9486 in the collection  

Texas education chief suggests voluntary ban on hiring dropouts

Try kicking them, too.

By Terrence Stutz

AUSTIN – Texas' education chief, stung by criticism of his agency's system for reporting how many students drop out of school, called on the state's leading business group Thursday to help launch a voluntary statewide ban on the hiring of high school dropouts by Texas employers.

State Education Commissioner Robert Scott said businesses in Texas should quit hiring school-age dropouts to force those teenagers to either remain in school or continue their education elsewhere, such as through an online program.

"We need a commitment from businesses in this state to not hire kids who have dropped out of school," the commissioner said, contending that such an employment ban would go a long way in curbing the state's high dropout rate.

"It would send a powerful message to these kids to stay in school. It would be better for them, better for businesses and better for the state in the long run," Scott said.

Scott said he is seeking cooperation from the Texas Association of Business, whose president, Bill Hammond, criticized Scott and the Texas Education Agency earlier Thursday for severely underreporting the number of dropouts in the state. TEA officials said their numbers are accurate.

New figures on student dropouts and high school graduates will be published today when the education agency releases new performance ratings for all school districts and campuses.

Under the state system, schools must have at least 75 percent of their high school students graduate to get an "acceptable" rating. That percentage also applies to major ethnic groups.

A recent report on secondary school completion and dropouts by the agency showed a statewide graduation rate of 88 percent for the class of 2008, the most recent year for which statistics are available.

The business association and the other organizations – including Hispanic civil rights groups LULAC and MALDEF – said the percentage of dropouts is much higher than 12 percent. They contend the real figure is probably more than 30 percent, with even higher percentages for black and Hispanic students.

"Nobody believes the numbers the agency has calculated," said Hammond.

He called the commissioner's suggestion for a ban on hiring dropouts unworkable.

"A blanket challenge like this amounts to a one-size-fits-all solution that doesn't fit anybody," Hammond said.

"There are cases where kids who drop out get back on track by first becoming employed and then later continuing their education. To condemn those kids to no employment seems pretty hard-hearted to me."

Rather than "deflecting" concerns about the state's dropout calculations, Hammond said, Scott should work to improve the reporting system so that it more honestly reflects the number of Texas dropouts.

Local school officials have been worried about changes ordered by Scott this year that toughen the state's dropout standards. The tougher standards – based on the federal definition for dropouts – have been delayed the past two years to help districts transition to the more stringent criteria.

For the first time this year, school districts have to count as dropouts three categories of students who were not counted in the past.

They include students who failed the state's graduation exam, those still enrolled in GED classes and students returning for a fifth year of high school who do not enroll the first month of the school year.

The higher dropout rates – or lower completion rates – are expected to drop the ratings of many campuses and districts.


— Terrence Stutz
Dallas Morning News
2009-07-31
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/073109dntexdropouts.4503be1.html

---

INDEX OF OUTRAGES

Pages: 380   
[1] 2 3 4 5 6  Next >>    Last >>