Decreasing The Drop-Out Rate

By Dale "Gene" Williams

Methodolgy to be used in reducing the number of Drop-outs from our Schools

The reality of the issue is that our children need to be taking more COMPREHENSIVE tests at a rate that will provide the Educators an opportunity to provide a balanced anaysis and needs assesment to properly keep our children in the Learning Mode.

I would propose doing "Overall Assesments" once a year. It has gotten to the point in our Education System where regardless of where a Student is, or what grades he/she recieves during the School year he/she is automatically Advanced to the next Grade the following year.

THIS HAS TO STOP!!

If a child is not at the educational level for which he/she is in, we must stop the continued advance in the education system until such time the student is at the appropriate level to BE ADVANCED to the next Grade level.

Imagine if you would the following:

Student A has been advanced thru-out the years to the 9 grade. However has only been assesed to have the reading/math capabilities of a 7th grader. The realitiy is is that this student will feel pressured to keep up with his Friends in Math/Reading that Student A already knows is beyond his/her means. When Student A begins recieving Regular failing Marks in his/her Subjects, this brings on a feeling of Neg. Self-worth. Is this a student who will continue to attempt to keep up with his/her friends....? Or will this be a Student who becomes a Statistic? You be the Judge.

The reality is is that until we take back our Education system, and ensure that our children are getting the Education that they deserve, our Drop Out rates and Illiteracy problems will continue.