Hi Mariette J,
In answer to your question about Program to Deter High School Dropouts by Offering College Courses Is Approved - New York Times . I think it's a great concept and I believe it helps. Students I've worked with who participated in such programs were much more motivated and did better in their senior year in high school then they otherwise would have.
There are a couple of reasons for this. First of all, the student doesn't have that sense that H.S. is all over and they don't have to do anything until the following year (remember the story a couple of months back about the boy who got his college acceptance rescinded because he totally flunked out in senior year?). The students are motivated, they aren't just floundering and lost as to what comes next. They have a chance to explore different courses and subject areas that might interest them and they have a focus.
The transition from high school to college is often terrifying for many, many students as much as they try and hide it. The August issue of Scientific American Mind's article called "Why We Quit" by Yvonne Raley is about how many students drop out of college and some of the reasons why.
Programs such as the one described in the NY Times article can do a lot to help students feel motivated, directed and focused and to stay in school. A number of years ago I did program and staff development and implementation for Drop Out Prevention programs for a joint NYC Dept. of Education and CUNY program. In addition to the teacher training component I worked with students in some of the toughest areas of NYC. These children had tough lives and home lives but if they were able somehow to feel connected to some positive future their outlook on school, education and their classes improved. Give a child a sense of a hopeful and positive future and hopefully they'll want to find a way to get there.
Good luck with your son and both your futures! Let me know how it goes and feel free to call or email for further input or coaching.
Enjoy the day,
RK
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2 comments:
Thanks so much Rebecca, I read the article you mentioned and made my husband read it to (as well as your post). We want to do the best for our son, he's a great kid and we're very nervous about the college adjustment. We've heard some horror stories from friends and neighbors and don't want the same for our boy.
I wanted to contact you personally but can't find your email address. Could you please post it here?
Thanks for the great info.
Mariette
Mariette,
Glad it helped. Please feel free to contact me by email at rebecca at dailylifeconsulting dot com. (Thanks for pointing out it's not on the site - I'll have it added.)
Keep up the great work!
Rebecca (Kiki)
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