HS graduation numbers found on Google - just for discussion:

[old mark]

In the 50 largest US cities, 53% of public high school students graduate on time.Rates of some of the lowest cities:
Indianapolis 31%
Cleveland 34%
Detroit 38%
Baltimore 42%
Atlanta & LA 44%

Philadelphia is now 58% - its rate has gone up over 20% in the last few years. In Philly, over 30 % of ALL public HS students are absent on any given day. A local (Philly) anti crime group states that for every 10 increase in HS graduation, there is a 20% decrease in violent crime.
HS Grads make at least $10,000 more per year throughout their working life than do non-graduates.

mark

[femmocrat]

1. It's teachers' fault.

:eyes:

[old mark]

6. Last year in meetings to try to get more Philly kids to attend school,

many parents got up and walked out when it was suggested thy try to help their kids study and that they were responsible for their kids attendance at school. I am sure they all blame the teachers.

mark

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. What about Chicago?

I thought Arne had worked miracles there. :sarcasm:

[old mark]

3. 55.7% - higher than the national average. nt

[Jim__]

4. Do they give total graduation rates for HS students?

I'm curious how much difference that makes. I grew up in NYC, and at that time a "lot" of HS students took more than 4 years to graduate.

[surrealAmerican]

5. How did Philadelphia cause such a dramatic improvement?

[Davis_X_Machina]

7. The reason -- the only *possible* reason --

must be that they broke their teachers' union.

Because that's the problem, right??
I mean, the teachers' union is always the problem.

[old mark]

8. They enforced existing laws fining and arresting parents if the kids missed

school too much, and started a citywide program just to encourage graduation - I'm not really sure of the specifics, but there are a lot of articles on Google about it.

Note that they increased the NUMBER OF GRADS- if they actually learned anything is different entirely.


mark