Research+Paper

Ashley Mundy Huff AP English Language and Composition May 3, 2010

In the United States today, the highest paying jobs are derived from skills not covered in high school curriculum. Musical artists, professional sport athletes, and TV stars are all “successful” careers that earn large incomes, but were deemed unimportant in schools. High schools today are becoming ineffective in preparing students for college and real world jobs of today’s society. The whole goal and point of high school is to give a basic knowledge that will prepare students for college or jobs subsequent to high school, but high schools are now failing to do so. There are many signs and tales presenting these failures, though no one seems willing to acknowledge them. To prove of high school’s eminent failure, there are three main points and questions that must be answered: “How is education failing”, “Skills taught in school are becoming irrelevant”, and “How can education be changed to lower the dropout/failure rate and increase graduation rate?” Some people would argue that high school success or failure cannot be determined by the success of careers subsequent to high school. This is true, but how can one argue that high school education isn’t failing when looking at the steadily increasing rate of high school dropouts? People would also argue that high school is only to teach basic skills, but there are a great deal of high school dropouts that leave school because they find it pointless and decide to jumpstart their career (McCallumore). High school dropouts are one sign of just how ineffective school systems have become and how they are failing to give students education they need to succeed in their future career. The high school success rating is a shockingly low number. 68.6 percent is the United States graduation average rate (http://www.higheredinfo.org/dbrowser/index.php?submeasure=36&year=2006&level=nation&mode=map&state=0). How is this acceptable? If our average graduation rate was put into a grading scale, we would receive a D, riding very close to failing. That should speak for itself. Did you know that 6.2 million students between ages 16 and 24 in 2007 dropped out of high school (http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/05/05/dropout.rate.study/index.html)? This represents 16% of all people in that U.S. age range in 2007. On average, 7000 students dropout everyday from high school and only 70 percent of a school’s population will graduate with a regular high school diploma (http://edlabor.house.gov/newsroom/2009/05/high-school-dropout-drisis-thr.shtml)! Not only are we seeing these dumbfounding statistics in high school dropout rates, but they are now being seen in colleges too. On average only 33 percent of Americans graduate from college. America is now falling in the international standings as well. We are now behind Norway, Britain and the Netherlands (http://www.commondreams.org/headlines/051700-01.htm). This is the first time ever that America has fallen behind other countries. According to administrators for the University of Arkansas, they have a freshmen retention rate of 72.5 percent (http://www.commondreams.org/headlines/051700-01.htm). This reflects on how high schools are failing to prepare students for their college educations. The second often missed underlying principle for high school failure is that the skills taught are irrelevant. Tests are often given to students to evaluate their school’s performance, but these “tests” are inaccurate and unproductive for students. Tests are supposedly given to help schools know which areas they need to improve in, but they are now a reflection of the student. These tests are no longer kept private either. For students in California, their results are posted on the California Department of Education website. According to teachers from California, who are against state testing, say they are now teaching students how to pass state tests, instead of giving students a proper education they deserve and are going to school to receive. The lessons students are taught will allow them to pass the state tests but will not help them in their jobs after high school. Even school officials are saying that what they are teaching is not what needs to be learned for student’s success. This should scream for attention when even the teachers believe that what they are teaching is inadequate. Jon Sonstelie, one of the authors of the 2006 book "Schools Resources and Academic Standards in California: Lessons from the Schoolhouse," and an economics professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, says, "A key benefit of state tests is identifying when students are failing to read and as well as learn basic math." But he also argues, "We've probably gone overboard -- more tests than we need." Cedar Lane teacher Jens Nielsen said, "The state tests' emphasis on language arts and math can mean that science, history and other subjects don't get as much as attention." Another teacher from Cedar Lane in California, Mr. Jones, says, "It seems we're always trying to get ready for the next test" (McCarthy). If schools are “always trying to get ready for the next test”, when is there time to learn the valuable skills that are necessary to succeed, not only in high school, but in today’s workforce? “If the education system is so ineffective, then how do you suggest it be changed?” This is the question many counteragents of my argument want to have my answer to. Well here’s my answer; bring education to a personal and individual level, and give students the help and hope they need to complete school. From being a student, I have realized that everyone learns at their own speed and through different methods. So if this is true, why is there only one widely known and accepted way to learn; high school? Before a student dropouts, school officials should have a meeting with the student to help plan what would be the best courses and tracks for them to be on, while staying in school. According to Decatur Daily some schools have already adopted this method for “curbing dropouts”. These schools call the conferences "exit interviews". With these specific “exit interviews”, 75 percent of students that go through these conferences decide to stay in school because they learn, “about the financial cost of dropping out and the options to traditional school available to them" (Ellington). For most students, they fear and loath school. This should be changed and school should adopt a positive attitude, where everyone employed in the education career should give students help and hope to finish school, continue to college, get the best education possible, and succeed at any career. Lindsay Boswell started in the Street School in Tulsa after leaving her old high school because she felt she could not succeed there. She became a crystal meth user, but once she came to this school she was able to get the help she needed and started her journey to a new education. Her school no longer felt like a prison, but a place to get help and true knowledge that would help her succeed in any area of her choosing. Lori McGinnis-Madland, the program's executive director for Street school, says, "It's a common misconception that Street School is for bad kids. Lots of situations keep at-risk students from being successful, from drugs problems and family turmoil to being bullied at school or harassed because of their sexual orientation" (Tulsa World). By Madland introducing this program, it gave some students who normally wouldn't have a chance at a decent education, the opportunity to become the great people they were destined to be. Lindsay had a school that adapted to her and a facility that supported her; this can be attributed to her success in this new school versus her old school experience. A study shows that babies need personal affection to grow and develop; I believe that affection should still be shown to students in high school so that they understand they are not standing alone in their journey. This simple little gesture from teachers, principals, or school counselors could completely transform a student’s high school experience and give them a possibly much needed direction for the future. People might argue that our current school system has been around for quite a while, so why change something that already works? If you’re cooking and your oven only cooks your meal halfway through, wouldn’t you change the temperature or fix the oven? The same applies for high school education. Something must be done to change education now before the results become too appalling to be redeemed. The future of our society depends on the education of the upcoming youth and as of right now, our future isn’t looking so bright. When even teachers believe education is failing, education reform is not an option; it’s a requisite that must be dealt with immediately. Each year, millions of dollars are spent researching high school dropouts. When will the outcome of that investment start to yield results in keeping students in school (McCallumore)? Most students believe that a college degree is more important to succeed in the workforce than a high school diploma (McCallumore). Shouldn’t that be reversed? Doesn’t that statement imply that change is needed for the sake of students’ careers and the future of our great country? Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are the foundations our country, but without a proper education in today’s society, those foundations will be slavery, depression, and the failure of Americanism.

Works Cited Ellington, M.J. "Program is helping keep teens in school." Decatur Daily, The (AL) 31 Mar. 2010: Newspaper Source. EBSCO. Web. 1 Apr. 2010 http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nfh&AN=2W6140922479&site=ehost-live http://edlabor.house.gov/newsroom/2009/05/high-school-dropout-drisis-thr.shtml http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/00818.html http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/05/05/dropout.rate.study/index.html http://www.commondreams.org/headlines/051700-01.htm http://www.commondreams.org/headlines/051700-01.htm http://www.higheredinfo.org/dbrowser/index.php?submeasure=36&year=2006&level=nation&mode=map&state=0 McCallumore, Kyle M., and Ervin F. Sparapani. "THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NINTH GRADE ON HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES AND STUDENT SUCCESS IN HIGH SCHOOL." Education 130.3 (2010): 447-456. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO. Web. 24 Apr. 2010. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=afh&AN=48753404&site=ehost-live McCarthy, Ryan. "Students rally before STAR tests begin." Appeal-Democrat (Marysville, CA) 20 Apr. 2010: Newspaper Source. EBSCO. Web. 24 Apr. 2010 http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nfh&AN=2W61616129255&site=ehost-live Tulsa World (OK)Newspaper Source http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nfh&AN=2W62521588815&site=ehost-live