U.S. high school graduation rates dismal

Guess what percentage of U.S. students complete high school? 70 percent? 80 percent? 90 percent? A new study by America’s Promise Alliance puts it at roughly 50 percent in many American cities.

Carmita Vaughn, Chief of Staff at Chicago Public Schools joins "The Takeaway" to talk about graduation rates in her state.

Vaughn says in Chicago, graduation rates are at 55 percent, and the data shows that: "For most of these students, this is not a one-time decision — they don’t wake up one morning and decide they don’t want to leave school. It’s a slow process that happens over time, and sometimes starts as early as middle-grade. The student starts disengaging from school, absences go up, course grades go down; if there’s not intense intervention and prevention with those students then they can just slide through the cracks."

According to Vaughn, intervention is key between the 8th and 9th grade: "We find that we lose a lot of students in that 9th grade year. In fact, we were able to identify three leading indicators which comprehensively equate to 76 percent of the students who eventually drop out, and we can find those indicators as early as 9th grade."

The "Wall Street Journal" reports that low graduation rates have fundamental impacts on the economy — for example, cutting the number of drop-outs in half would generate about $45 billion dollars annually in new tax revenues.

Vaughn calls the dismal high school graduation rates a "silent epidemic".

"The Takeaway" is PRI’s new national morning news program, delivering the news and analysis you need to catch up, start your day, and prepare for what’s ahead. The show is a co-production of WNYC and PRI, in editorial collaboration with the BBC, The New York Times Radio, and WGBH.

More at thetakeaway.org