New York Times Article on the Affect of Numerical Graduation Goals on Public Schools

[Jonathan Siegel <jmsiegel@yahoo.com>]

There is an article in today's New York Times
(7/31/03) (www.nytimes.com) about the effect of
numerical goals for 4-year graduation on public
schools. The article claims that:

1. While the reported dropout rate in New York schools
is 20%, the actual rate may be 25-30%.

2 In order to meet their graduation-rate goals,
schools are simply forcing children to leave, in large
numbers, if they look like they won't be able to
graduate in four years. The pressure involved may be
direct or indirect (e.g. children repeatedly told that
staying in school is hopeless and that they should
give up.)

3. When they leave, the schools assign them a status
code in reports (such as moved out of city) which does
not count as a failure to graduate.

4. The result is that the schools end up, for the most
part, meeting their assigned goals. 

5. The article discusses the plight of a remedial
school, the Humanities Prepatory Academy, which has
had a track record of success graduating problem
children in five years. Because of the four-year
numerical-goal mandate being imposed, it is now
regarded as a problem rather than a successful school.


Jonathan Siegel