Last semester marked the beginning of a new journey as I signed up to be a mentor with Austin Partners in Education, a non-profit organization of trained volunteer tutors and mentors. Several days into mentoring I learned of the desperate lives many Austin students live; my mentee, a 13 year old Hispanic girl is facing issues in and outside of school that divert her focus from school work. During our first mentoring session she admitted to a desire to end her education once out of middle school. Today the U.S. Department of Education estimates the Texas high school dropout rate at 28.1 percent, another estimate calculates the dropout rate to be closer to 35.5 percent, and these percentages increase in minority populations. These numbers reflect the struggle school officials face when it comes to maintaining students engaged in school, and with recent budget cuts to public schools, engagement will surely come at a greater cost.
After the $4 billion budget cuts in Texas, thousands of teachers were left unemployed while classrooms overcrowded with children. More children and fewer teachers amount to restricted attention per student, and decreased personal attention leads to lower performance in school work. The budget cuts prove to have a more pronounced effect on students facing issues beyond the academic field. Family and personal problems often make their way into school; this further aggravates the issue of academic competence, and in turn, many students feel compelled to drop out of school.
Dropout rates may seem irrelevant to the average Texas citizen, after all, it is not they who suffer minimum wage jobs, drug addictions, and unemployment; but each student who drops out of school costs the state $6-$10 billion over the student’s lifetime (Statesman).
It is imperative to find a solution to this problem. One possible solution is that of mentoring and tutoring programs, such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and Austin Partners in Education. When implemented correctly such programs are proven to be effective in reducing dropout rates and increasing academic performance. Webb Middle School witnessed an increase of commended 8th grade students from 6.8% to 22% in the 2010-2011 academic year, while nearly “half of 6th grade students in the Step-Up Reading passed the TAKS test for the first time ever” (APIE).
It is imperative to find a solution to this problem. One possible solution is that of mentoring and tutoring programs, such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and Austin Partners in Education. When implemented correctly such programs are proven to be effective in reducing dropout rates and increasing academic performance. Webb Middle School witnessed an increase of commended 8th grade students from 6.8% to 22% in the 2010-2011 academic year, while nearly “half of 6th grade students in the Step-Up Reading passed the TAKS test for the first time ever” (APIE).
Evidence of the success of mentoring and tutoring programs is obvious. These programs benefit, not only students, but society as a whole. What is needed now is a greater number of schools engaging more of their students with volunteer mentors and tutors. Today my mentee has expressed interest, not only in attending high school, but college as well; she is even searching for scholarship opportunities.
My colleague, Isabel, wrote an interesting post in her blog regarding the high school drop out rates in Texas. It emphasizes this critical situation in our high schools and also suggests a possible solution to improve the teens’ motivation to continue their education.
ReplyDeleteI found the idea of bringing more mentors and tutors to schools to better guide Texas’ students fascinating. Isabel mentions that this type of program is absolutely successful in terms of inspiring the students to invest in their futures. In addition, it appears to be a sustainable way to help the education field, since the mentors and tutors would work as volunteers. I would definitely support this type of program and I believe it should be broadly advertized so more people would have a chance to engage in helping these kids, and therefore, help construct a better future for Texas.
The only thought I would like to expand on Isabel’s post is that, besides implementing a bigger and continuous mentor and tutor program for students, I would also love to see an improvement in the school system itself. Perhaps, the Texas government needs to, once and for all, stop cutting funds for education. As mentioned in Isabel’s post, the $4 billion budget cut in Texas left thousands of teachers unemployed. It is unacceptable to be firing so many teachers and ruining the overall quality inside the classrooms.
It would be outstanding to have a much lower drop out rate in Texas’ schools. Education is the ultimate resource a person has to live a more meaningful, successful, and pleasant life. The teenagers that already live in turmoil outside the classrooms should be able to find a supportive environment in school, and further help from mentors, when needed.