WGBH
New Bedford’s Waterfront Economy Struggles To Compete
By Deborah Becker (WBUR)
LISTEN NOW ยป
Dropping out of high school is a problem no matter where it happens. But it’s happening more frequently in urban than suburban school districts.
In Massachusetts cities, just 63 percent of students graduate within four years — compared to more than 81 percent statewide.
In the fourth part of our radio series, we visit New Bedford, Mass.
March 2nd, 2009 at 9:22 am
This is the second time in the series I have heard the statistic of the “four-year graduation rate.” While this number may have more dramatic impact, it is not the same as the drop-out rate. I’m not even sure when or why this particular measurement became significant. Is it a Massachusetts measurement tool or one used by the federal government as part of the No Child Left Behind Act?
Some students take five years or more to graduate, sure sometimes because they fail their classes, but sometimes because of interruptions in their education due to family circumstances, economic needs, transiency, or language issues. Does the published dropout rate take into account students who move to another state or another country? Does it reflect the students who leave school one year but re-enroll the next?
March 2nd, 2009 at 11:22 am
I’ve been listening with great interest to your series on drop outs and find it elightening and helpful. I don’t find it frightening because I’ve been working with a program in Lawrence for 9 years matching mentors with Lawrence Public School students to work on skills required to pass the MCAS exam.
Since your next segment is on standarized testing, what we’re doing might be of interest. Our Program, Stand and Deliver, partners local area companies with a Lawrence Public School and well educated volunteers from the partner company are matched with students from the school on a one-to-one basis to work on MCAS curriculum. Mentoring actually takes place once a week at the corprate partner work site with transportation provided by Stand and Deliver.
Our students pass The MCAS at a 25% higher rate the the overall student population and over the years we’ve had worked with over 700 students. We will have 200 active matches this spring in 6 partner companies. In urban school systems like Lawrence, Students and teachers need all the help they can get to meet the MCAS challenge, which is why Superintendent, Wilfredo Laboy has been totally supportive of the program from the outset. Without total support from Lawrence Public Schools this program could never have happened.
If you would like to know more about Stand and Deliver - Corporate Campus, feel free to contact me at this e-mail address or call me at 978-975-5905 ext. 329.
Ed Warnshuis
Founder - Stand and Deliver