Keeping Kids in the Classroom BLOG #7

What can we do to keep North Dakota's kids in school? Why do kids choose to drop out of school? Are North Dakota's schools doing enough to lower the drop out rate?

On the front page of today's Fargo Forum is a graph representing the number of kids dropping out of school in the state of North Dakota. In 2005, the drop out number was a total of 647. Two years later in 2007, the number of drop outs skyrocketed to 794 and stayed pretty steady at 791 in 2008. That means about 150 more kids opted to drop out between 2005 to 2007. According to Education Week, the projected amount of drop outs could reach 1,777 students in the class of 2009.

Compared to some states across the nation, North Dakota's drop out numbers are actually quite low. For instance, Education Week also projected that nearly 14,000 Minnesota students from the class of 2009 have dropped out of school. Nationwide the number stretched to 1.3 million dropouts. WOW! 1.3 MILLION? Why? According to the National Dropout Prevention Center some risk factors include:

• Learning disability
• Has high-risk friends
• Low achievement
• Held back from grade
• Poor attendance
• No extracurricular participation
• Low socioeconomic status
• Sibling dropped out
• Not living with both natural parents

As one of the largest school districts in North Dakota, West Fargo High School started a program called SHAC 18 months ago. This Senior High Alternative Center was started to retain students who are on the verge of dropping out of school. This center is an open, safe place where the students always feel comfortable and needed. "They've got their comfort zone here," said SHAC graduation coach Pam Raeszler. "They think nobody cares. We want them still to have a family and that's what we are."

But what about starting programs sooner...like at elementary levels? Why wait till senior high to encourage students to stay in school? Several elementary schools throughout the Fargo area are doing just that. Low attendance is one factor and one of the first signs that students could be headed to dropping out. Jefferson Elementary provides incentives to parents to get their child(ren) to school. And this year, to keep kids involved in school, the staff started offering after school intramurals. These after school activities include chess, soccer, basketball, anything and everything.
At Kennedy Elementary there is a monthly meeting called "The Morning Meeting Plus." The hopes of retaining students is encouraged through meetings with a dozen students per grade from kindergarten through fourth grade and one staff member. This meeting concentrates on character-building activities and by building community awareness.

Drop out prevention goes beyond the classrooms. Community involvement is also needed. Parents can get involved with mentoring programs or act as parent liaison at the schools. To involve the community within the Fargo area, United Way of Cass Clay is hosting a discussion this Wednesday with about 300 leaders regarding how to improve local school districts' graduation rates. "There's greater recognition," said Fargo Public School drop out prevention coordinator Bev Dillion. "We all need to play a part."