the alarming rate of persistently high school student’s dropout rates. But, improving high school dropout and graduation levels continues to be a strong educational challenge in the United States. Because, every year almost half a million students drop out of school (U.S. Census Bureau 2007). More importantly as Rumberger claimed that “an even greater number about one-third of all students who enter high school in the ninth grade fail to graduate fours later “(as cited in Robert &Russell 109). Graduation rates among underrepresented minority students in particular Latinos and African American are even lower (Alliance for Excellent Education 2007). And as Kelly

Education is important for our future. From the time children reach pre-kindergarten age to even adulthood, they are constantly learning new things. Without education, we would only learn through exploration. Exploration is wonderful, but having a structured setting and learning a variety of topics helps us to become well rounded individuals. In today’s school systems, children come from all walks of life. Some have very involved parents, some come from poverty, some come from wealthy families, and some come from families that speak a foreign language at home. With some students, stability at home is an issue. These students may face challenges in school that make it hard for them to excel like other students. Many schools offer programs for all students, based on their needs. These programs strive for motivation and success, they explore each child’s learning style, and they strive for diversity. Programs offered by the school are a wonderful way to help those students who may not receive what they need at home and they also help students who may have stability at home, but need a boost in other areas. Ultimately, there’s a program for every student, no matter what their situation is.

Schools with high dropout rates are categorized as underperforming schools. Since a majority of our children, who drop out of school, do so in middle school or the first year of high school and their ages range between 12 and 16 years (Cohen & Smerdon, 2009). It is the inability of many middle school kids to make the transition to high school that contributes to an increase in dropout rates. In order to address under performing schools and the high dropout rates, school reform programs were initiated by federal, local, state governments and many independent organizations. School reform programs were a means to improve student performance in the classroom and show a measured increase in student achievement (Brandlow, 2001)

In various ways, The Class of 2005: High School Dropouts and this week’s class sent me rushing back into the past. Attending a lower income high school consisting mostly of minority students exposed me to many, if not all, of the factors that contribute to high school dropout. Fortunately, I attended a school that was equipped to deal with the considerable amounts of challenges its student were facing. I can only hope that other schools are as prepared to implement similar programs and have dedicated teachers in order to deal with the problems that today’s youth are

The purpose of this study is to explore ways to assist and/or intervene at-risk students in order to set them on the path towards graduation. The NCES reported the graduation rate declined from 12% to 7% during 1990 – 2013. These are good improvements, however, we must continue take the necessary steps to lower these numbers for future generations. Graduation will open up a world of opportunities that might not other-wise be available to them without a high school diploma. According to an article in PBS Frontline in 2012, an individual without a high school diploma can earn, a national average of, $20,241 a year. That is $10,386 less than a person who graduated from high school. $10,000 does not sound like a lot of money spread out over an entire year, but it averages out to be an extra $200 a week. In my opinion, that is significant. Someone who goes on to earn their bachelor degree can expect to earn an additional $36,364 per year. What many students do not understand is that without high school graduation they cannot enter the military or qualify for many lower scale jobs as these require a diploma or high school equivalency. There are so many factors that contribute to a student’s decision to stay in school or to dropout but if communities and schools can intervene, maybe the national dropout rate can be lowered lending to a better life for all involved.

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.

All children deserve to have a world class education no matter their race, religion, family background or their financial status. For a child to succeed in life they will need a solid education to ensure they are prepared to be a productive member of society when they graduate high school or college. America’s schools are responsible for meeting the educational needs of the increasingly diverse student population. However, the Elementary and Secondary Act (ESEA) programs need to be able to provide a multitude of resources to support to ensure all students have opportunity to be successful. Furthermore, today’s teacher has to be observant and vigilant when it comes to their classroom, teachers have to keep a keen out for their students that

This project will explore the many issues that are associated with students that dropout from high school and the consequences of their actions. We will look at the percentages of adults that have dropped out and what states have the highest amount. We will also look at how dropping out from high school affects the earning potential of adults that did not finish high school. We will also look what percentage is highest among who fail to finish high school among ethnic groups. In high schools across America the dropout rate has sky rocketed over the past years. Over a million of the students who enter ninth grade each fail to graduate with their peers four years later. Indeed, about seven thousand students quit school day. As the case may be, this statistic was common fifty years ago, but the times have changed in which a high school dropout could earn a living wage. Dropouts greatly curtail their likelihood to achieve a good job and a bright future. However, not only do the people themselves suffer, but each class of dropouts is responsible for extraordinary economic and community costs along with the state and country in which that reside.

A high school diploma is a necessity in life. It opens doors for teens to go to college, go into the workforce, or even join the Army, Navy, Marines etc. With a high school diploma kids who came from nothing have the opportunity to make something out of themselves. Every year over twelve million students drop out of high school in the United States alone. Even though the percentage rate of high school dropouts has decreased from 12.1 percent in 1990 to 6.5 percent in 2014, precautions can be taken to prevent students from dropping out. With an increase in teen pregnancy, more families needing money, and more students not meeting strict graduation requirements students are still choosing not to get a high school education; this will continue