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P-16 Initiative: Action 4: Improve HS Attendance and Grad Rates
What is your district doing to try and improve HS attendance and graduation rates? What kind of strategies have worked for your district? What kind of practices have been proven to work?
From the State Website: P-16 Education: A Plan for Action
Students: 4.Improve high school attendance and graduation rates by setting performance targets, promoting promising practices that remove barriers to graduation, and holding schools accountable for dramatic improvements.
Problem: Since higher standards were adopted in 1996, the number of high school graduates each year has increased. However, only 64% of students who entered 9th grade in 2001 graduated in four years; 18% were still enrolled and 11% had dropped out. Rates for Black and Hispanic students were below 45%. Data show that graduation rates are closely tied to attendance rates. As attendance declines below 95%, graduation rates decline significantly. And both attendance and graduation rates decline with poverty. New York’s current graduation rate standard is only 55%, one of the lowest in the nation. Schools need to focus on the least served students, such as Black males, English Language Learners, and students with disabilities.
Actions: Set a State graduation rate standard, publish four- and five-year graduation rates by school, and specify a schedule of improvement targets for schools to close the gap between their graduation rate and State standard. Set targets now for the students who entered 9th grade in 2004 and will graduate in 2008. This action is especially important to ensure that more schools intervene to help the most underserved students, such as Black males, English Language Learners, and students with disabilities.
From the State Website: P-16 Education: A Plan for Action
Students: 4.Improve high school attendance and graduation rates by setting performance targets, promoting promising practices that remove barriers to graduation, and holding schools accountable for dramatic improvements.
Problem: Since higher standards were adopted in 1996, the number of high school graduates each year has increased. However, only 64% of students who entered 9th grade in 2001 graduated in four years; 18% were still enrolled and 11% had dropped out. Rates for Black and Hispanic students were below 45%. Data show that graduation rates are closely tied to attendance rates. As attendance declines below 95%, graduation rates decline significantly. And both attendance and graduation rates decline with poverty. New York’s current graduation rate standard is only 55%, one of the lowest in the nation. Schools need to focus on the least served students, such as Black males, English Language Learners, and students with disabilities.
Actions: Set a State graduation rate standard, publish four- and five-year graduation rates by school, and specify a schedule of improvement targets for schools to close the gap between their graduation rate and State standard. Set targets now for the students who entered 9th grade in 2004 and will graduate in 2008. This action is especially important to ensure that more schools intervene to help the most underserved students, such as Black males, English Language Learners, and students with disabilities.
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p-16ed.pdf, 276 KB
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Blanca Duarte Martini on
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There is an organization on Long Island called the Long Island Association. They are the Long Island Chamber of Commerce. http://www.longislandassociation.org/ There is an Education Committee which meets monthly and will be meeting on Tuesday morning. There may be a way to connect the LIA with students looking for exposure to different careers or with internship opportunities. I know some districts have school to career programs. I am wondering what local organizations they work with. Does yours?
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One organization is LI Works. Their website is located at: http://www.liworks.org/ The Long Island Works Coalition runs many events for students, some connecting them with career mentors and local organizations. There are many districts that are a part of their advisory committee. Is yours?
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Permalink Reply by Barbara Restivo on
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I truly believe that one on one mentoring is the key to academic and attendance success for at risk students. Someone needs to take a personal interest in every single student. Someone needs to notice that the student is absent. That is the key in my opinion.
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With resources sometimes scarce, who do you think should take the lead on this? A HS guidance counselor? A team of teachers? I believe that attendance is a big indicator for student success as well. What can schools do besides send computerized messages at home letting parents know their child is not present?
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An update to go with the Brain Drain / Career Academy seminar given today and sponsored through LI Works. Across school districts around the country, career academies are now being placed in junior high and high schools to create a forum for awareness. Students are being given academic instruction with a focus on a particular area of industry. In a recent Long Island press release, the Ford Fund partnered with LI Works, the LIA and 7 school districts around Long Island to start these formal career academies. The industries being represented are: Wantagh, Middle Country, Central Islip, Wyandanch, Bridgehamton, East Islip and William Floyd. The emphasis on reading, writing and relevance is what leaders are saying will make a difference in retention, interest and increasing HS drop out rates. For more information: http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/sunday/lilif...
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Permalink Reply by Raymond Martinez on
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The Teens on the Job Shadowing program is a great opportunity for high school students to see whether a particular occupation really meets their expectations. Also, when I was at Deer Park we held a Career Fair for our juniors. They could sign up for as many as five career presentations from professionals/business people in the local Deer Park and beyond community.
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Raymond, how long ago was the program held? I remember when Nassau County had a very strong business / school internship project. We used to have a Schools to Career director but sadly those jobs have now been dissolved or they've turned into another to do item on someone's already very overrun to do list. Was this a Deer Park initiative only? I'd be interested in talking to you about it.
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