OUR OPINION: Kids’ futures depend on them staying in school
Among the most desirable educational goals the state has set is the one calling for a substantial reduction in the dropout rate for high school students.
Lawmakers in Augusta passed a bill this year that called for increasing the state’s overall graduation rate to 90 percent by the end of the 2015-16 school year from the 80 percent recorded in 2006-07.
That’s a substantial challenge, because studies show there is no single reason why students stop attending school before graduation.
A partial list of the reasons cited include lack of parental involvement in students’ performance in school (and often in their lives in general); repeated use of drugs or alcohol; violence against fellow students or adults in the school setting or outside of it; abuse by adults, either caretakers or not; bullying by other students; and lack of involvement in their situations by teachers and administrators.
In addition, the dropout rate varies widely by school system and region, with some systems already meeting or exceeding the state goal and others falling far short of it.
Dropping out is a significant social problem because young adults who fail to graduate from high school become more involved with criminal activity, are more dependent on state assistance and are more likely not to have health care coverage due to sporadic work histories.
So, a 26-member group of educators and other specialists are working on creating a program listing the most effective techniques for keeping kids from leaving school. They are due to submit their recommendations to the state by Nov. 1, with a report to the Legislature due by Jan. 10.
It’s an important task, and that report will deserve serious consideration and thoughtful implementation. Many students’ futures depend on it.
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7 COMMENTS
mdenis46 said...
How about raising the drop-out rate by simply assuming that every student who is not in attendance, is in school somewhere else, or that the military counts because they have classes, or that adult education can be a dumping-ground for students not wanted in day-school, yet they can still be counted as attending? Sound ridiculous? Ask one local school system how it raised the graduation rate something like 20% in 2 years with a new superintendent and assistant superintendent...
July 19, 2010 at 8:55 AM Report abuse
concerned in maine said...
i HOPE THE COMMITTEE READS MITT ROMNEY'S BOOK "NO APOLOGY" THEY JUST MIGHT FIND THE NUMBER ONE REASON WHY KIDS DON'T GRADUATE. HOPE HE RUNS FOR PRESIDENT IN 2012.
July 20, 2010 at 5:14 PM Report abuse
Stephen Aucoin said...
Title 20A Art. 5103! You should look that over, investigate whether it was ever really put to use and then rewrite your editorial. If we are taking this issue seriously, the tool is already on the table and has been there for 30 years.
July 21, 2010 at 2:05 PM Report abuse
middleone said...
Any plan to reduce the number of kids dropping out needs to include some accountability of the parents. The truancy law in this state is a joke. Kids start dropping out in elementary school, and parents play a part in setting it up by letting them stay home for any silly reason. A measly fine for not sending your kid to school is ineffective.
July 21, 2010 at 4:53 PM Report abuse
said...
Today's Thursday. Do the editors only have new opinions once every 3 days?
July 22, 2010 at 8:25 AM Report abuse
mdenis46 said...
It's now Saturday. This editorial was placed last MONDAY. If editorials are that old, how can I trust the news? Get with it, editors -- unless you told us that you'd only be posting editorials once a week! BTW, I'd correct one thing I wrote on 19 July -- "How about LOWERING the drop-out rate..."
July 24, 2010 at 8:46 AM Report abuse
freeinchrist said...
Interesting to note that of all the "supposed" reasons that kids drop out, only one is the responsibility of the school, faculty, etc...and it was squeezed in dead last. Maybe the reason kids are dropping out of school is the same reason U.S. schools are so pitiful when compared to the schools of 39 other industrialized nations. The U.S. ranked 28th out 40 nations in math, English and science. When our school district begins to embrace Singapore math rather than force U.S. math on the students, I'll know that they are truly serious about educating the kids.
August 2, 2010 at 6:59 PM Report abuse