High School Drop-Out Reduction

Topic: Minority Male High School Drop-outs

High School Drop Reduction

Problem:

Traditionally, Minority Males drop-out of high school above the national average. Which has caused a long-term effect on their future earning potential towards becoming head of households, and avoiding the criminal justice system.

(In fact, *African American Adult males have the lowest employment rates (58%), and highest incarceration rates ( 38%), and the highest death rate of homicide for young male between the ages of 15 to 34 in the US)

National Average High School Drop-Out Rate: 6%
White American: 5%
African-American: 6%
Asian American:3%
Hispanic American:10%
Native American: 15%

*The Adult Sources:
US Department of Labor: Table A-2 & A-3
NAACP  Criminal Justice Fact Sheet

Causes:

High School lateness, class cuts, and school absenteeism (Lack of Self-Motivation)

Poor academic levels (Below Grade Levels in Math and Reading)

Lack of financial family support (Low Self-esteem)

High rates of school suspension and involvement with the Juvenile Justice System (Non-Structural Behavior)

Potential Drug use (Negative Peer Pressure)

Teen Fatherhood (Unsafe Sex)

How the 100% Graduation Rate Program Address the Problem:

  1. We met with the student and their parent to sign a 4-year agreement to graduate on time.
  2. We held 12 after-school training sessions on Economics and the US Legal System for 9th graders.
  3. We sponsored 3 annual field trips with the students and their rival high school program participants, from the 9th grade to the end of the 12th.
  4. We worked with local businesses, organizations, and the school district to find summer job opportunities.
  5. We held 18 after-school training sessions on Academic Preparation, Social Skills and Job Readiness for 10th graders.
  6. We conducted monthly in-school sessions on Career Planning, College Readiness, Family Development, and Money Management with guest speakers, for 11th and 12th graders.
  7. We developed a self-evaluation chart for each graduation class.
  8. We allowed the program’s underclassmen to attend the program’s annual graduation ceremony.

100% Graduation Rate Program Results:

Camden, New Jersey – **Program Participants Group B (105) compared to Program Sample Group A (105)

The Male Program participants had a 29% lower High School Drop-out rate. Compared to the City’s sample group of males – 32% (34 out of 105) to 3% (3 out of 105).

**Selection Process:
Each year, the City’s two largest high schools – Camden High and Woodrow Wilson – Guidance Departments selected 15 incoming high school freshmen for the program. These students were classified as at-risk, based on having grades below C in Math and/or Reading, or had a poor student behavior problem.

The students were then randomly assigned to a Program Group- A (Non-treatment) or Group B (Program Treatment) – based on their seating during the program’s orientation.

Our Recommendations:

School Districts use a high school completion system to:

  • track the outcome of students that transfer out to another high school
  • raise the level of allowing a teen to sign-out of school (or quit school), from 16 year old to 18 year old
  • eliminate high school grade retention, and replace it with a total credit system to accomplish a 4-year high school degree