Thread: HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS FAIL TO GRADUATE : ESCONDIDO, CA

Hundreds of students fail to make it to graduation day

By: SHAYNA CHABNER - Staff Writer

ESCONDIDO ---- Just over 2,000 teenagers walked onto the city's three comprehensive high school campuses four years ago as freshmen. Nearly 700 of them were not there to say goodbye at last month's graduations.

Educators largely attribute these numbers to social and economic obstacles at play in the community and a student's perception of school. The percentage varies little throughout Escondido Union School District's three major campuses ---- San Pasqual, Orange Glen and Escondido ---- and is almost unchanged from the district's class of 1997.

"The majority of the time, they don't feel like they are going to be a part of anything great," said Christian Ortiz, 16, an incoming junior at Orange Glen who has watched many friends drop out of the system before graduating. "A lot of them are sick of it."

Where'd they go?

There are many reasons a student leaves a school.

A change in the financial stability or living situation of a student are two of the leading causes that families cite as influencing their students' ability to attend a particular school, said Sharon von Maier, the district's director of curriculum and assessment.

That often includes rising housing prices, a general high cost of living and even the loss of a parent's job, von Maier said.

In a community such as Escondido, where there is a large transient population ---- made up primarily of military and immigrant families ---- San Pasqual Principal Martin Griffin said that can also create a very high mobility rate, where students are moving in and out of the district on a regular basis.

"They go out of the district, out of the state, out to Mexico," von Maier said, adding that those students who stay within the district boundaries may choose to pick up their education at one of the alternative campuses or Palomar College because of the flexibility.

Tracking where students are headed ---- which may also shed light on why they are leaving ---- however, is an almost impossible feat, she said.

Currently, there is no overarching computerized system that documents students' progress through the public education system. Counselors and school officials depend on student reports on where they are headed and the possible transcript request from other districts to determine if a student is continuing their education elsewhere.

A statewide identifying system that will track students with an individual 10-digit number ---- similar to a Social Security number ---- is supposed to in place for the 2008-09 school year, von Maier said.

"Once that is in place, it will be a much easier job to identify these students and where they are going, and are they actually finishing," she said. "(Right now,) trying to give you something current is like trying to put your finger on Jell-O."

Investing in education

A side effect to having a student body that is constantly flowing and changing, von Maier added, is that you have students who aren't tied to the school or even their education.

That's where a student's and his or her family's perception of the importance of school can really be a key factor in whether or not that student makes it to graduation day, said Jonathan Russell, a program specialist with Escondido Education COMPACT, which stands for "creating opportunities, making partnerships and connecting teens."

"Students don't necessarily see the value of a high school diploma ---- that it translates to a better-paying job or a more successful career," Russell said.

And if they aren't making that link, he added, when other distractions, like friends, gangs and even economic issues come into the picture, school takes a back seat.

"They just don't see the point," said Ortiz, a high school student at Orange Glen who is now on track to graduate in two years, after wondering for some time if getting an education was worthwhile or not.

"I just remember that it didn't seem that great to me at all," he said.

When students get to high school, and the schools are larger, the courses are more difficult and there is less one-on-one attention, Ortiz added, many students just give up and consider education a lost cause. He too, would have done the same thing, Ortiz said, if he had not joined clubs, built connections and found role models that told him differently.

"I think that they would have to see and accept the fact if they don't graduate they aren't going to do anything," he said.

Staying on track

That's the same message, district and school officials said they are trying to send home to families and reinforce through programming that guides students through the four years of curriculum.

From communicating to parents about the importance of a stable, continuous education to providing students with credit recovery options and additional classes for them to catch up on course work, the district's high schools have implemented a multitude of programs and ideas, Escondido High Principal Sue Emerson said.

"We know that we need to actively seek out ways for our school to make connections," she said.

Some of the programs that Escondido High has found to be effective, Emerson added, are the academic support programs that target incoming freshmen, and a student mentoring club where juniors and seniors guide incoming freshmen.

As a result, the district's largest high school has slowly begun to chip away at the percentage of students it loses in the four-year period.

The 2003 graduating class of 368 students at Escondido High was down by 248 students, or 40 percent, from its freshman year class of 616 students. In the 2007 graduating class, that loss had been reduced to about 35 percent, with 472 students graduating out of a 723-student freshman class in 2003.

Orange Glen and San Pasqual, on the other hand, have seen those figures waver more, with a slight increase in the percentage of students leaving school before graduating. This year, about 245 students from the 2003 freshman class at San Pasqual and 319 students from Orange Glen were not there on graduation day.

The overall loss of students in the district, however, was lower because 129 seniors graduated from Center City and Valley high schools.

Both schools have implemented similar programs to those running at Escondido High and administrators said they think the statistics will show them to be effective in coming classes, as more students make the transition from freshmen to sophomore, sophomore to junior, and junior to senior.

"Our classes, our graduating classes, are going to be getting larger," Griffin said.

Another factor in the coming years, Griffin said, will be the board's recently approved plan to build learning centers on each of the three comprehensive classes. The centers will provide students with credit recovery and independent study programs from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The goal, von Maier said, is to catch the kids before they fall too far behind, while allowing them to retrace their steps and finish course work without having to change schools.

"We are looking at ways for students to earn multiple credits or more credits, so that they don't have to transfer," von Maier said. "We believe that they will be less likely to move through the system and maybe leave down the road."

Contact staff writer Shayna Chabner at (760) 740-5416 or schabner@nctimes.com.

Breakdown by school for 2007 class

2003 Freshmen 2007 graduates Loss

San Pasqual 634 389 245

Orange Glen 696 377 319

Escondido High 723 472 251

http://nctimes.com/articles/2007/06/10/ ... 2c357f75db

Comments On This Story

Note: Comments reflect the views of readers and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff.

About time wrote on Jun 10, 2007 8:33 AM:" Great story. As a parent of a high schooler and middle schooler, I was wondering why the graduating classes were so much smaller than the freshman classes. Does the exit exam play a role in the dropout rate? "

Largely from the south wrote on Jun 10, 2007 8:42 AM:" The south of the border kids come to our schools , waste our tax payers money and drop out. How rewarding. NOT surprised at all. "

Robert24 wrote on Jun 10, 2007 9:12 AM:" I would bet that lack of assimilating into the culture of America plays a huge part in this. I would bet that many of the kids that are not making it are from ESL homes, and are getting poor guidance from the parent(s) as to how the family in general is blending in to America. Quite probably the majority of them are living in and with "under the radar" homes, and cannot or have no intention of being noticed or calling attention to themselves. Very sad, especially since the children have an opportunity, but are living under the illegal conduct of their parents (if I am correct in my assumption of the majority of the kids not passing the exit exam). Sure wish the article gave more information on the, so that I didn't have to assume though... "

Nick wrote on Jun 10, 2007 10:16 AM:" It's simple, NO More Anchor Babies! Deport all the illegals and their kids. Maybe then, American children will have the chance they deserve. "

Robert and Nick are right wrote on Jun 10, 2007 10:51 AM:" and a large part of these drop outs our out tagging our walls and buildings and gang banging. DEPORT them. "

Greg in Oceanside wrote on Jun 10, 2007 11:23 AM:" These figures are pretty accurate when you look at the drop-out rate for Hispanics, which hovers around 30 percent. This is totally unacceptable, and Hispanic ‘leaders’ should be doing something about this. But instead, groups like NCLR, MEChA, et al are too concerned with promoting amnesty, illegal immigrant rights and protection, and their pie-in-the-sky visualization that the American southwest will be returned to the land of Aztlan. As a concerned parent, I want the best for my children and do everything in my power to emphasize academic success. If other students are taking away from my child’s academic success, I say good riddance to the drop-outs. But if they’re in school to learn and be successful, more power to them. "

Add Your Comments or Letter to the Editor

http://nctimes.com/articles/2007/06/10/ ... 2c357f75db

This isn't just in Escondido, it is true throughout California wherever there is a large base of illegal aliens. They attach no significance to higher education.....thus the Third World Country perpetuates itself here in America.

Even though the article didn't come out and say these are illegal alien, it is apparent when reading descriptive phrases that dont divulge the truth.

The use of this 10-number ID for students is a way around enrollment issues when none of the illegal aliens can present a SSN card to enroll in schools. Maybe California doesn't even require that form of ID but in most states in the east, a student cannot be enrolled without proof of identity, proof of residency, and proof of medical examination by a physician.

The high 'drop out' rate is not surprising when you realize the demographics. According to analysis from the Pew Hispanic Center and The Heritage Foundation, between 49%-61% of the ILLEGAL ALIENS do not even have a high-school diploma. Why would we expect "the next generation" to perform any better ??

Boy, this President sucks!

Skip wrote on Jun 10, 2007 2:13 PM: " RE: made up primarily of military and immigrant families >>>> I am active duty military and I am very offended to see “Military familiesâ€

To SHAYNA CHABNER , NCT wrote on Jun 10, 2007 5:37 PM: " Since you brought it up, please answer the following question: What is the ratio of non-graduating students, Studnets/Children that come from Military families VS. the Students/Children of Illegal Immigrants? You were referring to the United States Military......Right? R/ Skip "


MVet wrote on Jun 10, 2007 5:42 PM: " California spends BILLIONS of dollars on Public education, and you have Barbara Kerr, a classroom teacher and Union president saying that California schools are 40% Under-funded. Like I really want to call my congressman and tell him to raise my taxes so that we can pay for Illegal Aliens to get a better education, even though so many of them do not appreciate it. It is not our fault that these people do not speak English. If they want to learn in Spanish then there are a lot of countries south of our border. "


Add Your Comments or Letter to the Editor

http://nctimes.com/articles/2007/06/10/ ... 16d8dc3f1d

Skip wrote on Jun 10, 2007 8:10 PM:

" I may not agree with every story printed in the NCT, but this is the first one to make me truly mad. As an 18 year active duty serviceman, I feel that the writer of this story is either ignorant, or has an agenda against the Military, and the wishes of United States citizens. The one part of a sentence "large transient population ---- made up primarily of military and immigrant families" shows the writers ignorance, or an agenda against the military. The writer is inferring that it is 50/50, that the drop-out problem is equal between the Military and Illegal Aliens. Well let me set you straight. I have been stationed in San Diego for most of all of 18 years. Although not everyone may be so lucky, the military is much more stable then in years past. The vast majorities of families, who have children in high school, are senior members and are able to plan their moves around their family. Many times when a service member gets transferred, the family will stay behind so that the children can finish their school. In all of my time in service, I have never heard of a problem with children of military families failing to graduate. Unlike the thousands of Illegal Alien families whose children simply drop out of school due to lack of motivation, military families are not like this. OF THE 700 STUDENTS WHO FAILED TO GRADUATE, HOW MANY WERE FROM MILITARY FAMILIES? MAYBE A DOZEN? WELL I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT THEY GRADUATED SOMEWHERE ELSE. I constantly fail to understand why Liberals continue to defend Illegal Alien lawbreakers and put down American citizens. There are so many excuses in this story to make you feel sorry for Illegal Aliens and immigrants, and nothing to back up our military members. "

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/06 ... 6_9_07.txt