Seventeen of the nation''s 50 largest cities had high school graduation rates lower than 50 percent,

[strmrdr]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080401/ap_on_re_us/high_school_grad_rates

 

[Rank Amateur]

I imagine that one would find the graduation rate of any given class mirrors that of their parents.

For a long time each generation was more literate than the previous, but no more.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

I find it interesting that so often the rural areas tend to receive less funding, and are labeled as the "rednecks" or what have you, but they often excel actual academic performance. I think that just shows that funding isn''t the key as much as enriching children to see education as the golden ticket that it is.

The requirements of schools have really decreased in recent years. Expectations have decreased, and test scores show it.

I work in a somewhat rural area of the south, and what I''ve found with the children I work with (not in education, but in a social work position) is that children either strive to do well and therefore *do*, or they figure that government will provide for them, so what''s the point of working hard to make it on their own?

Maybe not the attitude everywhere, but it has increasingly been stated to me in just that way with my current position. I think that''s an example of our country failing the children we want to see succeed. Still, a lot is to be said for the importance a family puts on education. If it doesn''t matter to the parents, kids very rarely see success in school as a major goal or achievement.

 

[ksinger]

This is news? The numbers have been massively massaged and fudged for at least 30 years now. Inner city grad rates have been in the 50''s since the 70''s, but they work at diddling the numbers so the grand poohbahs aren''t embarrassed. Until there is a standardized definintion of what constitutes a "drop-out", and adequate tracking at the states'' level, of students'' statuses after "transfer" or they fill out forms saying they''re being "home schooled" the numbers you read in these "OMG, the sky is falling" studies, are not meaningful, nor are they news. But they are pretty good political hay-makers.