high school graduation rates (Atlanta, Marietta: homes, transfer, calculated)

[phillipmaloney]

There was a front page article in the Marietta Daily Journal today that highlighted graduation rates in metro Atlanta, staewide rate, and how they are calculated under federal Dept of Education rules so they are uniform under nationwide rules. Under the old method schools would focus on the number of students in a senior class at the beginning of their school year and how many actually graduated. The new method focuses on the number of students in a 9th grade class vs how many actually graduate 4 years later. If a student transfers to another high school with a request by the new school for a transcript they are not counted as a drop out. If a student merely quits attending school w/o a request for a transcript they are counted as a drop out. I attended Marietta High School in the 70's so their score interested me. Old method: 85.8% New method: 56%. A drop of almost 30%. Pathetic and embarrassing. Almost 1/2 of the 9th graders don't graduate. Other scores:
statewide: old 80% new 67%
Cobb: old 84.7% new73.3%
Gwinnett: old 83.7% new 67.5%
Cherokee: old 82.1% new74.8%
Fulton: old 85.9% new 70.1%
Atlanta: old 68.2% new 51.9%
Talk about fudging the numbers. And Marietta City Schools superintendent, Dr Emily Lembeck, is the state superintendent of the year with a 56% high school graduation rate. What a joke. Makes me glad my wife living in Conyers with my daughters insisted I support her efforts in sending them to Piedmont Academy in Monticello. That was money well spent. As a junior Clare nearly aced the SAT (only missed 20 points) and I expect she'll end up at Ga Tech on full scholarship. Ga school systems need to make a greater effort in reducing drop out rates.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by phillipmaloney

I attended Marietta High School in the 70's so their score interested me. Old method: 85.8% New method: 56%. A drop of almost 30%. Pathetic and embarrassing. Almost 1/2 of the 9th graders don't graduate. Other scores:
statewide: old 80% new 67%
Cobb: old 84.7% new73.3%
Gwinnett: old 83.7% new 67.5%
Cherokee: old 82.1% new74.8%
Fulton: old 85.9% new 70.1%
Atlanta: old 68.2% new 51.9%

It's heartbreaking, as well as discouraging.

For male students, the drop out rate is even worse -- in some places well over 50%. What sort of life are these young men envisioning for themselves?



And the Chinese are eating our lunch.

[ATLTJL]

I question that metric.

1) Do all schools request transcripts? If you leave a school in the middle of your freshman year and go to a new school, I doubt they would request a transcript.

2) Any school in another country probably wouldn't request a transcript. If you are in a military family, any family that travels, or even an illegal immigrant sent back to your home country....if you go to school far away, I highly doubt they would send for your grades.

The old metric may have been overly optimistic, but this one is equally pessimistic. Also consider that if you leave and attend a new school that DOES request your transcript, who's to say that you aren't going to drop out of the new school? This metric wouldn't count you as a dropout.

It's bad data.

[flyonpa]

1, Yes, Your new school, should request a copy of your records. When you out Tranfer, you are counted as a drop out, untill your new school request the records, Then you are counted as tranfered out, and will be on the 'new' school Pass/Drop out record.

2. If No one requests your records, you are counted as a drop out , unless,
You died
You provided doc that you are now homeschooled.
You are deported
you Provided proof to the school you have left the US
Military DOD/DS school run on the same records transfer rules as US schools.
I'm Sure there are others reason they can 'execpt' your from being flaged as a drop out.
Jail? Americore ???

[Mattie]

I'm not sure what the schools can do to combat this. The education is there for the taking, for free. If the parents don't insist their kids stay in school, what can the schools do?

Maybe it's time to change the law to require students to remain in school either until age 18 or graduation.

[ATLTJL]

In all honesty....

If kids are totally not interested in learning, I'd rather have them out of the system so they aren't making things harder for the kids who really do want to learn.

You can force them to stay, but you can't force them to learn or to behave.

[gt6974a]

I think you could argue that we need more vocational programs.

It might help some of these kids stay in longer and for those that leave early, some skills they can use. When I went to North Cobb they still had a vocational program, woodshop, auto shop, horticulture, early childhood education, etc. Kids from neighboring schools were bussed in as well who wanted to take the classes.

Here's a good article on a small effort to help,
Businessmen help close gap in vocational education *| ajc.com

[GeorgiaLakeSearch]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

In all honesty....

If kids are totally not interested in learning, I'd rather have them out of the system so they aren't making things harder for the kids who really do want to learn.

You can force them to stay, but you can't force them to learn or to behave.

I agree you can force everybody to come to school but, if they are going to be disruptive what is the point of them being there? They are most likely not going to learn anything and the people around them will learn less. The only problem I could see is you would have kids hanging out all day causing problems most likely. Now if they stay home and just watch television or get a job that is great.

It is sad that about half the students in APS graduate. I wonder what the differences are between the schools?

[chalvey]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaLakeSearch

I wonder what the differences are between the schools?

I tried uploading the file but it would not work.

Dunwoody Farmer Bob

First, go to the end of the latest entry. Then, go to the second to last paragraph. Finally, click the last sentence in that paragraph. You should get it. Hope it works.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by chalvey

I tried uploading the file but it would not work.

Dunwoody Farmer Bob

First, go to the end of the latest entry. Then, go to the second to last paragraph. Finally, click the last sentence in that paragraph. You should get it. Hope it works.

That's hard to believe. Berkmar 47%? Avondale 39%? Wheeler and Lakeside at 63%? Those were all stellar schools!!

What happened?? Whither goest America??