Counting the Drop-outs
As I was browsing the news headlines this evening, I came across a bit about how new NCLB proposals are pushing for states to count graduation rates by a set standard. (See the article.) I’m actually surprised that we don’t already have such standards and I realize that I’ve never thought about diversity among graduation rate calculation. The newly suggested rules: “It will show how many students earn a regular high school diploma within four years – taking into account that some transfer schools. It will not include those who leave to take General Educational Development (GED) tests. In some limited exceptions, schools could count students who take longer to graduate – if they are in a program, for instance, where they earn both a high school diploma and college credits.”
Also, “graduation figures will be broken down by racial, socioeconomic, and other categories, so that graduation-rate gaps will be more apparent to the public.” Of course, this will be an excellent way to raise awareness, if it’s done well. I’m afraid that too many people will read the news headline and shake their head in mock frustration and then forget about it. Or maybe it’ll be a bit of trivia that they can tell their friends when there’s not much else to say. The initiatives should be more about programs that will keep students in school. There should be more reform brainstorming and awareness about that.
