Big Cities Battle Dismal Graduation Rates

Report: Less Than 50 Percent Of High School Students Graduate In 17 Of U.S.'s Largest Cities

(CBS/AP)  Seventeen of the nation's 50 largest cities had high school graduation rates lower than 50 percent, with the lowest graduation rates reported in Detroit, Indianapolis and Cleveland, according to a report released Tuesday.

The report, issued by America's Promise Alliance, found that about half of the students served by public school systems in the nation's largest cities receive diplomas. Students in suburban and rural public high schools were more likely to graduate than their counterparts in urban public high schools, the researchers said.

Nationally, about 70 percent of U.S. students graduate on time with a regular diploma and about 1.2 million students drop out annually.

"When more than 1 million students a year drop out of high school, it's more than a problem, it's a catastrophe," said former Secretary of State Colin Powell, founding chair of the alliance.

"It's essential that we fix this system and get more kids that are coming out with high school degrees to go into technical schools, community colleges and go into college, if America is going to stay in the forefront of this globalizing world," Powell told CBS News anchor Katie Couric.

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Entertainer and activist Bill Cosby and Dr. Alvin Poussaint, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, co-authored "Come on People: On the Path from Victims to Victors." Both discussed the dropout rate report with Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith Wednesday. Poussaint called the situation "a catastrophe. ... Many of these schools are in the inner-city and are made up of blacks and Latino students who are not graduating at great rates. This increases the level of poverty, it increases crime, it increases the incarceration rate. Eighty-percent of inmates are high school dropouts in the United States. It's really a drag" on the economy. Cosby said the response to the report should be "an outcry and an out-movement." To read an excerpt of "Come on People," click here. To see the interview, click here.

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His wife, Alma Powell, the chair of the alliance, said students need to graduate with skills that will help them in higher education and beyond. "We must invest in the whole child, and that means finding solutions that involve the family, the school and the community." The Powells' organization was beginning a national campaign to cut high school dropout rates.

The group, joining Education Secretary Margaret Spellings at a Tuesday news conference, was announcing plans to hold summits in every state during the next two years on ways to better prepare students for college and the work force.

The report found troubling data on the prospects of urban public high school students getting to college. In Detroit's public schools, 24.9 percent of the students graduated from high school, while 30.5 percent graduated in Indianapolis Public Schools and 34.1 percent received diplomas in the Cleveland Municipal City School District.

The new report says Chicago's graduation rate is 51 percent - better than the worst but far short of what the city says is its goal, reports CBS News correspondent Dean Reynolds.

"There's no acceptable dropout rate any more. Zero is what our goal has to be," says Arne Duncan, CEO of Chicago Public Schools.

Detroit Public Schools officials had not yet seen the report, spokesman Steve Wasko said Tuesday.

"We do see dropout and graduation rate reports on a monthly basis, and they vary wildly," he said. "We know from previous reports that students who transfer or are even deceased are listed as dropouts."

Detroit Public Schools is working on its own report of graduation rates and had no statistics available that reveal where they compare to the national report.

"The fact is, whether it's 21 percent or 50 percent or 74 percent it's too low," Wasko said.

Researchers analyzed school district data from 2003-2004 collected by the U.S. Department of Education. To calculate graduation rates, the report estimated the likelihood that a 9th grader would complete high school on time with a regular diploma. Researchers used school enrollment and diploma data, but did not use data on dropouts as part of its calculation.

Many metropolitan areas also showed a considerable gap in the graduation rates between their inner-city schools and the surrounding suburbs. Researchers found, for example, that 81.5 percent of the public school students in Baltimore's suburbs graduate, compared with 34.6 percent in the city schools.

In Ohio, nearly 83 percent of public high school students in suburban Columbus graduate while 78.1 percent in suburban Cleveland earn their diplomas, well above their local city schools.

Ohio Department of Education spokesman Scott Blake said the state delays its estimates by a few months so it can include summer graduates in its calculations. Based on the state's methodology, he said Columbus graduated 60.6 percent of its students in 2003-2004, rather than the 40.9 percent the study calculated.

By Ohio's reckoning, Columbus has improved each year since the 2001-2002 school year, with 72.9 percent of students graduating in 2005-2006, Columbus Public Schools spokesman Jeff Weaver said.

Weaver said the gains were partly because of after-school and weekend tutoring, coordinated literacy programs in the district's elementary schools and bolstered English-as-a-second-language programs.

Cleveland's current graduation rates are also higher than the statistics cited in the new report, school district spokesman Ben Holbert said.

Spellings has called for requiring states to provide graduation data in a more uniform way under the renewal of the No Child Left Behind education law pending in Congress.

Under the 2002 law, schools that miss progress goals face increasing sanctions, including forced use of federal money for private tutoring, easing student transfers, and restructuring of school staff.

States calculate their graduation rates using all sorts of methods, many of which critics say are based on unreliable information about school dropouts. Under No Child Left Behind, states may use their own methods of calculating graduation rates and set their own goals for improving them.

The research was conducted by Editorial Projects in Education, a Bethesda, Md., nonprofit organization, with support from America's Promise Alliance and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The alliance is based on a joint effort of nonprofit groups, corporations, community leaders, charities, faith-based organizations and individuals to improve children's lives.

Detroit Public Schools announced a new plan Monday in which five school buildings will be broken up into smaller schools with a maximum of 450 students in each of the smaller schools. Three of the five school buildings are high schools.

The goal is to increase adult and student interaction, Wasko said.

"We do know from national studies that smaller school communities do work," he said. "Students become more engaged."

Officials hope to implement the plan by next fall.

[keithle1]

What the heck do you do if you drop out? Deal drugs. Join a gang. Get in to trouble. Go back & forth to jail/prison. Congratulations. You just screwed up your life.

It shouldn''t even be an option. You shouldn''t be allowed to drop out of high school. What, you''re gonna help your folks down on the farm with the ploughing?

Detroit & Cleveland are cities in big trouble. Going down the tubes fast. People who can leave are leaving. Inner cities are full of problems.
Teenage pregnancy. "I know what! I''ll get pregnant & drop out of high school!"

If your parents love you & care about you then there is no way you drop out of high school. Not an option. Not even thought of for a second.

If your immature single "mother" is too drunk/high to care then you''re headed for disaster. Baby mamas having kids who grow up to fill up the country''s jails/prisons. The odds are against them in a big way.
Just a matter of time til the cops pick them up for something.

"80% of inmates are high school dropouts in USA."

If you can just get the boys through high school & into college & stop the silly girls from getting pregnant. But a lot of the minority boys don''t take education/school seriously. It''s not "cool" & being cool is all that matters to them. Being a ladies man/playa. "I got a girl pregnant, y''all!"

[dogband]

Lets examine this from a different perspective:

Wave the magic wand and make every dropout out last year in our country a qualified high school graduate,or even and associates or bachelors degree graduate.

What will they do then?

Work at Walmart for $7 / hour w/out benefits.

Work at the local check cashing / car title loan place.

How about fast food for $8 per hour.

Work at the local manafacturing plant that actually makes a product and pays a living wage --- wouldn''t this require moving overseas.

Work at our many "service jobs" say ServiceMaster cleaning homes and businesses.

They could get a gig mowing the yards of numberous multi-multi millionarie CEOs around the country.

Maybe they could wash and care for the cars of the local multi millionaire professoinal sports players in their cities.

[dogband]

I''m guessing that all these dropouts both live with two caring, compassionate parents, who see to it that they respect the education system, study hard, complete their homework, go to school well fed, and behave in class.

Knowing thi---it is therefore the education system''s fault that this occurs.

I work in a district where we are happy to get the parent [generally only one is active in the kids life at best] to even send lunch money for the kid [for the ones not on free lunch].

My wife has kid in her elementary school that just arrived, and has been in 5 other schools THIS YEAR because the parents keep moving [running from rent collectors?].

With all these fine parents doing their part and more, its got to be the educational system that is failing our kids.

Heres a news flash: when adults [biologically speaking] take responsibility for creating and caring for a life as they should, these problems will all but vanish.

I know its a s t r e t c h.

[nancymcc26]

Spend a day in high schools and you will quickly see what the problems are. I work in a high school and I am discouraged daily by the American education system of today. We teach to the test and see administrators more motivated by federal dollars than making our educational systems viable for students. We are so behind in technology, it is pathetic. And for telling parents they must have better control of their teens, what a laugh. Correlate the dropout rate with the kickout rate. You would not believe the number of high school juniors and seniors that are kicked out of their homes because their parents have no control and no solution to discipline. My mother always said if you do not have control of your child by the time they are four years old then you never will. And most American parents can not discipline well or wisely. And discipline in high schools ends up being suspensions or expulsions. The statistics of dropouts is no surprise to me.

[jrcnly52]

ROLL MODELS HAVE SHIFTED TO PEER GROUPS ,RATHER A SOLID ADULT FIGURE WITHIN THE FAMILY STRUCTURE. WHILE THE SOCIAOLOGICAL CONTROL OF CHILDREN IS ALWAYS UNDER CLOSE ABSERVATION OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE NO TROUBLE TO GATHER THE NEEDED RESPECT OF THEIR CHILDREN , THERE ARE IN FACT RIGHTS AS A PARENT TO CONTROL THEIR OWN CHILDREN . AS BILL COSBY ONCE STATED , THAT IT WAS COMMON FOR A PARENT TO DISIPLINE CHILDREN , WITHOUT SOMEONE MAKING AN ISSUE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT IT IS ABUSE.PARENTAL CONTROL HAS BEEN LOST TO A SOCIETY THAT IS AFRAID OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF DISIPLINE AND RESPECT. DON''T THINK FOR ONE MINUTE THAT THIS IS STRICTLY A PROBLEM WITH INTERCITY SCHOOLS, HA! I LIVE IN A SMALL TOWN IN THE WIDE OPEN NORTH TEXAS COUNTRY AND I SEE THE SAME PROBLEMS HERE. SO IN CLOSING WHY DON''T YOU ASK PARENTS WHY THEY ARE AFRAID TO ADMINISTER DISIPLINE TO THEIR CHILDREN AND RETAIN CONTROL OF THEIR CHILDRENS EDUCATION.

[eaglemom22]

I think laws like in our state Tennessee have helped the drop out rate decrease. I know for a fact our county high school has had record number of seniors in the past few years. Last year we had our largest senior graduation. This year and next looks to be even bigger. We still have the ones that decide not to graduate, but we have a lot that do. Last year we also had a record in scholarships and students going to college. I think the laws have made it harder for kids not to drop out and to stay in school. Our law is simple and I do realize it is not for big cities, but here if you drop out you loose your driving licenses for a year or until you''re 18, whichever is longer. Now if you think to drop out and get a job, how do you plan to get there with no licenses. It would be easy in the big cities, but around here it''s not so easy because there is hardly any taxi''s anymore and you have to go around 15 miles usually to get anywhere. So walking is pretty much out. I''m glad they are doing things to keep kids in school. I think we have lots of supportive parents in our area and our children are truly lucky. I go to lots of ball games and see lots of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles supporting their kids. I think it is wonderful that our families support our children and hope they continue. Our kids need us.

[laporse]

The Federal government is not the problem. The politicians are not the problem. The problem is the selfish spoiled brats we have created by telling children that they are "special" and "deserving" without them doing anything significant!! They are rewarded for doing what they should be doing anyway! There is no discipline in thought, actions or ambitions because children learn that anything goes. There are no consequences. They raise themselves and boss everyone. This philosophy of child rearing and teaching has created this mess. Bring back earning respect. Bring back rewarding accomplishment instead of just showing up. Bring back meaningful standards. You should not get an A because you made a tiny effort. Feeling good about yourself does not make you successful or even nice to be around if you have nothing to legitimately feel good about.

[arlt1627]

Yes! This "social injustice"

Shame on you liberal Democrats...........Where is the Social Justice?


Did you actually look at the list? To think that ONLY northern "blue" cities are impacted is ignorant. You have "red" Texas cities, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, Indiana (typically red) all represented in the bottom 20 as well!

How about the following issues that are NOT political?
1. Many cities cited in this study are from the lowest income cities in the USA?

2. Also, high immigration and ELL students.

3. Parents needing to work multiple jobs because of a lack of $, therefore students are NOT getting help at home. I think most realize the significance of parental involvement in education.

4. Students spending time working vs. studying because they are in single-parent homes and they need a home, food, etc. Therefore school is NOT prioritized.

I think this is the tip of the iceberg. This is an AMERICAN social issue!! Not solely a "political" one. Typical Republican comment to blame democrats. Just remember that Reagan and Bush were in the White House from 1981-1993 and GW has been in office from 2001. OVer the past 20 years that is 3 Republican presidents to 1 democratic president. You do not here me bashing them on here for failure because to say it is their fault is ignorant. Politics is part of the issue....but other conditions is the BIGGEST issue.

[antis4him]

I listened to Mr. Cosby and the Harvard doctor this morning and I am in agreement with the "Responsibility" aspect of it all. As parents, we are responsible for our children and their education. We homeschool, as a conviction and choice, but for some (single parents etc.) this is not an option. I don''t believe that all parents are too lazy to follow-up with schools, however, I do contend that parents have relinquished their authority to the schools to do their job - parenting. We also have grown accustomed to double income homes, therefore, making it difficult by the end of the day for parents to take on one more challenge. I am not condoning inaction of parents in general, but what i am advocating is for the US to make a priority shift. As Mr. Cosby said, (paraphrase) "Don''t worry about what other people think of you...". We homeschool because, as I said, it is a personal conviction. We choose to sacrifice the "finer (questionable) things of this earthly life" in order to preserve the furture of our children. As President T. Roosevelt once said, "To educate a child in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society". With that said, "We must [also] remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education." (MLK, Jr.)

[excoachken]

rebelscout: A parent paying attention to their kids educational needs does work for many reasons. I forces practice, sets a positive example, develops a positive appreciation of the acquisition of knowledge, offers "bonding" time, sets up a schedule of expectations and keeps the kids away from the video game or T.V. longer. Most parents, however, are too lazy to sit their kids down on the couch and "learn" from the evening news. It isn''t hard to start that way and then expand. But, it is just as foolish to think an untrained person who eliminates the interaction that a child''s peers provide by forcing that kid to be "home schooled" can match the results of a trained professional to guide the lessons.

[perceptions5]

Yeah and the Democrats and their pals in our liberal MSM wolfpack press don''t understand why America doesn''t want them to move their "city" liberalism out to the suburbs and country side.

Yes! This "social injustice" that''s being committed in America''s "deep blue" cities is 100% political.

Because you have a situation where the Democrats that have run these deep blue cities for DECADES AND GENERATIONS have had 100% control over all "budgets and city programs".

Shame on you liberal Democrats...........Where is the Social Justice?

What excuses can there possibly be for this crime against innocent children within the deep blue city walls of our poverty and crime ridden cities?

............oh the humanity.

[arlt1627]

Americans have been told for decades and generations from our corrupt liberal MSM wolfpack press and their close pals the Democrats that "they" only cared about poor people. And certainly Republicans didn''''t care about poor people.

So how in a deep blue city like Baltimore where the Democrats have had 100% over all budgets and programs that so many people live in poverty and virtually no one is graduating from even High School.

YES, this IS a political "thing".

Posted by perceptions5 at 05:23 AM : Apr 02, 2008

This is how it works. The federal government gives some money for the operations, etc. of public schools. Most of the rest is generated by state and local communities and that is what the individual districts rely on. If you don''t get funding or the economy of that city is depressed, conditions in the schools are much worse. The "friend" connection to the Democrats is connected to their dedication on getting increased funding at the Federal and State Levels. However, as we all know, even if the NAACP or Democrats or Republicans are centered in an area, that does not solely correlate to great scores.....I mean you''d think Washington D.C. would be the safest city on the planet and have some of the greatest test scores too? But that isn''t reality. Reality is MANY conditions and economic factors play a role in this and politics tries to help some of these conditions.

[formrusmcsgt]

Looks like Mcdonald''s won''t need to raise wages any time soon ....

[rmsdm4]

The inner city, a bastion of liberlism. Liberalism folley, these kids should be all sitting around a campfire waiting for robin hood to give them something to eat.

[guest173]

if the working age was set to after high school was done, the graduation rate would be better I''m sure. In the summer before my senior year, I got in my opinion a really good paying job. When school started up again, I asked my bosses about school and my hours, since it was all mornings, and they said I could do what I want but if I went to school, I didn''t have the job anymore because of the hours. I just stayed at the job instead and finished school a couple years later.

I also think schools need to connect schools with how real life works and about real jobs and WHY school and education is important and I also believe high schools need to help students a lot more in filling out college applications and the reality of college, I was set back years to get into college because getting in and learning how to pay for it were a lot harder than I thought, and I had no parents helping me. High schools are really lacking when it comes to getting into college for those who need help and may be the first generation.

[perceptions5]

In some schools the inmates are running the prison. Teachers and staff are fearful of being assaulted in the classrooms by juvenile thugs who have gotten away with it for too long. Without discipline there can be no atmosphere conducive to learning. Lesson for the day: Johnny can beat up the assistant principal with impunity.


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Posted by SistaTee at 05:

/

............Like my grandfather always told me. "Until a child has learned discipline he has learned nothing".

[sistatee-2009]

In some schools the inmates are running the prison. Teachers and staff are fearful of being assaulted in the classrooms by juvenile thugs who have gotten away with it for too long. Without discipline there can be no atmosphere conducive to learning. Lesson for the day: Johnny can beat up the assistant principal with impunity.

[perceptions5]

That''s America''s "deep blue" cities that is.

Why is it that the "bluer" the area the more poverty and despair?

How can it be in a "deep blue" city like Baltimore that 72% of the Black American male children NEVER graduate from High School?

Baltimore is headquarters for the NAACP.

So how could a deep blue city like Baltimore that has been a "one-party" deep blue city for DECADES AND GENERATIONS be so bad?

Americans have been told for decades and generations from our corrupt liberal MSM wolfpack press and their close pals the Democrats that "they" only cared about poor people. And certainly Republicans didn''t care about poor people.

So how in a deep blue city like Baltimore where the Democrats have had 100% over all budgets and programs that so many people live in poverty and virtually no one is graduating from even High School.

YES, this IS a political "thing".

And there appears to be a huge "disconnect" between Perception and Reality.

..............oh the humanity........!

[nonayabiness]

Truly shocking. Wow. People with college degrees are having a hard time finding work now. Just further evidence of the state of our economy and nation right now. Maybe many of these kids quit school because they have to work to help support their families. It''s a terrible shame when so many kids can''t get through high school, whatever the reasons are. Very sad.

[sweetreeeed]

'' .. there''s a 99.999...% chance i did not magically erupt in the middle of endless oblivion, but if i did not erupt in the middle of endless oblivion, then tere is a 99.999...% chance that i can erupt magically in the middle of a endless oblivion anytime what i choose .. ''