A Tale of Two Students

The Wall Street Journal today published an interesting essay comparing the experiences of two Hispanic students, one boy and one girl, growing up in two different Oklahoma City schools.

The boys who succeeds is clearly the recipient of mentoring and direction from concerned, supportive and non-judgmental adults. It is the power of relationship that can and will save these students.

Wisconsin Learns That Counseling is Critical to AntiTruancy Success

An interesting article in a Wisconsin newspaper, the Racine Journal Times.

Locking up students for truancy (where they miss more school) does not work. Programs need to engage the student and draw them back to school. Mentoring and structure are the most effective components of a working program.

Lower rates of Hispanic GED Completion

There is no denying the ethnic correlation to dropout statistics. Today I read in Diverse Issues in High Education that only 10% of Latino dropouts go on to complete their Graduate Equivalency Degree ("GED"). That compares to 20% of African Americans or 30% of whites. Given that a disproportionate share of Latinos dropout, this is a very alarming statistic.

Social support works with exercise programs, why not school attendance?

A Wall Street Journal article cites the importance of social support (a mentor, coach, friend who checks in with the exerciser to encourage compliance and activity) in the successful following of a diet or exercise program.

So it is with students who would otherwise be truant. By having a concerned adult (we call it a Mentor/Coach) who checks in regularly, students are far more likely to attend regularly and do well in school.

We call it accountability and relationship.

Simple Math . . .

Lower Truancy = Fewer Dropouts = Better Lives


It is that simple . . .

Worse Than Even the Numbers Show

We've all heard the terrible statistics about the number of high school dropouts. Now it seems that, far from assuming those numbers must be too high, they may be too low!

The Houston Chronicle tells us that some Texas districts may be classifying dropouts as "home schooled" to decrease the number of dropouts in their districts.

As if it was not bad enough already . . .

Kids Stay in School When They Connect Education to a Vocation

Kids stay in school when they see a future and connect their school efforts to attaining that goal. Interesting article at Lubbock Online.

Commitment to Wounded Warriors

I have until recently been proud to serve on the Board of US Naval Institute. (I am still proud of the Institute: my term just expired) . . .

A recent article in the US Naval Institute Proceedings Magazine reminds me that we can never do too much for our Wounded Warriors. They have given so much and yet have so much more to give.

I can't help but wonder the great things we could accomplish by putting these great Americans to work fighting truancy and the school dropout epidemic. More to come on that idea.