Johns Hopkins Study Dubs Reynolds High a Drop Out Factory

School officials say they are addressing their challenges.

Courtesy: Reynolds High School

(TROUTDALE, Ore.) - Reynolds High School has been called a "Drop Out Factory" by leading researcher, Johns Hopkins University, but officials there say that is not the case.

The Associated Press commissioned a study from Johns Hopkins University, which examined the shrinking enrollment of high school cohorts from freshman to senior years. Schools which enrolled fewer than 60% of the freshman cohort as seniors were dubbed, Drop Out Factories, in the AP release. Officials with the Reynolds School District say they do not have any drop out factories. In a press release, the district states that graduation is the primary purpose of public K-12 education systems, and Reynolds High School offers programs that help students reach that goal.

One of those programs involves the improvement of literacy instruction, including focused and intensive reading instruction for high school students.

Officials say they have improved the school climate using Effective Behavior Systems to reach that goal. They say the school also provides opportunities for credit recovery during the summer. Later this year, Reynolds High will begin offering a credit recovery program in the evenings.

"Our administrators and teachers are well aware of the challenges our students face in completing high school. In response to this, we have put a number of supports in place in the past two years. We have made major improvements in the area of literacy this year. We have plans to increase programs for ninth graders and other students who are at-risk for dropping out. Reynolds High School and Reynolds Learning Academy strive to graduate every student," says Dr. Joyce Henstrand, Executive Director of Secondary Education.

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Some parents do pay for their children’s education. When digging into their own pockets, however, they choose private schools. Most private schools provide a much better education for about two thirds (on average) of what is spent per student in the public arena. I have seen examples of the work that the teachers at Reylolds HS are willing to accept. The level of grammar and punctuation that is permitted is appalling. If I were to hand in this quality (or lack of) work when I was in High School it would not have been allowed. Not just for an English or Literature class either. Science, history or any other written assignment had to be grammatically and punctually correct. I find it difficult to believe that there are programs that involve “the improvement of literacy instruction” at this institution. Although I am constantly correcting my children’s speech, I am frustrated knowing that poor language skills are allowed in school. I think that less attention and resources need to be rendered improving “the school climate using Effective Behavior Systems” and more attention applied to the basic academics. Ultimately, I think it will take nothing less than school vouchers - which will allow all parents to send their children to private schools if they so wish – to fix this broken system. When public schools have to compete, the quality of education will improve. Is that not what schools should be all about?

Frankly... The term "Dropout Factory" is pretty cut and dry.. You don't get a graduation rate above 60% you are a "Dropout Factory"... Sure you might not like the fact but it is what it is... Want to fix the problem? Simple, mandate that parents pay for their childs education and that they continue to pay for it until the child passes a standard graduation exam. If parents push their kids hard enough they could easily push them through in less than 10 years and stop paying, if they don't, well they could pay for 20 years... Now the parents are involved in their childs education and that dear friends is what is missing right now - parental involvement.

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