Issues in Education

How schools can lower drop-out rates

There are a lot of reasons why students dropout but what about the consequences? People who dropout have a higher rate of going to prison. Dropouts earned 41 percent less then students who graduated high school or a GED. The average earnings for high school dropouts in 2009 were $19,540. The graduates earned around $27,380 with no college education. The students with a associate’s or college degree earned around $36,190. With a four-year degree, the students were raking in $46,930. Dropping out of school does not only affect the students themselves but the economy as well. People without diplomas reduce buying power, lower tax revenues, diminished worker productivity and more spending on social assistance programs. According to Alliance of Excellent Education, the high school dropouts in North Carolina cost the state $4.4 billion in lost income and taxes in a students’ lifetime. States struggling with money will let at least a third of their students drop out. That’s not all. Seventeen states create 70 percent of the United States dropouts. The dropout rates have lowered. In 1980, the dropout rate was 14% and in 2008, 8%. 

So now that we know the effects of dropouts, why do they leave? This can be broken down into four groups; families, schools, and communities. One set is associated with the institutional characteristics of their families, schools, self and communities. People who have sibling who have dropped out are also more likely to drop out themselves. Money and family problems also will cause a child to dropout. People who live in a high-poverty neighborhood does not make someone dropout but students are likely to than if they lived in a welcoming neighborhood. School itself and how the student is treated and views the school is a major way students leave. Students do not see their classes as interesting, they weren’t motivated, they were failing or missed too many days and couldn’t catch up. They had to work or became a parent. A family member needed to be taken care of or they felt that they couldn’t graduate even if they tried. 
So now that we know why and the effect, we can finally look at how to prevent dropouts. First we must, as the saying goes, nip this in the bud. Target the student early when they show the signs. Some of the signs are frequently missing attendance, behavior issues and course failure. These signs are known as the “ABC’s” of dropouts. When the signs are noticed, a warning should go to all the teachers so the teachers know to work with the students and encourage him or her to attend. One of the ways to encourage students to come to school is to have comfortable learning environment. Teachers should offer extra support for students who are struggling and assign adult advocates to students at risk of dropping out. The states also have the power to help. New Hampshire raised the legal age to drop out of school to eighteen. Texas is committing money and changing many of its regulations such as reimbursing districts for students to the age of twenty-six. 

    

    There is also alternate education. This offers classes to dropouts at cheaper prices and easier access. It also helps people who are noticeably older than their grade level. 31 states have worked with alternative education for children at-risk of dropping out. There are also program such as the Youth Connection Charter School or YCCS in Chicago. The YCCS has 4,00 seats all together in 23 neighborhoods, making 150 seats per neighborhood. This place is so good, students wait to at least ten months for a spot. The YCCS helps all kinds of people from people who flunked out of high school to homeless to drug abuse. The YCCS takes in about 20,000 drop outs or at-risk students. This program is so good, at least half of them graduated. In 2010, 1,200 did. 75% of the graduates have obtained jobs or went on to get more education. So, how is YCCS different from alternative schools? YCCS focuses on “skill mastery” instead of course credits. YCCS students gain more learning experience then “feeder schools”, according to Venson. South Carolina was a school in crisis with less than 66% graduating. Luckily, it raised from 65% to 95% in fourteen years with the help of families, helping students think about the future beyond graduating, changing their reading curriculum to a more friendly one and giving out rewards such as students who pass their state exam get to go to the front of the line at lunch.

The students our our future and we do not give them the knowledge to grow and succeed, our future will not be one we can gladly send them into. We must prepare them for life and school is one of the ways to do so. To lower the dropout rates, putting time and effort into our education is a necessary factor. We must be their for the children and help them in any way we can. Help your child’s future be a bright one and assist in helping children get a diploma and off the streets.

Bibliography

Editorial Projects in Education Research Center. (2011, June 16). Issues A-Z: Dropouts. Education Week. Retrieved Month Day, Year from http://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/dropouts/

"United States Census Bureau." Education. United States Census Bureau, n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2014. <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/education.html>.

Derringer, Pamela H. "Dropouts." Administerators. Scholastics, n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2014. <http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3756747>.

Simmons, Laura. "Preventing High School Dropouts: What Really Works?"Welcome to the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute. UNC Charlotte Institute, 19 July 2012. Web. 29 Sept. 2014. <http://ui.uncc.edu/story/high-school-dropout-research-collective-impact>.

1/2 summary of Death at an Early Age by Jonathan Kozol

1/2 Summary of Death at an Early Age

Stasia Huth-Fretz

10/12/14

         In an civil rights campaign of 1964-65, Jonathan Kozol gave up the stable career in the academic world in Harvard Square to a poor black neighborhood in Boston. He became a fourth grade teacher there. Ever since that day he used most of his life providing equal opportunity within the public schools no matter its racial origin or economic level. Kozol is now the most widely read and honored education writer in America and spends his free time giving speeches to future teachers or trying to get rid of the No Child Left Behind testing law. His book Death at an Early Age which was a description of his first year as a teacher, was awarded the 1968 National Book Award in Science, Philosophy, and Religion.
Death at an Early Age is a collage of events that happened to Kozol at his time in Boston Public Schools. The conditions in this school are devastating. One room with five or six other classes or clubs also working while Kozol is trying to teach. The classes and clubs are separated by work out chalk boards. He talked about having screaming matches with his fellow teachers to try to be heard to his students. The students complained frequently of being unable to hear and blamed themselves instead of the teachers or the schools conditions. Why? They were embarrassed for their teachers with these kinds of conditions and were practically beaten both mentally and physically into submission and meekness. Kozol spoke of two accidents that will give the reader a adequate view of the condition of this school. An old chalkboard that was broken and wobbly was touched by the neighboring teacher to by moved and it broke down and fell, almost smashing a little girl’s head by two and a half inches. Everyone on the room froze for a few seconds and the girl smiled bashfully and apologized as if it was her fault. The janitor was called and he stared at it for a few moments before righting in up and told them not to touch it next time. A few days later it fell again, the janitor was called and her grabbed whatever was handy and make-shift a fix or it. Of course it did not last. Finally, the janitor grabbed the chalk board and propped it against the wall. Now the class rooms were only separated by three chalk boards instead of three.
Punishment was another shocker in my book. when children behaved badly, they were whipped with bamboo stalks. Some teacher would even go as far to soak them in water or vinegar to make it hurt more. Kozol spoke of the way teachers acted as horrifying. Some teachers did not bother hiding their glee and excitement when it came to whipping the children. Some whippings were not even recorded as they were supposed to be for dark reasons or for simply being too lazy to do the paper work. While these whippings were not meant for lasting damage but one child was whipped on the knuckle which left a permanent scar. The mother was horrified and when comforting the teacher who gave the whipping, the teacher said he pulled his hand back slightly in anticipation of the whip when it was coming down. She blamed him and when the mother wanted to see the records, of course it was one that was not recorded. Still, the teacher was off the hook and the child will be scarred for life.
The teachers, while some trying to treat all the children equally, failed. The white children were always treated better. The black ones usually always accused of lying even when they were not. Two students in a math class Kozol was subbing for did not get there papers back though they swore they did it. It was not uncommon for papers to get lost in this school and Koxol knew these students so he believed them. The Math teacher came up to the class one day, screaming at the kids that they were lying. He gave them a big speech until the kids, being beaten under the teachers words and gaze, finally agreed with the teacher just to get the teacher off their back. The teacher told Kozol that he knew these students and that they were liars. Kozol did not belief that the teacher knew their names, much less whether they were liars or not. Another teacher made a student apologize the Kozol, humiliating him along the way. The boy apologized but Kozol did not know what for and the subject was not brought up. The black students were often put down like so and any teaching that taught about blacks and their history or books with black main characters were forbidden on the account that it was unfair to the white students. There is one student who was mentally challenged who took normal classes since the special classes were filled up. Teachers would slam this kid against the wall to shut him up when he talked to himself. Kozol was doing a class to help children who had trouble reading. He chose the mentally challenged child as one of the students. The teachers later complained about him wasting his time and made him refuse the child anymore help. The kid would often ask Kozol if he could go to the reading class and Kozol told him not today every time until the child stopped asking.
The people in charge of the education placed the blame on all of these occurrences on ...no one. there was nothing wrong, no one to blame and the past is in the past. Parents just wanted their children to have chairs and desks, they weren’t looking for something to blame but the people in charge wouldn’t listen to that, they wanted people to know that it’s not their fault. Parents were worried about there children but when they confronted the teachers and principle, they would deny and blame the child, saying that they were troublemakers and the parents just didn’t know it. they would talk in circles until the parents gave up or were confused and left. Kozol wondered how many parents believed the teachers lies and punished their innocent children when they got home.
So far, I enjoy this book. I am shocked by the schools conditions and the way the children are treated. I have a black uncle and cousin so the thought of all this happening makes me wary and sad. I am so glad how far we’ve come, at least, I hope the schools are better than this now. I would not be able to handle those conditions. Reading this, I wanted to cry.

STUDY GUIDE — CHAPTER 4:  WHAT SOCIAL PROBLEMS AFFECT TODAY’S STUDENTS?
Name: Stasia Huth-Fretz Date:10/2/14
Completing this study guide will help you prepare for the major topic areas on an exam; however, it does not cover every piece of information found in the chapter or the test questions.
Copy and paste the appropriate Study Guide to your own document. Complete at least 4 questions.
All written work will be evaluated for both content and mechanics.  Grammar, spelling, and sentence structure will be assessed and points deducted for less than professional work. All papers must be double-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman.  Post to your Blog.

1. What does the term at risk refer to?
-The term at risk refers to students who may not complete or succeed at school.
2. Name the major social problems affecting education.
-The child not living with two parents.
-The head of the household is a high school dropout.
-Family income is below the poverty line.
-The child is living with a parents or parents who do not have a steady, full-time employment.
-The family is receiving welfare benefits.
-The child does not have health insurance.
3. Discuss the relationship between poverty and other factors which might cause a student to be considered “at risk”?
-the more risk factors you have, the higher the effects and damage it will have. People with multiple risks are mostly likely found in place with limited jobs, poor schools, low quality public services and higher levels of crime and drug use.
4. Discuss the Comer model and its relationship to schools providing support for children at risk.
5. What are some of the things that principals and teachers can do to reduce the incidence of violence?
6. List the major reasons students give for dropping out.
-low income
-poor grades
-disliking school
-alienation from peers
-marriage or pregnancy
-employment
7. Explain why teachers need to know about the problems of homelessness.
8. What can Ruby Payne’s work contribute to help teachers understand the pervasiveness of poverty?







STUDY GUIDE—CHAPTER 6: WHAT MAKES A TEACHER EFFECTIVE?
Name: Stasia Huth-Fretz Date:10/2/14
Completing this study guide will help you prepare for the major topic areas on an exam; however, it does not cover every piece of information found in the chapter or the test questions.
Copy and paste the appropriate Study Guide to your own document. Complete at least 4 questions.
All written work will be evaluated for both content and mechanics.  Grammar, spelling, and sentence structure will be assessed and points deducted for less than professional work. All papers must be double-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman.  Post to your Blog.
1. List and give an example of each of the three major categories of decisions that teachers make.
-Planning decisions: The teacher must decide particular kinds of understanding she wants her students to achieve in different subjects.
-Implementing Decisions: The teacher decides how and when to intervene with some of her groups  and how to respond to students questions.
-Evaluating decisions: The teacher must reflect on the impact of her planning and instructions on her students’ learning.
2. Name the four categories of specialized skills and attributes necessary for teachers to become effective instructional decision makers.
3. How does a self-fulfilling prophecy affect the relationship between a student and a teacher, and the student’s achievement?
4. Distinguish between a theory and a theory-in-use.
5. Explain the theory of the zone of proximal development, and give an example.
-A range of tasks that a child cannot yet do alone but can accomplish when assisted by a more skilled partner.
-A student who excels at math helping another student who understanding the basis of solving the math problem with a hard problem.
6. How do the authors define classroom management?
- The actions teachers take to create an environment that is respectful, caring, orderly, and productive.
7. Paraphrase the five key behaviors and five helping behaviors of effective teachers that Gary Borich identified from research studies.
8. Define and give an example of academically engaged time.
-The time a student spends being successfully engaged with academically relevant activities and materials.
-A student skipping out on a party to study for their usual three hours.
9. Describe and give an example of each of the following from Jacob Kounin’s research: with-it-ness, smoothness, momentum.
10. Explain the advantages of using appropriate wait-time.






Today the kids were going over a quiz they took. they learned how to make sentences that get to the point instead of rolling around the subject. for example, “I go to class in the morning at six a.m.” The students would then write, “I go to class at six a.m.” The “morning” is unnecessary. The children shared their answers with the class and the teacher explained how they got such answers to the other students and different answers that were also correct for different questions. Other then that it was a library/study hall day. the kids took turns leaving for the library three at a time and the rest of the kids sat quietly at their seats either studying or reading.
Today was slightly different from the last two days in that it involved something other than library/study hall. I think this class I am viewing is only library and study hall. There really isn’t much to do so I think the next time I go back, I will ask the teacher if I can do anything to help like grade papers and such. I find it slightly strange that a teacher uses a microphone in such a small classroom. Her voice is loud enough so why the extra power? It seems to me like a waster of resources, money and electricity.