Texas Posts Top High School Graduation Rates, But Why?
With witnesses in a school finance trial testifying daily on the challenges facing public education in the state, and with a chorus of state leaders citing the failings of traditional public schools in calling for reform, some may be surprised to hear that by one measure, Texas schools appear to be doing quite well.
Preliminary data released by the U.S. Department of Education this week shows that Texas — along with five other states — ranks fourth in the nation for its four-year high school graduation rates. With an overall rate of 86 percent in the 2010-11 school year, the state ...
Comments (9)
Proud Texan
Bill Hammond finally found a way to bash our schools again. Yea Bill!!
"We" aren't using an inflated number. This is a NATIONAL number that tries to arrive at a fair comparison among states. This is an example of a generic measurement not working well for specific instances.....sort of like the high-stakes testing system that your friend Sandy Kress has you defending.
These types of reports are good general indicators, not doctoral thesis projects. Try to relax and share in some good news for a change.
Matt Taylor
This story has been posted on the javelina.com
Samdavis
Big difference between quality and quantity.
GS Crispus
The leaver code system requires schools to routinely track students throughout the year, and find ways for students to acquire education.
For instance, yes, you might see administration for a building pushing for a student to return to school, or pursue their GED (the test is very difficult now!). A student who failed the TAKS test might be pushed to begin taking a set number of classes at the local community college, and to come back for testing at appropriate dates.
Alternatively, the school might re-enroll the student, and provide an intervention class throughout the year so that students can be prepared for the standardized test.
The system gives schools a goal to achieve, allows them to be flexible, but most importantly, it forces them to intervene for students who would otherwise fall through the cracks.
I remember recovering a student who dropped out two years ago. She was two credits away from graduation, but because of her home life and stress, she didn't make it. Her mother suggested I talk to some of her former friends to find her. I eventually found her working at a local fast food joint; her manager tried to run me off. Somehow I convinced him and her to sit down and talk with me.
Before long, the manager had agree to allow her more flexibility in her hours, we enrolled her for two courses in the morning, and she had her diploma by semesters end.
These students are not going to look pretty; if they did, we wouldn't need to recover them from dropping out in the first place!
TX Teacher
As a high school teacher, I have become increasingly concerned with the use of online credit recovery programs--where students can often earn a semester credit in two to three days by clicking through tests and retaking them until passing. In addition, the rise in CBEs--Credit By Exam--definitely needs more oversight and attention. The CBE that the University of Texas offers for English is a 50-point, multiple choice test where students are not required to even write a single sentence. While I am compassionate for the need to sometimes find alternative paths to a high school degree, I would bet that higher graduation rates can be linked to an increased use of shortcuts that earn students credits with little concern for what they have actually learned.
Anya Khan
TX teachers, your union's policies are why so many students are going to online and credit by exam. This is a good thing, and I hope it continues
Frank Lee
The ,"one on one" mentor relationship between teacher and student seems to be discouraged.
Now a more static regiment of big brother programs is in favor.
Instead of focusing on teaching our kids, teacher seem to have to look over their shoulder before they make a move.
BiffTannen
Anya, there is no teacher's union in Texas.
Bill Betzen
Proud Texan, Bill Hammond is correct. His math and resultant concerns are totally appropriate. If you compare 9th grade enrollment in Texas with 12th grade enrollment you quickly see that less than 76% make it to 12th grade. How can we have a 86% graduation rate without some very funny counting?
Here is a crude comparison done from online data for each state. It shows that Texas sticks out loosing the most from 9th to 12th grade while claiming an unusually high graduation rate:
State: US DEPT ED Grad Rate9th grade 12th grade 12th/9th Diff. Grad rate & proportion
Massachusetts 83% 76,690 67,460 88% -5 points
Louisiana 71% 54,775 39,088 71% none
Illinois 84% 167,463 144,533 86% -2 points
Texas 86% 390,665 298,128 76% PLUS 10 points!
The Texas claim to have an 86% graduation rate is similar to the single digit dropout rates claimed by Houston ISD over a decade ago. Remember them?