| The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) education act | | | | investment of over $60,000. This loss only continues |
| regardless of whether you like or hate it has | | | | to grow if the young person fails to become a |
| accomplished at least one thing right by forcing | | | | positive contributor to society.Second, US public |
| school districts to report accurate graduation rates. | | | | education is not achieving significant progress given |
| Given the billions of dollars invested in public education | | | | the billions of dollars funded by the hard efforts of |
| through the taxation (income and personal property) | | | | taxpayers. Since 1969, the National Assessment of |
| along with the enormous amount of research again | | | | Educational Progress has been a consistent monitor |
| much of which is funded by taxpayers' dollars, a | | | | of student achievement. What is interesting to note |
| reasonable personal would think that high school | | | | is that despite all the increased in funding actual |
| graduation rates should be no lower than 90%. | | | | scores per subject and per age have remained |
| However, many U.S. taxpayers are reading about | | | | relatively flat and not near the levels necessary for |
| graduation rates of 30% to 60% within their | | | | sustainable economic progress. |
| respective communities.For example, the Indianapolis | | | | From 30 years from 1969 to 1999, in reading the |
| Star in November of 2006 attempted to lessen the | | | | results were: |
| outrage from the poor results being achieved through | | | | 9 year old students moved from 208 to 212 a |
| taxpayers' dollars when reporting current high school | | | | growth of 4 points or less than 2% |
| graduation rates. The new formula courtesy of NCLB | | | | 13 year old students moved from 255 to 259 a |
| places the Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) graduate | | | | growth of 4 points or less than 2% |
| rate at 48%. This much more accurate Indiana | | | | 17 year old students moved from 285 to 288 a |
| graduation rate reflects earlier findings from the | | | | growth of 3 points of less than 2% |
| Indiana Government Efficiency Commission. In 2004 | | | | Mathematics average scale scores showed similar |
| the Commission reported: | | | | results: |
| Of every 100 Indiana 9th graders, only 68 graduate | | | | 9 year old students moved from 219 to 232 a |
| from high school, 41 go on to post-secondary | | | | growth of 13 points or less than 6% |
| education, 31 persist to their second year and 21 | | | | 13 year old students moved from 266 to 276 a |
| graduate within six years. | | | | growth of 10 points or less than 4% |
| Nationally, in June of 2006, the Editorial Projects in | | | | 17 year old students moved from 304 to 308 a |
| Education (ED) Research Center projected that 1 in 3 | | | | growth of 4 points or less than 2% |
| high school students in the Class of 2006 will not | | | | Science faired the worst with: |
| graduate in 2006. This report painted a bleaker | | | | 9 year old students moved from 225 to 229 a |
| picture for urban school districts from 21.7% in | | | | growth of 4 points or less than 2% |
| Detroit to 43.8% in Cleveland from the 2002-03 year. | | | | 13 year old students moved from 255 to 256 a |
| Even the best high school districts such as Fairfax | | | | growth of 1 points or less than 1% |
| County Va and Wake Conty N.C. graduated only | | | | 17 year old students moved from 305 to 295 a |
| 82% of their students during this same time | | | | decline of 10 points or a decrease of less than 4% |
| frame.Unfortunately, the adage figures don't lie, but | | | | As a business owner or even someone looking to |
| liars figure appears to be the guiding principle. In the | | | | invest their hard earned dollars, would you consider |
| past graduation rates were calculated from those | | | | investing in any organization that delivers less than a |
| entering the 12th year and those receiving a diploma | | | | 4% return over the course of 30 years? Until |
| 9 months later. From earlier decades when there | | | | American business owners and taxpayers demand |
| were less student movement from district to district | | | | higher and sustainable results from these public |
| to more homogenous communities, this process to | | | | education institutions, the future of America as we |
| calculate graduation rates was more acceptable, but | | | | know it will become much less bright.Leanne |
| still not accurate. However in the 21st century | | | | Hoagland-Smith, M.S. writes and consults on |
| between the consistent movement of the students | | | | performance improvement within business and |
| to the increase in drop out rates from earlier grades, | | | | education.One quick question,if you could secure one |
| using this formula for calculating high school | | | | new client or breakthrough that one roadbloack |
| graduation rates is no longer acceptable.The | | | | holding you back from success, what would that |
| importance of these results is two fold: | | | | mean to you? Then, take a risk and give Leanne |
| First, taxpayers are not receiving a return on their | | | | Hoagland-Smith a call at 219.759.5601 to experience |
| investment. Currently, each publicly educated student | | | | incredible results.Visit and explore everything from |
| costs taxpayers $10,000 a year. Using national figures | | | | free articles to connecting with Leanne.P.S. If you are |
| provided by NCES, a student who drops out in 2006 | | | | seeking an affordable speaker, Leanne may be just |
| after 10 years of education is an initial lost | | | | the person to meet your need. |