Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumble
Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012 | 1:50 p.m.
CARSON CITY — Two of every five students who enter high school in Nevada don’t graduate in four years, and that’s “way too low,” said Dr. James Guthrie, state superintendent of public instruction.
Nevada’s graduation rate is 61.9 percent.
The state Department of Education on Thursday released four-year graduation rates showing Clark County at 59.3 percent, the lowest in the state. In some rural counties, the graduation rate is in the 80 percent range.
Guthrie said the districts and the state are aware of the problem and are adopting reform measures.
The report tracked students who entered ninth grade in the 2007-2008 school year. In the past, states used a variety of self-selected methods to compute graduation rates that could not be used to compare all states.
Guthrie did not discuss where Nevada ranked in relation to other states. But he said all states would likely have lower graduation rates using the uniform approach.
If a student drops out of high school, it is 100% the parents' fault. Period. I keep asking that someone, anyone, tells me how it is the school's or teachers' fault if a student drops out, and no one has ever responded.
Until Nevada brings up its level of education, we will be 50th in almost any endeavor. Right now what we have going on is tantamount to state sanctioned child abuse.
"If a student drops out of high school, it is 100% the parents' fault. Period. I keep asking that someone, anyone, tells me how it is the school's or teachers' fault if a student drops out, and no one has ever responded."
---------
Because there is no response. You are right. Las Vegas will not attract companies seeking an educated workforce. Period. I'm just flabbergasted at the rate. My high school graduated 100%. There was never a question about dropping out. No one did it. Plus, every graduate had a plan after high school. Most went on to college, trade school, a couple went into the armed forces and a few went into their family business. Here, they not only drop out at an alarming rate, they all have no plan going forward. Find me a parent who cares about his/her child's education and I'll show you a high school graduate.
Mr. Davis, you are right there is abuse but it is not by who you think. It is by the families of these kids.
Kids that don't show up for school, show up late, unprepared and are disruptive in class are the problem. You can blame some kids but mostly you can blame the families for not planning ahead and preparing their kids for real life.
Families today to not put importance on education and personal responsibility. They look for someone/anyone to blame for their problems in life but they never take the time to look in the mirror.
You are also right that we will be 50th in many things as long as many in our Great State of Nevada look for others to take care of their problems, schools to blame for their kids problems and elected officials that we freely elect.
Once the community starts taking personal responsibility for their lives, the kids and their lively-hood then we will be on top of he world. Not a moment before.
With a Hispanic population nearing a MAJORITY in CCSD...
That number will not go UP until the VALUE of an education goes up.
That will not happen until y unless PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT increases DRAMATICALLY.
FACT.
Most drop out & get GED's The school system here is HORRIBLE My son has ADHD .had an IEP Brought in Took the school over 6 Months during weekly calls . and they couldnt figure out why he wasnt passing .. DUH ..and they wonder why its ranked 50th ..Put your kid in home school better grades Clark county school's is a cesspool
It would seem there are numerous factors at play here.
1) Yes, there are times it is the parents fault (but not always)
2) With the growing underclass that has come into our country due to unchecked borders there will continue to be a lack of value by many to see that there children are educated. Not all, but since many of these migrants themselves have very low education, they don't vaule it the same way educated parents may - again not always.
3) Nevada is a state that is controlled by industries that don't require education. Whether it's the casino's or the mine operators, you don't need high school to due manual labor or to hand out drinks to slot players. Therefore these industries only give lip service to education. After all, who with a B.A. or higher is going to valet cars all their life or dig for gold? Some will most won't. Our primary industries want and thrive off the undereducated.
Just seems to me that these three factors and I am sure many others contribute to our educational deficits.
If your kid has ADHD isn't it your responsibility to inform them of this fact?
Many psychologists feel the ADHD diagnosis is being overused as a crutch to excuse disruptive, undisciplined and generally poor behavior. Yeesh, every time I come in contact with kid who acts like a brat he claims to have ADHD. It's over diagnosed.
It's not the schools. I will guarantee you've got just as many good teachers here as in other parts of the country...other cities of similar size. It begins with the parents. There's a culture here that education isn't important.
The rate might be "too low" however, better that it's low and the graduate met all the requirements than a higher rate due to "social advancement" which does no one any favors.
So what if 40% of kids don't graduate. There are still plenty of opportunities in front of them. Off that top of my head I know that failing to get a high school diploma isn't a deal breaker for Metro.
"So what if 40% of kids don't graduate. There are still plenty of opportunities in front of them."
------------
Ditch digging and fast food. Will do wonders to get them out of poverty...eyes roll.
In Nevada smart kids are given plenty of road blocks to keep them from graduating early. My sophmore is in all honors AP classes and the curriculum does not challenge him at all! I researched all of the options and the system is gamed to keep my kid's butt warming that seat for a full 4 years when a combination of challenging classes or allowing him to take extra classes online would move him out of there faster. The graduation requirements are remarkably low compared to what he is capable of!
I may let him get his GED and switch to community college at 16 because his classmates bore him to death. How would you like to sit in a tiny overstuffed room with zero individual attention living as a human widget?
We need gifted high schools if they expect the smart kids to stay in the full 4 years. Even with a weighted GPA it does not pay to stay in a high school that does not challenge your student academically. Even the online HS force students to spend 4 years at it. If you want them 4 years challenge them!!
It is terrible that our drop outs are not just the kids who don't understand high school, but a whole lot of students who were in gifted education. I would love to see that statistic broken down of students who passed the proficiency exams but could not stand more time on the hamsterwheel. It is the SAME set of photocopied assignments every year since 7th grade lots of review very little new material.
I homeschooled my son for 2 years and he passed the entire NV high school curriculum at age 12!
Gifted education ends in Clark County at grade 5. Most of my son's friends from the programs in town have already "dropped out" of high school. Some parents let their kids stay home and play video games. If he gets to a point where he wants to leave I will absolutely require that he work in the family business and attend full time college.
So lets slash the CCSD budget some more and lay off more teachers, that'll solve it. Here is a hint, the powers that be dont want education to improve especially here in nevada because that'll mean less people willing to take the menial casino/resort jobs catering to the fat slob tourists from the midwest and abroad. The new world order does not want an educated, empowered populace, they want slaves.
Ms. Kramer,
They have just what your asking for, have had it for years. It is The International Baccalaureate program.
They will even bus your child to it. No cost to you at all.
There are lots of opportunities for "smart kids" in this town. You just have to take advantage of them.
I agree with Vegas Lee. One of my kids attended a magnet school and I feel he received a top-notch education.
My other son attended a regular high school here. I would consider his education adequate, but he certainly did not receive the quality of education that the youngest got.
They both graduated.
Thank you Lee I wil absolutely look into it. Not one person with the district ever mentioned this as an option. Thanks again!
Well when you consider the quality of some of politicians we have in this state, 61.9 percent is pretty good.
Tom--some of those fast-food workers and construction people will be doing better than the students who went to college and ended up owing colossal money to the Sallie Mae loan sharks. Teachers, do you warn your kids that you cannot declare bankruptcy on a student loan? If your students are so bad, then some of them will understand what you're talking about--some of them may have already learned first hand that you can't declare bankruptcy on child support payments.
The schools don't have good material to work with. More money would be a waste.
As much as I think there are some fault with our school system, I think we're looking at larger scale socio economic factors as to why these children are dropping out of high school, and yes family life is a big factor as to why. Family lives around the valley have really been hard on people losing their jobs, losing their homes, some becoming homeless, it creates anxiety instead of stability and it hurts children. I wonder what the statistics were for our schools before the housing market burst?
" Find me a parent who cares about his/her child's education and I'll show you a high school graduate."... Tom D nailed it.
What we have here is a failure to parent. It's apparent in the numbers from the school system, it's apparent in the suicide rate, teen pregnancy rate, drop-out rate, etc.
Hey Chris Kramer, if you have a computer you can get your kid into Harvard! No kidding...MIT or Harvard...or both! Check it out, first time ever!
http://www.examiner.com/article/building...
http://www.examiner.com/article/personal...
If you can mentor your children into setting goals, studying, reviewing and connecting the theory to something substantial in their lives, then they will thrive in the flow.
Best of luck to you in furthering our culture from the least likely city ever to spawn potential or develop individual drive.
Best book for a kid looking at a future of self-directed empowerment is Drive, by Daniel Pink.
Here's a 10 minute summary in one of the best videos made last year...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFj...
Our schools offer so little to the students. Many kids cannot envision college so college prep to the exclusion of all else keeps them out of things mentally. Many students don't know where they will sleep or where there next meal will come from. Many more know they are on their own as soon as school is over (for the day and for their life, after 18). So let's include classes with SOME RELEVANCE to their lives. Include things that discuss how to find an apartment, a room mate, a job. How to manage finances when working for minimum wage. Might even explain technical schools and how to train for blue color work such as mechanics, retail, grooming. Focusing on how to get into a top college just isn't relevant. How about basic arithmetic on how to read a pay check stub--all the deductions.
61.9 percent, what an embarrassment.
Comment removed by moderator. Personal Attack
Roslenda may have a point about teaching kids basic finance. For instance, if your parents give you $100K, should you use it to go to college at a time when 40% of college grads are unemployed or working at Taco Bell? Or should you invest it in the Fidelity High Income Bond Fund (SPHIX) that has a 6.5% yield and earn $500 a month in investment income? That's a high yield, but it's not as high as the Madoff 8% yield that the NVPers pension fund is assumed to have. As long as the pension fund is has to pay out huge pensions based on a fictitious 8% yield, there will never be money for music, art, and shop classes.
@Manfromuncle1. I don't understand your interest in Nevada Pers since you live in California. The other problem is that the money for school budgets and Pers are not interchangable, so you are looking at apples and oranges.
Airweave clue in and stop the bullying. I'm making practical suggestions for students to become self reliant and to make steps up career ladders--especially for those kids who have no adult / parent that will help them. This is a much better option than chucking out numerous unwanted, unsupported babies because they cannot support themselves---so they opt for a lifelong role as dependent whiners.
@Roslenda, many schools offer a lot of the courses you just described. Math of personal finance covers 1/2 of what you stated. The problem is, students aren't required to take it, and students would rather take other electives like pottery over a math elective their senior year.
"This is a much better option than chucking out numerous unwanted, unsupported babies because they cannot support themselves."
So Roslenda is saying that we would benefit from inculcating the values of consumerism within our growing population as opposed to the values of self-reliance, growth and human dignity!
"Kids, you are buyers and receivers. here is how you will live...take your welfare check to the bank, count the nickels you spend and subtract them from what you started with"
"Here is how you pick a roommate. You have to do it this way. Try to ask where they came from, how they landed here, why they don't do anything with whatever talents they were given at birth..."
The post that was deleted included references to a curriculum that empowered people. It included course work in wood shop so kids could learn how to do things with their hands that, contrary to rosie's preconception of using hands only to receive checks, these kids would make things and acquire skills.
It included references to auto shop and metal shop too, but if the preferences of the SUN moderator is to merely bash anyone trying to provide a counterpoint to a plan for school curriculum from someone who envisions schools as training grounds for human misery rather than as autonomy, mastery and a sense of purpose in life, then this shall be my last post.
Goodbye