| TOUGH CHOICES FOR AT-RISK STUDENTS |
| Written by Maria Elena Salinas |
| Thursday, August 22 2002 |
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| "Should I get the blue one or the purple one? Blue is my favorite color, but purple is really cool." That was the decision my 7-year-old daughter had to make as we shopped for back-to-school supplies last week. She opted for the blue backpack. I'm lucky that was the hardest decision she faced this summer. For all too many kids the choices are much tougher.
Joan Polanco, of Philadelphia, is one example. At 16, she should be concentrating on her schoolwork and maybe picking out a sweet sixteen party dress. Instead, Joan had to decide whether to enter the 11th grade this fall, or drop out of school and get a job to help her mother make ends meet.
Joan's mom takes home $200 a week working for a Philadelphia auto parts company. That's not much money for a single-parent raising a teenager. That's why Joan has seriously considered quitting school and getting a job. Fortunately, advise from her counselors and her own desires to be successful in life made her take a different approach. She decided to take extra courses to graduate from high school one year early and then get a job and help her mom.
Sixteen is perhaps the most vulnerable age for a student at-risk of dropping out of school. That's the age when most students can legally drop out of school and many of them do. The statistics are most alarming in urban areas and among minorities. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the dropout rate is 7.3 percent among white students, 12.6 percent among African Americans, and 28.6 percent among Hispanics. No child is more likely to drop out of school than a 16-year-old Hispanic girl living in a large American city.
Hispanic kids drop out for a wide variety of reasons. Many simply don't like school or lack enthusiasm. Some have had disciplinary problems, were suspended or expelled. Teen pregnancy is a major factor. Many have had little stability in their lives and have jumped around from school to school. Language is an important issue as well as lagging behind their peers academically. And then there are those like Joan who feel compelled to get a job to help support the family.
When students face these problems they typically look for quick and immediate solution. The easiest one is copping out by dropping out. Even though there is no quick fix, there are many ways in which to help at-risk students. Sometimes all they need is encouragement and a bit of attention from teachers, counselors, school administrators and peers. They need mentors and role models. A recent study concluded that creating personal connections between students and staff and that offering extra academic help could make a big difference in a student's decision to stay in school.
The ideal situation for any student is to fully concentrate on his or her studies, but we don't live in an ideal world. Some students whose families live in poverty just have to work. I should know. At 14, I began working in a clothing factory clipping threads off garments. I never once considered leaving school and got used to doing both studying and working at an early age. Such is the case of Sheila Rodriguez, another 16-year-old from Philadelphia. She works five days a week and goes to school. She needs to help her unwed and unemployed mother support her and her three siblings.
Joan Polanco and Sheila Rodriguez are determined to get their high school diplomas. They are great examples of how at-risk kids can beat the odds. But too many young people who have to choose between a bleak future and the road to a decent life, between being successful or staying stuck in a vicious circle of poverty, are making the wrong choices. Letting these kids fall through the cracks will cost us dearly in the long run. As they get ready to go back to school lets guide them and show them the way to a brighter future. |
