Thursday, November 23, 2006
DISD wants parents’ help with student dropout rate
Bluffview People talks to Rene Martinez, DISD executive director of parent and student engagement, about dropouts in DISD:
The overall 2004-05 data for Dallas ISD reveals problem areas consistent with schools across the state.
The dropout rate for black students in Dallas ISD was 1.4 percent, 1.6 percent for Hispanics, and 1.4 percent for white students. Economically disadvantaged and at-risk students had dropout rates of 1.1 percent and 1.8 percent, respectively.
Martinez said one of the largest obstacles the district faces is that of the growing Hispanic population.
DISD is about 65 percent Hispanic, and will likely be at 70 percent next year, Martinez said.
“We have the challenge of educating a large immigrant population,” Martinez explained. “Nearly 45,000 of our students speak limited English, and a large percentage are on free and reduced lunch.”
Posted by Blair
Bill Betzen, says:
Who has said that any dropout rate within Dallas ISD is below 2%? Where do they get those numbers?
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Mike Orren, says:
bbetzen, these are numbers from last year. That said, there seems to be lots of debate about the veracity of dropout numbers, both generally and here in DISD:
http://www.studentmotivation.org/Dall...
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Bill Betzen, says:
Mike, The best dropout estimate in Dallas ISD is that only 42.2% of ninth graders are graduating with their class cohort within 4 years. Details are online if you just google the thee words: Dallas, Student, and Enrollment. That google search takes you to a spreadsheet with enrollment number and diploma numbers going back to 1997. It is hard to argue with such numbers. We have a problem in Dallas! One part of the answer is at www.studentmotivation.org.
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Aaron Johnson, says:
How do they exclude students who transfer out of district?
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Bill Betzen, says:
Aaron, If there are not as many students transfering into Dallas ISD as are transfering out that needs to be reflected in population fluctuations or other such justifications. Until then you can presume there is a balance. It is by the abuse of claiming they are counting "tranfers," and other such claimed student movements, that school districts that have 57% of their ninth grade missing in 4 years (when 43% of that class number graduates) can claim that they have an annual dropout rate below 2%. Have you looked at the spreadsheet on the web site that is the first hit when you google the three words: Dallas, student, & enrollment? Spreadsheets like that are exceptionally rare on school district web sites, if they can be found at all. I can find none. They would make people ask too many questions about claimed ultra-low dropout rates. There is a valid place for such transfers as you ask about in calculating dropout rates, but that ability has certainly been abused. Do you agree?
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