What is best-case for poor public kids that are several grade levels behind by 9th?

[Anonymous]

Many of these students, esp. inner city and poor rural are 3-5 grade levels behind by 9th. How do students like this succeed or are they already lost causes?

[Anonymous]

Mandatory school until 17. Hold them back over and over. Summer school. There are no lost causes. Everyone can learn. Do not give these students a chance to give up on themselves.

[Anonymous]

1) need to move peer groups to one where achievement is not uncool
2) Remedial classes with small teacher student ratios to help them catch up
3) More trade/apprenticeship opportunities for a career path

[Anonymous]

We need to define success. Can they graduate high school, be literate, get and keep a job, and know enough to participate as a citizen? Sure, and that's what I would call success. Not everybody needs to go to a selective college. To me it would be important to focus for these kids primarily on literacy, basic financial literacy, civics, and practical job skills like technology, typing, and public speaking. In fact I think those are the basics for all graduates to know, much more important than algebra and chemistry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We need to define success. Can they graduate high school, be literate, get and keep a job, and know enough to participate as a citizen? Sure, and that's what I would call success. Not everybody needs to go to a selective college. To me it would be important to focus for these kids primarily on literacy, basic financial literacy, civics, and practical job skills like technology, typing, and public speaking. In fact I think those are the basics for all graduates to know, much more important than algebra and chemistry.

I sort of agree with this. But since the literacy rates of HS graduates in DC is very low, graduating high school is not a marker of education that is useful. Being functionally illiterate is a problem and is not a good start to a successful life or knowing enough to participate in society as a citizen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We need to define success. Can they graduate high school, be literate, get and keep a job, and know enough to participate as a citizen? Sure, and that's what I would call success. Not everybody needs to go to a selective college. To me it would be important to focus for these kids primarily on literacy, basic financial literacy, civics, and practical job skills like technology, typing, and public speaking. In fact I think those are the basics for all graduates to know, much more important than algebra and chemistry.

I'm PP and I agree, hence my list of catching up and then focusing on trade skills. That said, what you and I would considerate competent literacy and math skills are far beyond so many HS graduates.

[Anonymous]

Some schools are helping these kids get into county jobs by training them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We need to define success. Can they graduate high school, be literate, get and keep a job, and know enough to participate as a citizen? Sure, and that's what I would call success. Not everybody needs to go to a selective college. To me it would be important to focus for these kids primarily on literacy, basic financial literacy, civics, and practical job skills like technology, typing, and public speaking. In fact I think those are the basics for all graduates to know, much more important than algebra and chemistry.

What kind of job/career is a high school graduate that reads at a 6th or 7th grade level qualified for?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We need to define success. Can they graduate high school, be literate, get and keep a job, and know enough to participate as a citizen? Sure, and that's what I would call success. Not everybody needs to go to a selective college. To me it would be important to focus for these kids primarily on literacy, basic financial literacy, civics, and practical job skills like technology, typing, and public speaking. In fact I think those are the basics for all graduates to know, much more important than algebra and chemistry.

What kind of job/career is a high school graduate that reads at a 6th or 7th grade level qualified for?

Not that poster, but there are many jobs like that. The average American reads at a 7th or 8th grade reading level.

[Anonymous]

Some kids end up like this due to poor or inconsistent education or to learning disabilities.

Many however, end up in this position because they just learn slowly. They aren't that quick to learn. Frankly they aren't that bright.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some kids end up like this due to poor or inconsistent education or to learning disabilities.

Many however, end up in this position because they just learn slowly. They aren't that quick to learn. Frankly they aren't that bright.

But everyone should be college and career ready.

[Anonymous]

Girls will have babies be wise what else are they good at?
Boys will be gangbangers of some sort
There is nothing done to try to remedy them. Everyone keeps pretending they are fully functional citizens.

[Anonymous]

Best case for them would be remedial year of school in small groups, readily available contraception, full day, tons of positive role models (to reverse the trend where achieving is uncool as someone noted).
Minimize influence from parents and maximize external good influence, kind of like a boarding school maybe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some kids end up like this due to poor or inconsistent education or to learning disabilities.

Many however, end up in this position because they just learn slowly. They aren't that quick to learn. Frankly they aren't that bright.

But everyone should be college and career ready.

Are you being sarcastic?

No, not "everyone" should go to college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some kids end up like this due to poor or inconsistent education or to learning disabilities.

Many however, end up in this position because they just learn slowly. They aren't that quick to learn. Frankly they aren't that bright.

But everyone should be college and career ready.

Are you being sarcastic?

No, not "everyone" should go to college.

"Or" would be better than "yes".

We really need to taker a closer look at what Germany's doing with their education system. We have pretty much outsourced much of our manufacturing and turned into a service society which consists of much lower paying jobs. In contrast, Germany retained a robust manufacturing and is very developed.