1.23 million dropouts

Imagine each of the blocks below represents 1,000 students. That's how many members of the public high school class of 2008 will fail to graduate without a diploma. Be sure to see the entire Graduation Counts 2008 report from Education Week (free this week!).

Comments

[Vincent Baxter]

1.

Dear Bill and Melinda:
HOW MANY is easy. WHY are they dropping out? ("Because they're not enrolled in a Gates Foundation funded school" doesn't count as an answer.)

[Skip Olsen]

2.

I see this as a partial and significant answer to your question to your May 21 post: So what if schools don’t prepare kids for the 21st century? I can't find the words to tell you how irresponsible and disgusting this is. I continue to wonder where our collective anger, intelligence, creativity and courage are.

As usual, Scott, thanks for the post and another shot across the bow.

[Scott McLeod]

3.

@Vincent: I think we know why. The research I've read says that the vast majority of students who drop out do so not because of academic reasons but because they are bored / disengaged / struggle to find meaning or relevance or connection with their school(work). The challenge is what to do about that, of course, but I think we're going to see more of it, not less, as our students who have access to the entire world now look at their schools and wonder why they're not more meaningful / relevant / connected to the future / rest of society.

Okay, that was WAY too many slashes (/s?) for one comment!

[Tina K.]

4.

Students who drop out do so not because of academic reasons but because they are bored / disengaged / struggle to find meaning or relevance or connection with their school(work). I do not see this as the only reason. Experience working with High School students tells me those who drop out do so not because of academic reasons but because they are bored / disengaged / struggle to find meaning or relevance or connection with their lives. Now let the discussion begin.