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The Math Looks Rough for Schools -- Report on Dropouts Emphasizes Wide Range of Problems

Posted on: Tuesday, 7 March 2006, 09:01 CST

By Halimah Abdullah abdullah@commercialappealcom

The nation's high school students are at a crossroads.

Record-high dropout and low graduation rates, unchallenging coursework, lackluster teaching, student boredom and spotty parental involvement all affect high school achievement, according to a report commissioned by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and released Thursday.

The study questioned 470 high school dropouts across the country. For example, 69 percent said they were not motivated to work hard, and 66 percent said they would have worked harder if more had been demanded of them.

"We have to push our kids toward a world-class curriculum, not just a state or national curriculum," Shelby County Schools Supt. Bobby Webb said.

In Memphis city and Shelby C ounty schools, district officials are aware of the problem facing high schoolers and have joined a burgeoning push for reform. Efforts have centered on weekend programs, reducing class sizes to emphasize small-group work, adding more advanced courses and offering unusual courses like forensics to pique students' interests.

"We're zeroing in on our high schools in particular," Memphis Schools Supt. Carol Johnson said. "We've looked at high schools around the country for ideas on improvement."

Scores on national and state tests, high school dropout, graduation and college remediation rates offer a snapshot of how Tennessee's high schoolers are faring.

Last year, roughly 83 percent of students taking the math Gateway test for the first time and 93 percent of students taking the reading test were considered proficient or advanced.

In Memphis, 67 percent of students scored proficient in math and 90 percent in reading; in Shelby C ounty, 92 percent in math and 99 percent in reading.

Meanwhile, local scores on the college entrance exams barely budged.

In Tennessee, ACT scores remained steady at 20.5. In Memphis, students averaged 17.6 on the ACT, up from 17.4 a year ago. Shelby County school students remained at 21.4.

"It doesn't sound like much to go up a tenth of a percentage point, but every year more and more students are taking the test," said Lana Seivers, commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Education.

The districts and the state have also begun looking more closely at how to decrease dropout rates. Roughly 1 million of the nation's students drop out out of high school every year, according to a Gates Foundation-funded report.

Southern states post some of the nation's lowest graduation rates, according to Harvard University's Civil Rights Project.

Memphis' overall graduation rate hovers around 65.5 percent, far short of the state's goal of 90 percent. Shelby County schools missed the same goal by 2 percentage points.

Students who make it to college face an uphill battle to stay there. College remediation rates show many Tennessee students entering higher education are unprepared for college-level coursework, particularly math and literature.

In 2005, roughly 23 percent of the University of Memphis' entering freshmen needed some level of remedial coursework. Nearly 87 percent of Southwest Community College's first-time students needed remedial instruction.

State officials point to slight decreases in the remediation rates from last year and an increase in the number of students attending college this school year as proof that educators are making a dent. They also said parents and students must be more aggressive in ensuring that high schoolers are prepared for college coursework.

"The standards aren't the problem," said Keith Brewer, the state's deputy education commissioner. "If they're going to get a 21 or 22 in math, students have to take advantage of the advanced courses."

Educational experts disagree.

"I think it's completely inappropriate to put the onus on students," said Ross Wiener, policy director with Education Trust, a Washington-based advocacy group. "The question is are students being pushed to achieve, do all students have the same tools to succeed and are we doing everything we can to make sure students graduate ?"

- Halimah Abdullah: 529-5806

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High school blahs

According to a study of 470 high school dropouts across the country:

88 percent had passing grades, and 70 percent said they could have graduated if they had tried.

69 percent were not motivated to work hard; 66 percent would have worked harder if more had been demanded .

71 percent favored better communication between parents and schools and more involvement from parents.

81 percent said they now believe graduating from high school is important to success in life.

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Source: Commercial Appeal, The

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