Pasadena (home of the Rose Parade) at one school improved their graduation rate by 30% by putting in place a program for at risk students. What was the graduation rate before? In LAUSD (Los Angeles is next to Pasadena), the graduation rate per the LA Times is a little above 44%. The graduation rate in 2006 for California on average is 71%. NY City per the same study had a graduation rate of 39%.

The original article point was by increasing the graduation rate by 10%, you could reduce the homicide rate by 20% statewide (I know, how do they reach this statistic and the weasel word could is used). This article puts the cost of drop outs each year at $12 Billion in California.

The big question is what works to reduce the drop out rate? Why does Finland have such great test scores and the US does not. A site on education I have a lot of respect for http://joannejacobs.com/

Labels: Education Improvements