An interesting article from the Denver Post.
Colorado dropouts establish patterns early on
Warning signs of high school academic woes can be seen in students as young as 11 and addressed, researchers say
By Allison Sherry, The Denver Post
Middle schoolers who fail a single math or reading class are much more prone to drop out of high school than those who do well, according to some of the most sophisticated research into dropouts ever conducted in five Colorado school districts.
The study, which mimics trends found in Philadelphia and Boston, followed dropouts in Denver, Aurora, Jefferson County, Pueblo and Adams County. The districts churn out almost half of the state's dropouts each year.
Among those who left school in these five districts, researchers looked at behavior records, grades and attendance as far back as middle school.
The numbers show that parents and teachers should take seriously student failures in core subjects even when they're as young as 11 years old.
"It's a commitment at the early stages. If a student gives off a warning sign, you make it someone's job that they notice that," said Martha Abele MacIver, a Johns Hopkins University research scientist studying the dropout data for Colorado. "I don't think it takes that many more resources; it's a commitment to do things differently."
For the complete article please click here.
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