African American High School Graduation Crisis Essay Example

artificially inflated due to the exclusion of numerous students from the cohort count, resulting in questionable and exaggerated figures.

Various scholars, including Losen, Orfield, and Balfanz, have made efforts to combat the graduation rate crisis through publications like "Confronting the Graduation Rate Crisis in Texas".

A researcher, who is currently at the University of Texas, conducted an analysis of data spanning six years.

Reports from the 2001 graduation rate of Urban Minority students in a large urban district in the state revealed that only 32% of students graduated. Additionally, within five years, only 39.4% of African Americans graduated.

Vasquez states that Asian American students had the highest graduation rate at 49.4%. White students followed with a graduation rate of 43.3% ("urban minority students").

The low graduation rate among African Americans

According to the research findings, the 2000 high schools across the country lack adequate mechanisms to promote students. In fact, there is a significant 60% decrease in the number of senior students compared to their juniors.

According to the study, half of the schools are located in urban areas, while the other half are situated in the South and Southwest. The current state of the national graduation rate is uncertain – it's unclear whether there has been any improvement, decline or if it has remained unchanged. However, what is definite is that the number of schools without sufficient student promotion systems has doubled (Balfanz 1).

A study has found that poverty is the main reason for low graduation rates among African Americans. The research suggests a direct link between the poverty level in a school and the

significantly lower graduation rates in ninth and twelfth grades.

According to Balfanz (2), although some minorities in specific states are elevated to grade 12 at comparable or slightly higher rates than white students while attending middle to high class schools, this chance is only accessible for a small proportion of minority groups. Conversely, approximately half of African American students enroll in schools characterized by high poverty levels and low graduation rates.

The low graduation rates of African Americans in America are a cause for concern since education is their sole means to break free from poverty. What is astonishing is the lack of assistance these schools receive from Title 1 funding, which aims to provide support. Furthermore, numerous students who discontinue their education in these regions have accumulated minimal credits and faced academic challenges.

Moreover, certain individuals opt to quit school because of feelings of ennui, despair, or adversity. It is important to acknowledge that the high dropout rate among students cannot be solely ascribed to the students themselves; educators and school authorities also have an impact on dropout rates (Balfanz 2).

Many schools lack resources and face rampant racial and economic segregation. Consequently, there is a pressing need for increased learning opportunities and support from the elders.

The study suggests that a successful recipe for success includes a combination of subjects in the hands of caring teachers. Additionally, students with special needs should receive extra coaching, requiring commitment from both parents and teachers. The findings also point out that dropout rates start as early as puberty (Balfanz 3).

The graduation rate in American high schools, including its trends

and levels, is a topic of discussion.

The number of dropped out students in the United States has decreased, thanks to rules and regulations implemented by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES). According to statistics, the graduation rate in the United States has significantly increased from 66 to 88 percent.

Heckman and LaFontaine (3) state that modifications in school policies have caused a greater percentage of white students in comparison to African American students in the U.S.

The population growth rate and criminal activities among black Americans aged 18-24 saw a notable increase in 2002.

The decrease in graduation rates among African Americans is strongly connected to the elevated dropout rate, which is influenced by the increasing crime rates. Consequently, a considerable amount of students who left school ended up being incarcerated, serving as a significant contributing factor (Heckman and LaFontaine 8).

In terms of high school education, African American students had a higher dropout rate compared to their white peers. Additionally, the number of white high school graduates with diplomas exceeded the number of African American students who successfully graduated and earned their own high school diplomas.

According to Heckman and LaFontaine (12), there was a rise in the number of individuals who were anticipated to pursue additional training.

A significant number of high school students were recruited in the military, as there are many high school dropouts. Nevertheless, this does not greatly impact the overall high school graduation rate because the military sector is relatively small.

The reason for the high dropout rate among African American students is that some of these dropouts are

immigrants aged 18-24 who did not attend school in the United States. As a result, America's overall population growth rate has been negatively affected, leading to an increase in the number of high school graduates compared to previous years (Heckman and LaFontaine 12).

According to NCES, the high school graduation rate in the United States is measured using two groups of students: "completers" and "graduates." A "completer" is a student who has obtained either a high school diploma or a GED certificate. On the other hand, a "graduate" specifically refers to a student who has earned a traditional high school diploma from an accredited program (Heckman and LaFontaine 5).

The GED program was initially created to assist veterans who left high school to serve in World War II, but it later expanded to include young individuals seeking to finish high school. However, including GED students as high school graduates leads to a misleading 7.7 percentage point rise in the estimated graduation rate (Heckman and LaFontaine 10).

In 2002, there was a significant increase in the number of high school graduates, estimated to be 77.1 percent compared to previous years. To handle this growth, the American National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) made extensive efforts to establish numerous high schools throughout America.

In an effort to improve the skills of the future workforce and address the negative impact on college education in the United States, the NECS has been focusing on decreasing high school dropouts (Heckman and LaFontaine 12).