|
|
 |
Freshmen Grades Critical to Graduation Prospects
Produced by Jay Field on Tuesday, August 14, 2007
|
|
What sort of grades high school freshmen get can help predict whether most of them graduate four years later. That finding—in a new study—is behind a push by Chicago Public Schools to reach out to the families of incoming ninth graders. Chicago Public Radio’s Jay Field has more.
**
The outreach effort was on display in Hyde Park this morning. At freshman orientation at Kenwood Academy, ninth grade parents were encouraged to meet their kids teachers and set up a homework schedule. They also got copies of a new report by Elaine Allensworth at the Consortium on Chicago School Research, stressing the importance of doing well in ninth grade.
ALLENSWORTH: They’re all kinds of events that can happen in students lives that can make a really good student suddenly drop out. But this is the first study that’s saying this is the key factor. All these other factors that effect graduation, they all work through how students are doing in their classes.
Freshmen who end the year with a B average have a 95 percent chance of graduating, according to the study. And researchers say the data will allow them to better identify and help students at risk for dropping out.
I’m Jay Field, Chicago Public Radio.
|
|