Spring 2006 Leading Change

Do Students Drop Out When Asked to Work Harder?

Related Resources

June 2005 National Governors Association Survey

High School Rigor? Bring it on, Students Say—Almost 9 in 10 Students Say They Would Work Harder, MSNBC

New Report Illuminates America's “Silent” Dropout Epidemic, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, March 2, 2006

The High School Leadership Summit—High Schools With High Expectations for All, U.S. Department of Education

High School Dropouts Say Lack of Motivation Top Reason to Quit, March 8, 2006, Education Week (Users must register to access this article. Registration is free.)

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Many people fear Michigan’s dropout rate will increase with higher graduation requirements. However, research reveals that this is more myth than reality. Students do not drop out because they are asked to work harder. More compelling evidence comes from the students themselves. According to the June 2005 National Governor’s Association survey of more than 100,000 students ages 16-18, only 13 percent of the students who left school or are planning to leave said that the reason was because the work is too hard. The number one reason was “I wasn’t learning anything” followed by “I hate school.” In fact, a surprising revelation in a report just released by the Gates Foundation, America’s “Silent” Dropout Epidemic, dispels the notion that students who drop out are failing in school. Six out of ten surveyed were maintaining an average C grade or better when they quit school.

The 2005 Horatio Alger “State of Our Nation’s Youth Report” has similar findings.

Almost nine in ten students said they would work harder if their high school expected more of them.
Less than one-third of students said their school sets high academic expectations.

In Michigan, the fall 2005 “Your Child” survey confirms these national surveys. Only 12 percent, or one in eight Michigan teens said that high school is “very challenging.” Several studies document that students of all abilities learn more in academically rigorous classes.

Students are more likely to pass high-level courses than low-level courses. Thus, the research suggests that increasing access to advanced academic course work will improve student academic achievement. Students expected to master more demanding curricula are more likely to persist in school, achieve at higher levels, and be better prepared for the workforce after their formal education ends.

High expectations for all students, coupled with high support for students, can keep students in school and make them ready for the world of education beyond high school.

Source: Printed, in part, with permission, MASA Leader, January 13, 2006, Volume 1, Issue 6, p. 9.

Learn the Facts

American high schools were not designed to prepare all of our young people to be successful citizens in today’s challenging world.

As a nation, we are failing to ensure that all our young people reach their full potential. Nearly one-third of American high school students don’t graduate, and more than half of those who do aren’t ready for a four-year college. U.S. high schools were designed 50 years ago to prepare students for a far different, manufacturing-based economy. In today’s world—where almost all jobs that pay a living wage demand some post-secondary education—effective high schools are more critical than ever to the future of our society, economy, and democracy.

Through its partnerships in communications across the nation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is committed to raising the high school graduation rate and helping all students—regardless of race or family income—graduate as strong citizens ready for college and work. The foundation’s Education Program aims to significantly increase the number of students—particularly low-income Hispanics and African Americans—who graduate from high school with the skills they need to succeed in college and work. To this end, the foundation supports schools, school districts, and education organizations in more than 40 states and sponsor scholarships, research, and leadership programs in all 50 states. The foundation’s investment focuses on two areas: (1) helping schools, school districts, and states improve education so that all students graduate ready; and (2) reducing financial barriers to higher education.

Source: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Web site, Redefining the American High School – The Facts, www.gatesfoundation.org, under “Education,” then “Related Info.”

For more information, visit the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation at www.gatesfoundation.org. The foundation works to promote greater equity in four areas: global health, education, public libraries, and support for at-risk families in Washington state and Oregon.

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