Education

No Joke: Cities in Crisis

April 09, 2008 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

On April 1, America’s Promise Alliance released a report calling attention to graduation rates in the nation’s 50 largest cities. Cities in Crisis

, prepared by the EPE Research Center, found that only about half of the students in main school districts serving those cities graduate from high school.

Some school officials and policymakers probably wish this dismal news was part of an April Fool’s gag, but sadly, it’s not. America’s Promise Alliance is trying to do something about this problem by holding a series of dropout prevention summits in 100 locations throughout the U.S. over the next five years.

Cities in Crisis raised the issue of graduation rate calculations. Currently, states can use their own formulas to calculate graduation rates. The state- and district-reported graduation rates, however, are often higher than the rates found by others.

Here’s what people are saying about graduation rates and Cities in Crisis.

After several years of talk about requiring states to use the same graduation rate formula, it sounds like U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings plans to take some action:

In the coming weeks, I will take administrative steps to ensure that all states use the same formula to calculate how many students graduate from high school on time—and how many drop out.

The New York Times, April 1, 2008

Roy Romer, former Governor of Colorado and former Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, says he has had it with the state-reported graduation rates:

The inflation of these graduation statistics is a national problem and instead of sweeping this news under the carpet, we need to roll up our sleeves and propose solutions to fix it.

—Roy’s Blog on Schools, March 26, 2008

Colin Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State and founder of America’s Promise Alliance, commented on the graduation rates calculated by the EPE Research Center in Cities in Crisis:

You'll be frightened by the numbers you see. The trend is real, and it's a trend that has to be reversed.

Scripps Howard News Service, April 1, 2008

Ed Housewright, Dallas Morning News reporter, was also appalled:

I nearly choked on my breakfast when I read that figure in today's front-page story. Fewer than half of DISD [Dallas Independent School District] students graduate? I can't think of a more depressing statistic for school officials or city leaders. What does our future look like if the "leaders of tomorrow" aren't high school graduates?

—Metro Columnists’ Blog on dallasnews.com, April 2, 2008

Robert Balfanz, researcher at Johns Hopkins University, is optimistic that better data and targeted programs can help solve the dropout crisis:

This problem is not only manageable; it's solvable in a decade or less. We can locate the problem. It's not every school; it's not every student.

Los Angeles Times, April 2, 2008

What do you think? Are you surprised by the graduation rates reported in Cities in Crisis? What are the best ways to increase high school graduation rates in the U.S.?

A version of this news article first appeared in the Echo Chamber blog.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
(Re)Focus on Dyslexia: Moving Beyond Diagnosis & Toward Transformation
Move beyond dyslexia diagnoses & focus on effective literacy instruction for ALL students. Join us to learn research-based strategies that benefit learners in PreK-8.
Content provided by EPS Learning
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
How to Use Data to Combat Bullying and Enhance School Safety
Join our webinar to learn how data can help identify bullying, implement effective interventions, & foster student well-being.
Content provided by Panorama Education
Classroom Technology Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: Is AI Out to Take Your Job or Help You Do It Better?
With all of the uncertainty K-12 educators have around what AI means might mean for the future, how can the field best prepare young people for an AI-powered future?

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: September 18, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: August 28, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: August 21, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: August 14, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read