District Administration - June 2006 - (Page 34)

GRADUATION RATES GRADUATION WOES High school rates may be rising, but not fast enough BY ANGELA PASCOPELLA A and longitudinal tracking of students We want to reiterate that to say ny which way you slice it, the from the graduating class of 1992. 25 percent of minority students don't graduation rate among Ameri- NELS:88, which means the study complete high school is enough to be ca n high school students is just started with about 25,000 eighth concerned about, Lawrence Mishel, not cutting it, even given the latest graders in the spring of 1988, is president of Economic Policy Insti- report that claims higher rates than the gold standard of data on high tute, said during a teleconference what had been reported. school completion because it tracks upon release of the report. However, Two separate reports recently individual students through high we believe that facts matter. released give varied graduation school and matches that against The way the situation has been figures: One claims only half of school transcripts, the report states. characterized ... that we have a minority students ever make it out That data is from a February 2006 dropout crisis implies an across-the- of school with a diploma, which has report, The Toolbox Revisited: Paths boa rd indictment of public schools, been reported before, while another to Degree Completion From High adds Mishel. We do have some one says slightly more than seven in School Through College, from the U.S. serious challenges in having kids 10 minorities get diplomas. Department of Education. graduate, but I'm not sure it's across Rethinking High School Graduation M ishel says even though the the board. Rates and Trends, released by Eco- NELS study is 14 years old, there is T he problem lies more among nomic Policy Institute, claims overall a claim that graduation rates have minority, urban and low-income stu- high school graduation with a regular not changed much since then. He dent s, where grad rates can be hor- diploma is between 80 percent and disagrees. It's defi nitely grown for r if yi ngly low, Mishel says. 83 percent, with the best data that Hispanics and it's up among blacks, T he EPI report's numbers come from National Education Longitudi- though marginally based on analy- from household surveys conducted na l Study showing an 82 percent ses of CPS over time, he says. Mishel by the Census Bureau in 2000; rate. Black student graduation rates adds that high school completion has Current Population Survey, which is with a regular diploma hover around grown over the past four decades sent monthly to 60,000 households 69 percent to 75 percent and His- and the black-white gap has shrunk and released by U.S. Department of pa nic rates range between 61 percent significantly. Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics; and 74 percent. We are not going to settle these differences in the estimates until we have longitudinal studies that follow the same students to graduation. Paul Barton, senior associate, Educational Testing Service 34 June 2006 District Administration hs.w.indd 34 5/15/06 4:09:31 PM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - June 2006

Contents
Editor's Letter
Update
Inside the Law
Curriculum Update
Administrator Profile
District Profile
Graduation Woes
The Hidden Downside of Wireless Networking
Cover Story: John Q. Porter: Leader/Pioneer/Secret Shopper
8th Grade Algebra: Finding a Formula for Success
Building a Strong Community Partnership
Join the A/V Club
Big Brother Gets Bolder
Security Trends
The Online Edge
Speaking Out
Problem/Solution
Research Corner
Research Corner
Computer Literature
New Products
By the Numbers

District Administration - June 2006