Dropouts and our society

KKnox 2010

Over 7,000 students drop out

Meaning about 1.2 million students won’t graduate with their peers

Everyday…

HS dropout $17,299 average income HS diploma $29,633

Associate’s $36,345 Bachelor’s $52,571

each dropout costs the nation approx. $260,000 over a lifetime

last census:

329 billion loss to country

Only about 58 percent of Hispanic students

and 53 percent of black students will graduate on time with a regular diploma,

compared to 80 percent of Asian students and 76 percent of white students (EPE, 2007)

In 2007

COVA: 42% approx ? (entering 9th through 12th)

◦ State 73.9%◦ Greeley-Evans School District 6: 70% ◦ Jefferson County Schools: 81.3%◦ Denver Public Schools: up 4.1 percent ◦ Mesa County Valley School District 51 up 3.3 percent,

and Colorado Springs School District 11 up 3.2 percent.

◦ Graduation gap statewide: 57.8% Hispanics; females over male

Our graduation rate

Did you know•Prisons are built on 4th grade dropout

data?

In a survey of high school dropouts, respondents indicated that they felt alienated at school and that no one even noticed if they failed to show up for class.

High school dropouts also complained that school did not reflect real-world challenges.

More than half of respondents said that the major reason for dropping out of high school was that they felt their classes were uninteresting and irrelevant (Bridgeland & di Iulio, 2006).

What they think…why do youth drop out?

It’s not because they CAN’T

BELIEF SYSTEMS OF TEACHERS Highly influence student’s possibilities for

success. (Clark 1988; Color 1989; Fenstermacher 1986; Nespor 1987; Pintrich 1990; Weinstein 1989; Wilson 1990; Kouzes and Posner 1999)

The core belief set is defined as the intersection of one’s purpose, values and intention.

Reflect back on the philosophy discussions we had and our background experiences.

Table Talk, 5 minutesHow do my defined values and key purpose in life

overlap with what I am doing here in my current role?

What is my intention here?

Is there anywhere my values and philosophy appear to be in conflict with some area of the job? If so, how can I get into alignment so I can be happy and build a legacy with others?

Johns’ Hopkins data: drop out predictors

8th graders attending < 80% of time• 9th graders attending < 70% of time

Failing a math or LA class in 8th

• 9th < 2 credits Not promoted to 10th

• Agency-involved students K-5 accelerated path

• 6th attention groups needed

Teacher philosophy aligned with mission; Portrait of a Graduate

In spite of our circumstance

What can we do? DISCUSSION-- tables with debrief