Schools are doing all they can to stop students from dropping out of school. Unfortunately, the school dropout rate is still quite high in this country.
The NEA (National Education Association) is now addressing this tough topic in hopes of making a plan that works and starts to lessen and prevent students from dropping out of school.
Let’s start with the facts as we know them about the dropout rate in our schools. Statistics say that nearly one-third of students do not graduate. I had no idea this number was so high. Did you? According to an article from the NEA website, the national graduation rate is only between 68 and 71 percent. The graduation rate for Black, Hispanic and Native American students is only around 50 percent. A person who drops out of high school earns 260 thousand dollars less over his lifetime when compared with a peer who graduated and is 72 percent more likely to be out of work.
80 percent of the men and women in prison do not have a high school degree. Pretty high number, and it kind of makes you think, doesn’t it? Students who drop out of high school also have less activity when it comes to the political process of this country, things like voting occur more with people who have high school or college diplomas.
Obviously, these statistics concern not only teachers, but administrators and the NEA. The NEA is suggesting a 12-point plan to help curb dropout rates in this country. The suggestions they are recommending are things such as a mandatory high school graduation for all students under the age of 21 or the equivalent. The NEA is also suggesting workplace options that allow parents to participate in their child’s education and early intervention programs with a universal preschool and full-day kindergarten programs.
Will these ideas help solve our dropout program? I do not know, but I am rooting for it to work!
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