MONDAY MORNINGS ON WBUR, 90.9 FM

Every Monday, from Feb. 9 to April 7, WBUR’s Morning Edition features Project Dropout reports. We’ll look at some of the reasons why kids leave school, why the dropout rate isn’t getting lower, how it affects all of us and what we should do about it. Produced by Monica Brady-Myerov and Deborah Becker, the series will be reported by Bianca Vazquez-Toness, Morning Edition host Bob Oakes, Radio Boston field host David Boeri, Becker and Brady-Myerov.

What is the scope of the problem?

Monica Brady-Myerov talks with teachers, kids on the verge of dropping out, dropouts and educational researchers about the dropout problem in Massachusetts.

What happens to dropouts?

Deborah Becker talks with people who did not graduate from high school about why they dropped out, the financial and emotional costs of leaving school and why so many of them are behind bars.

How early can we identify kids at risk of dropping out?

Even though 84 percent of students drop out in the third year of high school, they are on the path to dropping out long before that. Monica Brady-Myerov reports on how educators are starting to identify at risk students as early as the third grade.

How are communities affected by a high dropout rate?

Deborah Becker visits New Bedford to talk with officials, educators and business people there about how the city is affected by a dropout rate that is twice the state average.

Are the MCAS tests contributing to the dropout problem?

Because Massachusetts students must pass the MCAS tests to graduate, Monica Brady-Myerov examines the controversy over whether high stakes testing causes more students to leave school. This year, there is a higher passing standard for the MCAS and many educators fear that will result in an increased dropout rate.

How are English language-learners affected?

Bianca Vazquez Toness talks with students and teachers in Chelsea about how the language barrier is contributing to the dropout problem. One-fifth of high-school dropouts in Massachusetts are students learning English for the first time. Some educators believe that a policy prohibiting immigrant students from learning in their native language has alienated these students and contributed to the problem.

What kind of alternative and vocational education programs are available?

Monica Brady-Myerov and Bob Oakes examine some of the more than 150 alternative and vocational education programs across the state, targeting those students who don’t succeed in a traditional school setting.

Will raising the mandatory attendance age help?

Gov. Deval Patrick has promised to reduce the dropout rate by 25 percent in the next two years. He’s established a Dropout Prevention Commission to look at some of the strategies to do so; among them is a proposal to raise the mandatory age for school attendance from 16 to 18. Monica Brady-Myerov looks at whether raising the age has helped in other states.

What are some strategies to get kids to stay in school — or to get dropouts back in the classroom?

Poor attendance is a huge reason why many students leave school, so several districts have hired police officers to try to steer students back into school. David Boeri looks at how this works and whether it’s been effective.

What is the state doing about this?

We’ll have a conversation with those charged with addressing the dropout rate in Massachusetts and what they plan for the future.

ABOUT WBUR

One of New England’s leading sources of news and information, WBUR, 90.9 FM, is owned and operated by Boston University and is a member of National Public Radio. WBUR also broadcasts a selection of BBC programs and locally produced programs such as Here & Now, Only a Game, On Point, and Car Talk. WBUR has won more than 100 major awards for its news coverage, including several George Foster Peabody Awards, the Associated Press News Station of the Year for 2003-05, and three prestigious Edward R. Murrow Awards in the 2007 Radio-Television News Director Association’s (RTNDA) annual national electronic journalism competition.