November 30th, 2010

Early Attention to Chronic Absence Can Help Create Grad Nation

Grad Nation, a part of Americas Promise Alliance, released a powerful report today showing the progress made in reducing the number of high school dropouts and the number of schools characterized as “dropout factories.”

 Bob Balfanz, the Johns Hopkins University researcher who coined the phrase dropout factory and co-authored the report, discussed statistics showing there are now 261 fewer high schools with that dubious distinction. Tennessee and New York have been particularly effective in increasing graduation rates.

 But the report is quick to point out that we have a long way to go toward achieving their goals of a 90 percent graduation rate nationally by 2020. To make that happen, they’re launching a “Civic Marshall Plan.” And they’re looking beyond high schools to middle and elementary schools. After all, the class of 2020 is in 3rd grade right now. It will take attention to reading proficiency and chronic absenteeism to ensure they make it to graduation day, the report says.

 The Civic Marshall Plan calls for starting early, tracking the 3.7 million students in that class, said John Bridgeland of Civic Enterprises, a co-author of the report. That means early warning systems with students supports to reduce chronic absence by third and fourth grade. And it means “substantially increasing the number of struggling students reading at grade level by fifth grade.”

 The connections to Attendance Counts and the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading go beyond this emphasis on chronic absenteeism and reading proficiency. Grad Nation is showing what can happen when we shine a spotlight on a problem and work collaboratively to solve it. 

 Allen Bourff, superintendent of the Richmond Community Schools in Indiana, spoke at today’s event about his anger when one of his high schools showed up on Balfanz’s list of dropout factories. But after talking with the Hopkins researcher, he asked for his help.

 “The conversation in our community changed,” Bourff said. “Students even in kindergarten started talking about the importance of a high school diploma. We created a graduation meter and kept it in front of everyone.” Now Richmond’s graduation rate has climbed to 83 percent.

Balfanz’s ideas are implemented in a program called Diplomas Now, which brings together his Talent Development tenets for curriculum and instruction, “near peer” mentors from City Year and social service interventions coordinated through Communities in Schools. Click here to see a CBS Evening News segment on Diplomas Now.

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