I think most people would agree that getting a good education plays an important role in a person’s future success. But just how important is it that our kids graduate from high school?
There are a lot of statistics floating around out there, and wading through all of them can become a little mind-boggling. For some reason states report higher graduation rates than independent organizations. Which numbers are accurate? After reading through numerous studies and reports put out by different organizations, I’ve come to one conclusion: our kids need help!
Take this in:
- Only approximately 70% of our nation’s students earn a high school diploma.
- Every year, approximately 1.2 million students do not graduate on time…having been held back, or they do not graduate at all.
- The greatest challenges are for minority students. Graduation rates for Hispanics, African-Americans, and Native Americans are significantly lower (57%, 53%, and 49%, respectively).
Wisconsin ranks 5th in the nation for graduation rates, but I wouldn’t consider this something to boast about. 80% (compared to #50 Nevada’s 55%) seems pretty good, but what about the 20% that don’t graduate…that’s 1 in 5 adults that do not have a diploma or GED. Those percentages vary greatly from county to county, and city to city! Milwaukee’s statistics are particularly discouraging…less than 46% graduating!
What’s the impact?
In Wisconsin, working-age drop-outs earn on average $10,000/yr less than high school grads. Their unemployment rate is three times higher than high school grads. And they are twice as likely to be incarcerated as high school graduates.
There are obviously a lot of factors that play into whether a student will graduate high school. I could list a dozen factors, and become overwhelmed into inactivity. So I’m only going to focus on one and more importantly how we, as the Church, can make a difference!
Literacy – 70% of all students entering 9th grade read below grade level. In our nation’s 2,000 ‘drop-out factories’ (schools that graduate less than 60% of their students) many of those kids are coming into 9th grade at only a 5th or 6th grade reading level. High school students don’t just suddenly develop reading problems.
The reality is that kids that can read by the 3rd grade are unlikely to encounter the wrong side of our criminal justice system. On the contrary, 85% of youth in juvenile detention centers are two or more grade levels behind, many are functionally illiterate. As mentioned before, I know literacy is not the only factor, but it is a starting point.
And clearly, our kids need help!
What’s the answer?
Should we sit around and wait for the government to figure it out? Or is there something that many of us can do RIGHT NOW?
I believe there is. It’s called Literacy Missions.
What if churches adopted their local schools, making a commitment that every kid in their school district would be able to read by 3rd grade? Sound too big? True, it is a God-sized vision! But not too big for our God!
What if, in addition to meeting the physical needs that many students have by helping them with their schoolwork, the church also intentionally shared Jesus Christ with those kids and their families? How many other social problems would be addressed?
What if we stepped out in faith, trusting that God would give us the ability, and really met the needs of the community…extending a ‘cup of water’ in Jesus’ name?
I’m currently working on arrangements for a Tutoring Children & Youth workshop to be held in southern Wisconsin this fall. This will be a great opportunity to learn the skills you need to become a part of the solution!
Contact me and let me know you’re interested so I can make sure you get the dates and location of the workshop when it’s available!
If you want a clearer picture (or want to find out how your local schools measure up), take a look at these articles:
Alliance For Education: About the Crisis
Promoting Power: How Does Your Local High School Measure Up?
Wisconsin’s Ten Largest School Districts
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