Thread: Report: Half of Atlanta students don't graduate on time

Report: Half of Atlanta students don't graduate on time

But system says figures are from 2003 and 68 percent now graduate

By BOB DEANS, LAURA DIAMOND
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 04/01/08

Fewer than half — 46 percent — of high school students graduate from Atlanta Public Schools on time, according to a national report to be released today, placing Atlanta 39th among the nation's large cities.

Students from the 50 largest cities have about a 50-50 chance of earning a basic high school diploma, the findings showed.

"It is not an isolated problem: This is a national crisis," said Marguerite Kondracke, president of America's Promise Alliance. "The inner-city kids deserve a chance in life just as much as the suburban kids do ... We're a nation. We share in this. This is our future work force. This is our future security."

Atlanta school officials say the study doesn't take into account the improvements they've made in recent years.

The report, "Cities in Crisis: A Special Analytic Report on High School Graduation," was to be released by Editorial Projects in Education, a nonprofit that publishes Education Week, a journal of pre-collegiate education.

The group partnered on the research with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a nonprofit funded by the billionaire software creator and his wife; and America's Promise Alliance, a nonprofit in Washington, D.C., devoted to children's issues.

Nationwide, the study showed, just 52 percent of the students in urban school systems ever graduate from high school.

The report based its findings on data from the 2003-04 school year. Graduation rates from that year led Atlanta Public Schools to transform its high schools.

The district broke its larger high schools into smaller communities to give students more support, including tutoring, Saturday school sessions and more one-on-one attention.

The system's 2007 graduation rate was about 68 percent, said Rob Atterbury, associate superintendent for high school transformation. The system received a grant from the Gates Foundation to implement these new programs.

"I was very surprised they used those old rates, but we're definitely on the move," he said. "We're trying to move to the 90 percent mark."

Urban school districts have large numbers of low-income and minority students who historically struggle in school. Those facts do not discredit reports focusing on city schools, said Alan Richard, a spokesman with the Southern Regional Education Board.

"I'm not sure most people in Atlanta and across the state realize how serious this problem is," Richard said. "This isn't an indictment on urban education. This isn't too different than if the study examined rural schools or some suburban schools."

Researcher Christopher Swanson calculated graduation rates using a formula to estimate the likelihood students will complete high school on time and with a regular diploma.

Swanson said he tracks the four steps students must take to earn a diploma — three grade-to-grade promotions and grade 12 to graduation.

There is no uniform way to calculate graduation rates. Researchers, state governments and the federal government all use different formulas.

According to the Georgia education department, 54.3 percent of Atlanta students graduated from high school during the 2003-04 — about 8 percentage points higher than the rate cited in the new report by Swanson.

Georgia uses one of three graduate rate formulas approved by the federal education department, taking into account the number of students who drop out, said Dana Tofig, spokesman for the state education department.

Dropouts are hard to track, Swanson said. He said states and other groups tend to undercount these students, which in turn inflates graduation rates.

Richard said Swanson's findings are normally among the lowest.

"The truth is somewhere in the range," Richard said. "No matter how you measure it, the rates are too low. They are too low for a society that expects most people to be educated."

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Comments at the Link Provided

By Bruce

Apr 1, 2008 1:04 PM | Link to this

No different in Texas. Silly Mom crying cause her daughter cannot graduate..I mean she went,got pregnant twice.Mom believes she should graduate because ATTENDED. Daughter cannot read beyond comics, and birthcontrol labels do not have pictures.

By Danny

Apr 1, 2008 1:03 PM | Link to this

You achieve what you expect. They simply don't expect these kids to learn and therefore they don't. The board of education should be legally held responsible to insure every kid graduates (those who have normal intelligence). Get back to the basics of one diploma, that provides the education needed for both continuing educations and proof of knowledge for employment, and its continued training. Expect them to learn, graduate and succeed.


By Harry

Apr 1, 2008 12:51 PM | Link to this

We make changes to the education system... we make changes here... we make changes there... we blame this and blame that... but, NOT ONCE has anyone put ANY responsibility on the parents. If their parents don't care, why should the kids? When is anyone going to realize that in order to fix the education system you have to fix the most influential part of a kids life.. their parents!!!

By Melanie

Apr 1, 2008 12:36 PM | Link to this

The Georgia Graduation test is what
is causing the Graduation rate to
increase. The school board is not looking at that. If you go to the GA Dept of Education website you will see how many students do not pass the science portion of that test and
have to get waivers. Kids get very upset to not being able to Graduate because they missed by 1 point on a test. They have to score a 500, most kids score a 499. You would be disapointed also. But nobody is looking at this. That's why the drop out rate is so high in inner city schools.

By the truth

Apr 1, 2008 12:19 PM | Link to this

Sally, your post begs the question. If you have an upper middle class income why on earth would you send your kid to an inferior school? This says as much about your priorities as it does the school.

By JJH

Apr 1, 2008 12:17 PM | Link to this

Giving money to only the best students actually won't give you the best returns. If we do not raise the graduation rate, these kids will not be capable of holding down skilled jobs. This means that those who have good jobs will have to pay to either house these unskilled workers in jail or prop them up with welfare so they can survive.

By Sp Ed HS Teacher

Apr 1, 2008 12:11 PM | Link to this

The GA Graduation rate just counts those who get a regular diploma. Anyone who earns a Sp Ed diplma or receives a Certificate of Attendance is not counted. That is an additional 14% of our students who exit school with a piece of paper that shows they did their very best.

Students get a Certificate if they do not pass all of the GHSGT. They may come back and continue taking it until they pass or stop coming back.

A Sp Ed diploma is given to students who meet their IEP Goals. That is how lower functioning students graduate. For states that do not have Exit Exams, all students get a diploma so their graduation rate reflects everyone who finishes. Why is GA compared to a state who figures their graduation rate so differently?

The GA Graduation rate is very misleading. I was given release time by my Supt to speak on this issue at the IDEA Hearings at GA Tech a few years ago.

The GA Graduation Rate can also be misleading if you just count the ones who graduate in 4 years. That means the "5th year" Seniors I had who graduated last Dec do not count.



By Jim

Apr 1, 2008 11:37 AM | Link to this

Why don't we spend our tax dollars on the very best of students no matter what their background? This would give the greatest return to our society. Spending money on students, who have no or little personal interest in an education has a minimal return to the society. We should make college and graduate school available to all who accademically merit the education. Too many bright deserving students find it impossible to continue a career because of the cost.

By APS Grad

Apr 1, 2008 11:29 AM | Link to this

Bill Cosby has pretty much laid out what has to be done. Some of what's been said here is over top but Cosby is pretty harsh an insensitive in his assessment as well. He does however tell it exactly how it is. There has got to be a reformation in our culture to value, truly value, education above all else. Cosby gave a speech on this at my old high school not too long ago. It's been renovated and looks like a college campus now but you pass through metal detectors to get in.

By walker

Apr 1, 2008 11:24 AM | Link to this

Low on time of graduation rate: Parents are not living up to their responsibility to see that their children are educated. If you expect a public institution to educate your children and you are not watching your childs progress every day to be sure they are progressing then you are not doing your job. Parents are the role models, teachers and tutors of their children and must expect and demand that their children achieve their highest potential. Public schools will never accomplish that goal. Walker

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