What do they have in common?
Diploma’s Count, published by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center lists the states with the highest and lowest graduation rate:
Highest Graduation Rate Lowest Graduation Rate
New Jersey 83.3% Nevada 45.4%
Iowa 82.8% New Mexico 54.1%
Wisconsin 80.5% Louisiana 54.7%
Pennsylvania 80.4% South Carolina 55.6%
Vermont 80.2% Georgia 58.1%
What do the highest graduating states have in common?
What do the lowest graduating states have in common?
I don’t want to brag but …
I was honored to present 5 workshops at the Southern Regional Educational Board’s (SREB) Southern Conference in Nashville, TN. Below are some comments from the close to 200 attendees at my session entitled, “Helping Students Graduate”.
“In the 3 days of 8:00 to 4:30 sessions, this was the best session and worth the whole trip.” Cheryl, Case Manager, IL
“You hit the nail on the head. Every city and state needs a Franklin Schargel.” Beth, Reading Specialist, Virgina
“A great combination of humor, useful data, energy, and genuine concern for students. His enthusiasm is contagious.” Lynn, Assistant Principal, OH
“Franklin has great insights into our current educational dilemmas. He is entertaining, informative and inspiring all at the same time.” Sarah, Ohio
“Thoroughly researched based suggestions.” Johnathan, Principal, Idaho
“Excellent and informative”. Rita Supervisor of CTE, Pennsylvania
“This workshop was encouraging, inspiring, and eye opening.” Jimmy, Teacher, Tennessee
“Franklin is funny and very easy to listen to. He shares a lot of personal experiences, He touches others.” Karen, Counselor, Arkansas
“Franklin’s program is excellent for urban and rural schools.” Yolanda,
Career Development Facilitator, South Carolina
“Out of 5 days at the High Schools that Work Seminar, Franklin was the most informative and useful.” Cathy, Guidance Director, South Carolina
“Concrete ideas backed by research, experience and common sense.” Judy, West Virginia
“Franklin’s presentation was like a good movie…I laughed, I cried!” Kimberly J., School Counselor, Mississippi
“I feel motivate, inspired, and excited to start school.” Alisha, Math Teacher, Oklahoma
The presentation is clearly about improving the lives of children. Time was not wasted tooting his own horn.” Ginny, Director, Georgia
“Franklin’s program was the best session at the High Schools That Work Summer Conference. He is both motivational and very informative.” Derek, Educator, Oklahoma
Politicians Really Don’t Understand Schools
Politicians look for short-term, immediate “solutions” to complex problems. They have been trained to think and speak in terms of 17 second sound bites that can make the evenings news.
Unfortunately the solutions to America’s school crisis cannot be solved simply or quickly. The problems are too complex. (Do they know that some school buildings are still being heated with coal? Do they know that some of you work in “temporary buildings”, in use for 20 years that lack running water or bathrooms. Do they know that students (and teachers) work in the early part of the summer, in buildings without air conditioning where the temperature goes beyond 90 degrees.” This is no way to treat professionals.
We need politicians who realize these problems and take time to address them. When it comes time to vote in state, local and federal elections, remember to ask, do they address the issues that you believe are most critical to you and the children you serve?
Somebody should come up with a bumper sticker which says, “I am an educator. I make a difference because I vote.”
Rural Schools are Different than Urban Schools
Perri Applegate from the University of Oklahoma’s K-20 Center investigated high and low-achieving rural high schools. Dr. Applegate found that the top factors that impacted student achievement in urban schools -test scores, student-teacher ratio and a rigorous curriculum – did not determine student success in rural schools. In high performing rural schools, the determining factors was the community’s involvement and the school’s commitment to student success. Teachers in rural schools also are more flexible in their teaching technique.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080619174221.htm
North Carolina Dropout Prevention Association, Seatrail Resort, Sunset Beach, NC
Speaking on the topic, “Building America’s Competitiveness: From the Schoolhouse to The Workplace”
The global marketplace has become reality. No longer do companies compete solely in domestic markets. Faxes, cell phones and the Internet have globalized the world. Businesses are no longer geographically bound to produce products in their home countries. Neither are they geographically bound in their hiring practices. Companies are capable of flying around the globe in search of cheap labor, to places where taxes are reasonable, regulations are limited, and where workers are qualified to run, repair, design and develop machinery.
Our schools must be as globally competitive as businesses. The best graduates from Raleigh’s schools are not competing for jobs with the best graduates from Durham’s schools but with the best graduates in the world.
Does Your State Monitor Home Schooling?
Parents have many valid reasons to home school their children. These include the safety of their children, low-performing public schools and religious reasons. But the question to be asked and answered, are children who are enrolled in home schools learning anything? And do we measure?
New Mexico’s Department of Education mandates that home schooled children receive “a basic academic, educational program, including, but not limited to, reading, language, arts, mathematics, social studies and science.” But the Department does not have the capacity to monitor whether children in the state who are being home schooled are actually receiving that instruction.
New Mexico is one of 14 states with “low regulation”. Low regulation is defined as requiring parents notify the state that children are being educated.
Twenty states require parents to send notification, test scores and/or a professional evaluation of a students progress to the state.
Six states with “high regulation” require home visits by state officials, teacher qualification of parents and a curriculum approved by the state. In Pennsylvania, for example, parents are required to file an affidavit assuring the state that subjects are taught in English, give an outline of proposed education objectives by subject area and provide evidence of immunization.
Ten states including Texas, have no regulation.
Mobile Department of Education
| July 31, 2008 |
I will be speaking on the topic, Building America’s Competitiveness: From the School House to the Workplace.
South Dakota Department of Education
| September 22, 2008 | to | September 24, 2008 |
I will be delivering two sessions in South Dakota for the South Dakota Department of Education and the Black Hills Special Services Cooperative, Transition Services Project. September 22 in Sioux Falls and September 24 in Rapid City.
I will be speaking on the Topic: Helping Students Graduate: Tools and Strategies to Prevent Student Dropouts.
Today, almost one-third of our K-12 students never graduate – increasing the likelihood of their imprisonment, single parenthood, poverty and the use of alcohol and drugs.
Using the 15 effective strategies developed by the National Dropout Prevention Center and tools developed as “best practices” by some of America’s outstanding schools and programs, workshop participants will not only learn what to do but how to aid at-risk youth to graduate.
Grant Alert from the National Dropout Prevention Center
The National Dropout Prevention Center has posted two grant requests:
National Service Agency to award $3.5 million in funding to serve disadvantaged youth.
Deadline is July 29, 2008.
http://www.nationalservice.gov/for_organizations/funding/nofa_detail.asp?tbl_nofa_id=60
Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation Education Grants support programs/partnerships that promote educational opportunities for diverse populations in the United States. Maximum Award: $25,000. Eligibility: 501(c)(3) organizations.
Deadline: October 1, 2008.
http://www.tommy.com/opencms/opencms/corporate/foundation/aboutthefoundation.html
National Staff Development Council (NSDC), Orlando, FL
| July 14, 2008 | ||
| 9:30 am | to | 11:30 am |
Presenting on the topic, “From At-Risk to Academic Excellence: What Successful Leaders Do”
- How do school leaders build school cultures that diminish the likelihood of children dropping out of school?
- What are the determinants of school success?
Based upon Franklin Schargel’s recent book, From At-Risk to Academic Excellence: What Successful Leaders Do, this seminar will bring together the wisdom and experience from over 50 schools that have been categorized as “high performing, high minority, high poverty.” Mr. Schargel will show us how the leaders of those schools succeeded in raising academic achievement, motivating students, boosting parent and community involvement, and applying the Three R’s””Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships.
Session B21- Tuesday, 9:30 -11:30
