News

BME637 : The Class : News

Latest News and Announcments

Notes, news articles, political opinions are posted during the semester and you will all post your reactions for this area on the VCC, "Latest News and Announcements." So keep an eye on this area as new things will be posted. Be sure to title your response in the VCC accordingly, e.g., in the "Reactions to AZ Drop Out Rates."

On Arizona Drop Out Rates

"Staying in School"
March 22, 2000 Arizona Daily Sun Article
Volume 54, No. 161, P.1

This article provided State of Arizona statistics on school dropouts.

National Dropout Rate: 5%

Arizona Dropout Rates:
Overall Rates:
1998-99= 12.2%, (32,000 students in grades 7-12 dropped out of AZ schools!!!!)
1997-98= 8.9%

Ethnic Breakdown Rates (1998-99):
Native Americans = 19.1%
Hispanics = 17.6%
African Americans = 15.4%
Whites (Euro-Americans) = 8.5%
Asian = 8.2%

Gender Rates:
Females = 10.8%
Male = 13.5%

These are very alarming rates for the State of Arizona! Interpreting these data in common terms, approximately one out of every five Native American students and more than approximately one out of six Hispanics and African American students dropped out of school last year... the trend is that this will be increased this year!!!!

Approximately one out of eleven Euro-American students dropped out. The lowest dropout rate for the State of Arizona was for Asian American students who have slightly lower rates that Euro-American students.

Arizona's Euro-American students and Asian students (who traditionally do better than majority students), while they have lower rates than Native Americans, Hispanics and African Americans, also have higher dropout rates as compared to the national average!

Moreover, isn't it alarming that 10.8 % of all females dropped out (i.e., approximately 11 out of every hundred female students!!!!!)? That 13.5% of all males dropped out (i.e., approximately 14 out of every hundred males dropped out!!!!)?

It is clear that we have a problem!

In this same article, the Flagstaff Unified School District boasted that its dropout rates have gone down citing the following statistics: 1998-99 = 7.3 and 1997-98 = 8.9. These statistics, at first, look impressive when compared to the overall dropout rates of the State. Yet, if you compare Flagstaff's dropout rates with the national average, it too has a major problem and a long way to go. The Flagstaff School District did not provide ethnic nor gender breakdowns in the article.

The article ends with an interesting and very provocative thought about the potential relationship between the Arizona AIMS test and dropout behavior. By the year 2002, all AZ students will be required to pass the AIMS test to receive their HS diplomas. It is my opinion that this will have a significant effect on the dropout rates. I think the AIMS test will increase the dropout rates--- that it will force some students to dropout once they fail the exam. So the exam itself may also be causal to dropout decisions!

What is your opinion? Post your opinions on the VCC entitled, "Opinions on Arizona Dropout Rates."

Please review others opinions and react to them. Thanks.

Roberto

Go back to Cultural Component of Bilingual and ESL Instruction

E-mail Roberto Carrasco at Roberto.Carrasco@nau.edu