Monday, August 3, 2009

When it comes to high school graduation rates, Florida stands out like a big sore thumb.

A new report by the same institute that labeled Florida a "dropout factory" in 2007 paints the failure in stark numbers. In 185 high schools across the state, fewer than two-thirds of ninth-graders will earn a high school diploma. These "low-graduation rate" high schools make up 41 percent of all Florida high schools. The lagging schools tend to be concentrated in low-income areas but spread across all regions of the state.

The report, released [recently] by the "Everyone Graduates" project at Johns Hopkins University, makes a compelling case for federal intervention in Florida's education system. A state as large as Florida is simply "too big to fail," the report's authors conclude, without having a devastating impact on the national economy. The report identifies several measures that can help boost graduation rates, including federal rule waivers for struggling school districts that allow them to direct money into dropout-prevention programs and grants to communities that come up with innovative ways to boost graduation rates.

Florida leaders should accept aid that will help get schools on track. But the assistance can't come until state education officials come clean about Florida's true track record.

The discrepancy? Florida, unlike most other states -- and contrary to federal rules -- includes students who have earned General Education Development certificates. In May, the U.S. Department of Education put Florida on notice that it would have to calculate dropout rates more accurately.

But even using Florida's dubious numbers, one in four students never earns a high-school diploma or GED. That calls for state action, with or without federal aid.

The state has several options to consider. A 2003 report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation found that in many states -- including Florida -- dropping out is simply too easy. State officials could change that by raising the mandatory education age from 16 to 18 and focusing more attention on students at risk of dropping out. The state could adjust its controversial school-grading system to reward schools that successfully retain students who are otherwise unlikely to graduate. Officials should also look at economic and societal factors that increase the likelihood of educational failure.

The breadth and scope of Florida's dropout problem suggests there's no simple solution. It also demands attention from state and federal leaders. When an education system fails between one-quarter and one-third of its students, it is a serious crisis.

-- The Daytona Beach

News-Journal