WBUR: Project Dropout

No Magic Bullet, But Some Dropout Prevention Options

wburnewmedia@yahoo.com — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

To talk about possible policy solutions to the high-school dropout problem, WBUR's Bob Oakes speaks with Jill Norton, executive director of the Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy, and Tony Pierantozzi, superintendent of Somerville Public Schools and a member of the state's dropout prevention commission.

Study: English-Only Law Is A Disadvantage For Immigrant Students

wburnewmedia@yahoo.com — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

A new study say students learning English in Boston schools -- nearly one-fifth of all Boston students -- are at a big disadvantage under the all-English education program. WBUR's Bianca Vasquez Toness reports.

School Suspensions May Push Students Out

wburnewmedia@yahoo.com — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

The number of Massachusetts students suspended for 10 days or more has more than doubled in the last five years. And studies show suspended kids are three times as likely to drop out as those who aren't suspended. WBUR's Bianca Vazquez Toness reports.

At One Worcester School, Demographics Aren't Destiny

wburnewmedia@yahoo.com — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 05:00:00 GMT

The high-school dropout rate in urban areas of the United States is described as a crisis. Here in Massachusetts, the dropout rate in some urban districts is more than triple the state average. But one school defying the odds is the University Park Campus School in Worcester, an urban public high school, where virtually every student has gone on to post-secondary education. The school is getting attention from educators around the world. WBUR's Deborah Becker reports.

Learning To Teach The Youngest Learners

wburnewmedia@yahoo.com — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 05:00:00 GMT

In the state's poorest households, some children grow up without books, without making trips to the library and without family conversations that help build vocabularies. That puts many of these kids at an educational disadvantage at the beginning of life, increasing their risk of becoming high-school dropouts. Boston is trying to change that by knocking on doors at public housing projects to offer help to the poorest families in the city. WBUR's Sacha Pfeiffer reports.

Raising The Mandatory Attendance Age To 18

wburnewmedia@yahoo.com — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 05:00:00 GMT

A Massachusetts legislative commission is expected in May to deliver its recommendations for how to reduce the school dropout rate, which has not improved for a decade. Each day in Massachusetts close to 100 students drop out of school. One measure being considered is raising the legal dropout age from 16 to 18. The idea may sound like a simple solution, but it has many critics. WBUR's Monica Brady-Myerov reports.

Vocational Schools Prove Effective In Combating Dropout

wburnewmedia@yahoo.com — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 05:00:00 GMT

An estimated 3.8 percent of Massachusetts high-school students never graduate, but there's one segment of high schools where the drop-out rate is about half that -- vocational schools. WBUR's Bob Oakes reports.

At One Worcester School, Not Dropping Out Is Not Enough

wburnewmedia@yahoo.com — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 05:00:00 GMT

One of President Obama's proposals to improve education is to increase high-school graduation rates. The challenge is daunting, especially in urban high schools where in some cases 50 percent of the students don't graduate on time. WBUR's Deborah Becker reports.

For Students Lost In The System, An Alternative Path

wburnewmedia@yahoo.com — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 05:00:00 GMT

There are many safety nets built into schools to catch failing students, including tutoring, counseling, calls to absent students and frequent face-to-face check-ins. But sometimes they just don't work. So there's another option -- alternative school. WBUR's Monica Brady-Myerov reports.

WEB EXTRA: Khafre Nurse, Extended Interview

wburnewmedia@yahoo.com — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Khafre Nurse was arrested several times for gang involvement before enrolling at an alternative school, Boston Day and Evening Academy. Now, Nurse is a freshman at Hampshire College on a full scholarship.