Obama seeks to stem dropout rate
He is offering $900 million and a program with options to turn schools around.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/world_us/85934247.html
By Darlene Superville
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - President Obama yesterday addressed the nation's school-dropout epidemic, proposing $900 million to states and school districts that agree to drastically change or even shutter their worst-performing schools.
Obama's move comes as many schools continue to struggle to get children to graduation, a profound problem in a rich, powerful nation. Only about 70 percent of entering high school freshmen graduate. The problem affects blacks and Latinos at particularly high rates.
Obama said the crisis hurt individual students and the nation as a whole, shattering dreams and undermining an already-poor economy. "There's got to be a sense of accountability," Obama said in announcing his latest get-tough school proposal at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The event was sponsored by the America's Promise Alliance, the youth organization founded by former Secretary of State Colin Powell and his wife, Alma.
The president's plan aims to help 5,000 of the nation's lowest-performing schools over the next five years.
Obama has been using federal money as leverage to push schools to raise standards and get more children ready for college or work. Other leaders have sought to do the same, but the challenge is steep.
Obama's 2011 budget proposal includes $900 million for School Turnaround Grants. That money is in addition to $3.5 billion to help low-performing schools that was included in last year's economic-stimulus bill.
To get a share of the new money, states and school districts must adopt one of four approaches to fix their struggling schools:
Turnaround Model: The district must replace the principal and at least half of the school staff, adopt a new governance structure, and implement a new or revised instructional program.
Restart Model: The district must close and reopen the school under the management of a charter-school operator or management organization.
School Closure: The district must close the failing school and enroll students in other, higher-achieving schools in the district.
Transformational Model: The school must address four areas, including teacher effectiveness, instruction, learning and teacher planning time, and operational flexibility.
The administration also is putting $50 million into dropout-prevention strategies.