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Graduation Rates Of Hispanic Boys Lowest Of Any Student Group
By Bob Oakes (WBUR)
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The Massachusetts Board of Education today takes a look at the state’s graduation rate standards.
The Commissioner of Education is asking for an increase in the minimum graduation rate for each high school. Mitchell Chester’s proposal would also require school districts to lower the dropout rate for minority groups.
A state Department of Education report shows that only half of Hispanic male students graduate from high school in four years.
Professor Ronald Ferguson directs the Achievement Initiative at Harvard University. He spoke to WBUR’s Bob Oakes about what’s causing higher drop out rates for minority students — particularly Hispanic males.
February 24th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
How does ciriculm fit into this equation? Are there efforts to retailor course material to be more inclusive of a more diverse “America”? My high school experience in the late ’90s was very Euro-centric and I would imagine that makes it much harder to help students see how knowledge will be applicable in their own lives. I believe it’s extremely important to teach all high school students about the ways in which a myriad of cultures have come together to shape America over the past 50 years and I would really like to hear about efforts to re-tool high school ciriculum not just in history but in english, science etc.
February 24th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Listening to Carlos’ story this morning, I heard an alarming theme that we hear recurrently in our work with currently and recently homeless parents. When asked about their goals for their children, these thoughtful parents almost always express a desire for their children to go to college. Yet they quickly - within minutes - back off of this goal, lowering it to “graduating from high school.” Often, seemingly overwhelmed about how to make this happen, these same parents will within a few more minutes, looking overwhelmed, say, “well, I just want my children to be happy.” Carlos’ mother needs support to help keep her son in school - which she has been fighting to do - but is running out of resources to maintain this line. How can we, as a society, help Carlos’ mother to follow her instincts - and follow through on what she knows is best?
March 2nd, 2009 at 9:13 am
I assume that Professor Ferguson heard more of Carlos’ story than the listeners at home, otherwise, I can’t understand how he drew the conclusion that the biggest problem is that Carlos’ teachers are not engaging him. Carlos (who definitely is not an ESL student; Hispanic does not necessarily equal ELL) attends a school with a staff of energetic and hard-working teachers who do not merely “teach their subjects,” with a broad array of classes (including many electives in the fine and performing arts), with a strong extra-curricular program of clubs and sports, and with a large number of peers who manage to work long hours at jobs while meanwhile maintaining their grades and their eyes on their future. The schools can reach out and reach out and reach out, but at some point the student must put out his hand and grasp what is offered.