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2009 Summer Reading
Summer Bridge Programs"Across the nation, school policymakers are grappling with what to do about the increasing numbers of students who do not advance beyond ninth grade (Wheelock & Miao, 2005). National estimates put the student attrition rate before tenth grade at between 11 and 33 percent (Dedmond, 2008; Education Week, 2007). Only about 70 percent of ninth graders make it to graduation four years later (Education Week, 2007; Gossage, 2007)."
Middle-to-High-School Transition: Practical Strategies to Consider"With increasing alarm at the number of high school dropouts across the United States (Dynarski et al., 2008), educators are seeking ways to help students stay in school, graduate, and move on to meaningful and productive careers. Recent research points out that a smooth transition to ninth grade can contribute to students' success in high school and beyond. This newsletter draws from several recent reports to discuss the issue of middle-to-high-school transition and also provides examples of successful transition practices."
A CRITICAL MISSION: Making Adolescent Reading an Immediate Priority in SREB States"Nationwide, students in the middle grades and high school are failing to develop the
reading and writing skills they need in order to meet higher academic standards later
in their educational careers.
While many among us may not realize how serious the problem has become, we all
battle the effects - and inaction will only make matters worse."
"Despite a long-running national focus on closing gaps in academic achievement among America's students, by race/ethnicity and by socioeconomic status, they remain wide and persistent. Efforts to narrow these gaps commenced in earnest with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, and have continued through periodic funding increases, legislative amendments, program expansions such as Head Start, and, most recently, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002. At the state level, basic-skill and compensatory education programs have operated for many years."