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Hot Topic: A New Plan for Petersburg Schools
On April 17, 2007, the Legal Aid Justice Center's JustChildren program and Petersburg Advocates for Children hosted a Community Forum on Education. Over 160 people, consisting of community members, parents, teachers and State education officials, attended Tuesday's Forum.
Among the many concerns voiced at the Forum, perhaps the most pressing issue was whether or not the Petersburg Schools would be handed over the the State. Dr. Billy Cannaday, State Superindendent for Public Instruction, resolved this worry stating that the State would not be taking over, but would be proposing a "memorandum of understanding" which would help get the city's schools on track for full accreditation.
To read an article from the Petersburg Progress-Index, covering the issues rasied at the Petersburg Community Forum on Education, click here.
Despite the current state of the Petersburg school system, Dr. Cannaday was still optimistic that with local and state cooperation, the city's schools will continue to progress to meet State standards and the needs of the city's students. He admitted that poverty is a difficult obstacle when it comes to education, but it is an obstacle that can be conquered by teamwork:
"Children who are poor or of color do well if teachers, leaders and parents are aligned"- Dr. Billy Cannaday
To read more about the issues affecting Petersburg students, click on any of the following titles:
"Bold Remedies Needed for Bad Schools," The Virginian-Pilot, Jan. 15, 2007
Tackling Graduation Rates in Virginia Schools
Dropout and graduation rates have become a much-debated issue across the country and here in Virginia. The Alliance for Virginia's Students has been keeping up with all the developments.
BOE's Special Committee on Graduation and Dropouts:
The Virginia Board of Education recently created a special committee to study data and policies on dropout and graduation rates. The Committee had endorsed a version of the NGA graduation rate formula to be used for the uniform calculation of graduation rates in all Virginia high schools. The state is expected to begin using this formula for the Class of 2008.
To learn more about the Board's Graduation Committee, Click here.
For division-by-division graduation rates for the Class of 2006, click here.
To read a state-sponsored study on the Class of 2004, the first class affected by Virginia's new diploma requirements under the SOLs, click here.
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Recent Issues of Graduation in the News:
January 10, 2007 -- Board of Education Adopts 61% Graduation Rate Target Under NCLB
The Board also announced that it would be opening up the state accountability system, the Standards of Accreditation, to consider including graduation rate standards for schools.
To read the news accounts, click here.
To read what the Virginia Pilot had to say about it, click here.
October 18, 2006--Saving Futures, Saving Dollars: The Impact of Education on Crime Reduction and Earnings.
The Alliance for Excellent Education recently published a brief supporting crime reduction through better education. "Reforming the nation's high schools could potentially increase the number of graduates and as a result, significantly reduce the nation's crime-related costs". This brief finds that-
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A ten percent increase in the male graduation rate would reduce murder and assault arrest rates by about 20 percent, motor vehicle theft by 13 percent and arson by 8 percent.
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Of black males who graduated from high school and went on to attend some college, only 5 percent were incarcerated in 2000. For white males, only 1 percent were incarcerated in 2000.
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State prison inmates without a high school diploma and those with a GED were more likely to be repeat offenders than those with a diploma.
To read the brief in full please click here.
To read the article discussing the outcome and effects of this brief, please click here.
September 19, 2006 -- Civic Involvement Tied To Education; High School Dropouts Unlikely To Vote.
A recent article from the Washington Post explains "High school dropouts are significantly less likely than better-educated Americans to vote, trust government, do volunteer work, or go to church, according to a new report that reveals a widening gap in "civic health" between the nation's upper and lower classes". To read entire article, Click here.
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The NGA, the Gates Foundation, and others partner to reform high schools:
The issue of graduation rates in Virginia is also part of a larger plan for high school reform receiving support from the Gates Foundation in partnership with the National Governor's Association and other foundations. Virginia is one of 10 states selected to receive a high school reform grant as part of the NGA's Honor States Grant Program. For a progress report on the NGA's Honor States Grant Program in Virginia, please click here.
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