The rate at which children are dropping out of schools in North America is tragic. Raising the rate of graduation must be a local, regional and national imperative.
A crisis within North American education systems has existed for years but has generally not been a high-profile topic outside the systems themselves. The number of students who start in formal education systems and who never graduate is a tragedy. Some students cannot do the work that is required. Other students make a choice between school and work. Still others are disenchanted with education, finding that nothing seems relevant or captures their interest. The story within race, ethnicity, family income, English language skills and those with disabilities is an even greater concern than the overall statistic as nongraduates risk being marginalized to an even greater degree.
Room for improvement
While there has been progress in the last number of years with 2013 headlines touting the highest graduation levels across the United States in 30 years, the fact that more than 1 in 5 students does not graduate means that there is substantial room for improvement.
The temptation with system statistics is to forget that individuals are behind them. For children who don’t have a high school diploma, their economic opportunity, in fact their future participation in the workforce, is significantly diminished. Tony Mullen makes this point compellingly in his blog post “Requiem for a dropout.”
Compelling numbers
The higher the level of education attainment, the higher an individual’s earnings resulting in higher personal taxes paid, lower rates of accessing the welfare system, better health, better mental health, and a lower likelihood of involvement with the criminal justice system or accessing the welfare system. Numbers put to these revenues or savings are large and compelling.
At the same time, significant costs are associated with saving a student from dropping out. But like anything, focusing only on costs will likely not get to the best decision. Thinking holistically about the benefits to be had through extra productivity, plus future costs that can be avoided less additional costs to be incurred will undoubtedly yield a positive return.
Let’s look at the issue in more detail.
The best and brightest
People would be wrong to assume that only children at the lowest levels on the ability scale drop out of school. All too often the best and brightest are at the top of the drop-out list. School offers nothing to them – no engagement, no challenge and no connection to a desirable future.
Their learning styles may be different from that of other students in the classroom. There may be little accommodation for them and no recognition of their special talents and abilities that alienates them from the learning process even more.
Choosing work over school
Many locales have plenty of jobs that entice boys in particular to quit school to earn good money. With every intention of going back and graduating, many young people leave school, soon realizing that the life they have created requires an ongoing paycheck and school is no longer an option. These early decisions most often turn into lifelong choices.
Promoting a desire to achieve
The big question remains – how can these students be enticed to complete their basic education? What is it that could encourage them to matriculate and give themselves every opportunity for a good life?
Irrefutable evidence points to the benefits of programs targeting poor students in the early developmental years. Getting these students off to a good start to their education can mean strong engagement and performance, promoting a desire to achieve even more.
Parental role
Parents play a powerful role in helping children set their life goals. Ensuring that parents understand and are aligned with the value of education and the connection that education has to later success in life helps them to deliver positive messages around staying in school and working toward graduation.
Teachers’ and counselors’ role
The connection that students feel toward their teachers is often directly correlated to the interest that a teacher took in that student’s progress and the will to learn that the teacher sparked. The role of the teacher and/or a counsellor is pivotal to a student’s enjoyment of school and desire to succeed.
Technology engagement
Using technology products can help involve and engage a number of young learners. Their use speaks to them in ways that are motivating and involving. Perhaps what is most important is the change in teaching and learning styles that the integration of technology products prompts. A growing body of commentary and research examines the positive impact on attendance and behavior. When students enjoy school, they attend more consistently and behave better. The data are compelling and the impact on students irrefutably positive. For other students, the integrated use of multiple technology products along with digital content can create a learning environment that encourages discovery and the construction of knowledge. Without focusing on 21st-century skills per se, these skills are nonetheless being developed.
Self-directed programs
For many dropouts or would-be dropouts, alternative high schools that allow students to progress at their own pace have not only been in place for some time but they have delivered solid results. Ensuring that this option exists, is properly funded and is a real option for those desiring it can fulfill a needed function.
Raising the rate of graduation must be a sustained local, regional and national imperative. Much has been learned about improving it, and staying on that task is not optional. Like a focus on health and safety in all organizations today, the job is never done. One accident or one drop out is one too many – for the individual involved and society at large. To look only at the cost of the sustaining strategies would be wrong. The payoff from raising the graduation rate is irrefutably advantageous.
