Leading Schools

 According to a new report released last week by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES):

"Most school districts offer some sort of dropout prevention program."

8 in 10 high schools offer services such as tutoring and remediation classes for students who have fallen behind

less than half of school districts offer an after-school program for high school students at risk of not graduating.

Even fewer districts have high schools that offer professional mentors for students, which experts say is one of the most effective ways of keeping a child in school.

- 12 percent of school districts keep a professional mentor on staff

- 30 percent of districts have community volunteers who mentor students

- Graduation Rates have increased from 66% in 1997 to  72% in 2008

Schools and districts are focusing on "early warning indicators:"

- 76 percent of districts look at a student's academic failure

- 64 percent of districts look at a student's attendance

- 45 percent of districts look at a student's behavior in class.

Attendance is a major factor!

- 90 percent of high school dropouts are chronically truant (missed 20 days or more of school)

"Truant students often fall behind their classmates before dropping out." (Robert Balfanz, a Johns Hopkins University researcher)

More than half of the nation's dropouts come from high schools that graduate fewer than 60 percent of incoming freshmen (dropout factories)

There are 1,600 "dropout factories," mainly in poor areas, both urban and rural.

Action Step for School Leaders

You and your staff should know the names and be intervening with any student, particularly new ninth graders, who exhibit any of the "early warning indicators including:

- 10% or more absence rate

- Failed one or more core courses

- Read in bottom quartile

- Have a GPA below 2.0

- Have ever been suspended

"The latest enthusiasm about new tests may be justified, however. These are assessments drawn from the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The CCSS are unique in several ways. First, they are national; even though there are assessments being developed by two large coalitions of states (excluding Alaska, Minnesota, Nebraska, Texas, and Virginia, which are not participating), all state systems will be guided by the CCSS, eliminating much of the wild variation from state to state in standards and assessments. Second, the standards anticipate a focus on higher-order thinking, problem solving, and inquiry, which will encourage teachers to focus more energy on that kind of teaching. Schools and districts are already doing widespread professional development for teachers and administrators on the new standards."

Flexibility is needed, but so is more accountability from teachers and principals.

States that have requirements that students observe a "Moment of Silence" or silent reflection are permitted to continue the practice.

According to Mark Walsh of Education Week,

Opening its new term on Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up a case challenging an Illinois law requiring a daily period of silent prayer or reflection. In the moment-of-silence case turned down Monday, a federal appeals court had upheld the Illinois law requiring schools to observe a daily period for "silent prayer or for silent reflection on the anticipated activities of the day."

The only education case to be heard by the court will occur on Oct. 5. At that time, "the court will hear arguments in the lone case that it has agreed to review this term involving schools, at least so far. In Hosanna-Tabor Lutheran Church and School v. Perich, the court will examine whether there is a "ministerial exception" to anti-discrimination laws that covers teachers at religious schools."

THE world's leading thinker says social networks are making people lazy and stupid.

“I think school is a place where thinking should be taught,” says Mr De Bono.

The thinker says research has shown that teaching thinking as a subject at school improves students’ performance in every other subject between 30-100 per cent.

“Teaching thinking for just five hours to unemployed youngsters increased employment 500 per cent,” he says.

"We should be worrying about the post-secondary track record of males. And we should be doing far more to encourage more women to become risk taking entrepreneurs, engage the hard sciences, run for public office -- or all three."