Small NYC High Schools Deliver Big Graduation Rates

This is crucial, I mean stand-on-the-mountain-top-and scream crucial. New York City 'small high schools' significantly beat the graduation rates of its regular school cohorts.

How about a graduation rate difference of 18 points? The small high schools, often embedded in failing larger high schools, had an average graduation rate of 73 percenter comparied to 55 percent. I think of that difference as thousands of children who now have the potential to go to college, lead more meaningful and economically advantaged lives.

What are they doing right? Schools Chancellor Joel Klein remarked, "We've got to tell everyone in the country to throw away excuses and throw away low expectations."

Many of the small schools focus on a particular vocational area such as aerospace, computers and health careers. It is this specialization, I believe, along with the subtle messages that kids are expected to succeed that makes these programs winners.

Who would want a product that works only 55% of the time? It's time for school districts across the country to closely examine the success of New York's small high schools. Every year that youth drop out of school without a diploma is another year of pushing more lives with limited potential onto our streets and our governmental support systems.

From Special Ed to Mission Control - All He Needed Was A Chance

This is a feel good story. After sifting through today's news of guts and gore, I need a feel good story. How about you?

Dale Mezzacapa of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that as a youngster, Jarmaine Ollivierre entered special education when his mother recognized his hyperactivity required special services. She was a single mom but provided a stable home life for Jarmaine, his sister and disabled brother.

Blessings abounded as he was placed at a school where philanthropist George Weiss promised post-secondary scholarships through his Say Yes to Education program.

Jarmaine was subsequently matched with a mentor at Boeing and received placements at various aerospace instutions, including two years' employment at Morton Thiokol.

Jarmaine, the special ed kid, earned bachelors degrees in aeronautics and physics, followed by a master's degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

He is now a flight engineer in Mission Control, a place he only dreamed of as a child.

To borrow a phrase, all he needed was a chance.

Low Tech Math Means Big Fun for Students

You may think that in order to reach today's teens and middle schoolers, technology must be part of the equation.

Here's an example of a teacher in York, Pennsylvania who has developed a math activity using NASCAR racing.

Tom Baughman's students work in teams, using rulers, tape measures, calculators and protractors to complete a packet of questions. They then measure parts of the car. Calculating aspects of car travel such as distance is also part of the game.

Although I am not a fan of NASCAR (apologies to those of you who are), but I think Mr. Baughman's math activities contains two key components of engaging students in education.

1. Hands-on learning beats textbook learning. The stickiness of hands-on learning brings a higher degree of retention. I'm sure these are lessons that the students will remember as they advance to higher levels of learning.
   
2. The learning context, NASCAR racing, is relevant to students. Best of all, NASCAR racing should engage male students, who seem prone to disengage themselves from the learning process.

Now let's go back to my first point in this post? You don't have to have technology to successfully engage students in learning. A checkered flag to Mr. Baughman for making math come alive for his students.