Transcript The Nation’s Dropout Crisis

The Nation’s
Dropout Crisis
Indiana’s Tool-box to Help Students Succeed
The complexity of today’s world calls for an
education system that ensures the vast
majority of students successfully complete
education beyond high school.
Even those who go directly to work after
high school will need additional training and
education at some point in their working lives.
Historically, schools across the nation have
reported graduation rates in the 80%-90%
range.
Actual graduation rates for many schools have
been in the 70%, 50%, and in some cases less
than 20% range. . .
Public High School
Graduation Rates in
the United States
100
Nation
90
Indiana: 72%
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
NJ
ND
PN
OH
VT
MI
MO
ME
Source: Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, 2002
RI
AR
WA
NV
NC
NY
DE
AK
GA
Indiana Public High
School Enrollment
85000
80000
75000
Grade
Grade
Grade
Grade
70000
65000
60000
Class
Class
Class
Class
of 2002 of 2003 of 2004 of 2005
Source: Indiana Department of Education, 2005
9
10
11
12
Snapshot: Graduation
Rate
Class of 2004
(senior graduates/freshman
enrollment)
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
High School 3
High School 4
High School 1
High School 6
High School 5
State Average
As computed by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, using data from the Indiana Department of Education
High School 2
Snapshot: Enrollment Trends
Graduating Class of 2004 – Six Indiana
High Schools
High
School 1
High
School 2
High
School 3
High
School 4
High
School 5
High
School 6
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
Grade 9
Indiana Department of Education, 2005
Grade 10
Grade 11
Grade 12
Graduates
Who makes it through high
school?
Graduation Rate:
•
•
•
•
•
African American:
Latino:
White:
Asian:
Total:
53%
59%
78%
84%
74%
The Education Trust: EdWatch Online 2004, State Summary Reports, www.edtrust.org
The Cost of a
High School
Dropout
Over 25 to 30 years, a dropout student can cost a
community as much as $500,000 in public assistance,
health care, and incarceration costs.
Estimates of the social benefits (social savings from
reduced crime only) of a 1% increase in male U.S. high
school graduation rates would amount to $1.4 billion.
Completing high school raises average annual earnings by
approximately $7,216. Additional annual Indiana income
tax per graduate is $245 per year or approximately
$9,800 over the working lifetime per graduate.
USA Today. (2003). “Are Exit Exams Boosting Dropout Rates? Toppo, Greg, Lochner, L. & Moretti, E. (2001). ‘The Effect of Education on Crime:
Evidence from Prison Inmates, Arrests, and Self-Reports’, National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper, 8605,
U.S. Census Bureau; Bureau of Labor Statistics as presented by Postsecondary Education OPPORTUNITY.
The problem seems huge.
• So where do we go next for reform?
2005 Reform - HEA 1794
• Codified a 7 step process for determining a school’s
graduation rate.
• For each high school the department calculates an
estimated grad rate that is determined by: taking the total
number of graduates for the reporting year divided by the
total number of students enrolled in 9th grade at the school
three years before.
• For any school where the difference between the estimated
graduation rate and the number determined under step
seven is more than 5% the department shall request the
data used in determining that the missing students are
classified under a set of narrowly defined exceptions.
Accurate counting is an important
first step toward reform.
• Helps overcome myths.
– Bad apple, Bad egg.
– Students are moving to other communities.
• Helps in creating sense of urgency.
– With bad numbers looming, responsible parties
become much more open to reform.
Nonpartisan Consensus Building.
• Through summer and winter of 2005, we met with
students, teachers, teachers union,
superintendents, principals, universities, Black
Caucus, State Hispanic Commission, Indianapolis
Star, other media and legislators to describe the
scope of problem.
• In fall of 2005, Indianapolis Star ran a week long
front page series on the problem.
House Enrolled Act
1347, now current law
1.
Dropout Age
Clarified that the dropout age in Indiana is 18 years of
age. Requires that a student may only receive
permission to drop out of high school for financial
reasons or health reasons or with permission of a
judge.
2. Withdrawal Process
Between the ages of 16 and 18, students must receive
the approval of parents and principal to withdraw from
school. Ensures that students must go through a
formal withdrawal process involving the student, parent
and principal. Holds principals accountable for drop
out statistic.
HEA 1347 cont.
3. Driver’s License/Work Permit
Student lose privileges of driver’s license and work
permit if they drop out before they are 18 years old
without financial hardship and/or parent and principal
approval.
4. Student Career Plan
Requires annual review of the student career plan and if
a student is not progressing counsel the student about
credit recovery options and services available so that
that a student may graduate on time.
2006 Legislation:
HB 1347
5. Chronic Absenteeism: Includes chronic absenteeism
(missing more than 10 unexcused days from school) in
the definition of habitual truant and loss of a work permit.
6. Report Card: Provides that on the annual school report
card, high schools must report numbers of:
–
–
–
–
–
–
total suspensions
students permitted to dropout by the school
work permits revoked
driver’s permits revoked
students in the School Flex program
freshman not earning enough credits to become
sophomores (9th grade bulge).
HEA 1794,
2005 legislation.
School Flex - Creates an alternate program for students in
grades 11 and 12 that serves to engage students in
relevant learning by allowing them to :
– Enroll in either a college or technical career education
program or;
– Enroll in employment
– Provided that the student:
•
•
•
•
•
Attends school for at least three hours per day
Pursues a timely graduation
Not be suspended or expelled
Pursues course and credit requirements for a general diploma
Maintains a 95% attendance rate
• The school still counts the student as a full day student.
HB 1347 cont.
• Fast Track
– Authorizes Ivy Tech Community College, Vincennes and
public colleges and universities to offer a high school
completion program for students 19 or older or students
with the high school’s permission.
– Duel credit: a student must also be enrolled a certificate
or associate’s degree program.
– To complete the program a student must pass an exam
demonstrating the student is ready for college level work.
– Credits from high school transfer to college Fast Track
program.
GED vs. HS
Diploma
• GED officials say that one in seven HS graduates earn their
diploma through GED programs.
– 41% of them are 19 and under and 37% are between
20-29 yrs. of age
• The military stopped equating the GED with a HS Diploma
– GED students score lower on the Armed Forces
Qualifying Test
– They also drop out of the military at higher rates
• Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman and
Stephen Cameron found in their study that:
– GED holders are “statistically indistinguishable” from
high school dropouts.
1:, Gehring, John, The GED: New Tests, New Challenges. Education Week, Jan. 23, 2002, pg1
2.Et al. pg. 3
HB 1347 cont.
• Gates Foundation Study: Indicates that a high percentage of
students who drop out are under-challenged or bored.
These students do not see how school is relevant to their
future.
• Double Up –
– Creates a dual credit program that may be offered by Ivy Tech
Community College, Vincennes and by other public colleges or
universities.
– Students could earn an associate degree.
– A high school must offer a minimum of two dual credit and two
Advanced Placement courses so that a student may meet the
requirements for Core 40 with Academic Honors diploma.
– Free and reduced lunch students would receive a tuition waiver from
the university.
Guiding Principles.
• There is no silver bullet solution. Some problems
cannot be solved over night.
• But, let’s stop apologizing for failure.
• Accurate data makes a difference. Once you over
come the myths, it gets much easier to sell reform.
• Don’t throw stones; do the leg work necessary for
nonpartisan consensus.
• Reform should focus on student (rather than
institution) driven policies that seek flexible options
for a increasing complex world.
State Representative Luke Messer
345 West Broadway St.
Shelbyville, IN 46176
(317) 517-6818
The Nation’s
Dropout Crisis
Indiana’s Tool-box to Help Students Succeed