Reply to:   Re: [Workplace] rethinking dropouts reply
I would also add the book "Through Ebony Eyes: What Teachers Need to Know But Are Afraid to Ask About African American Students" by Gail Thompson (Jossey-Bass, 2004).  It is a k12-directed book however, as a GED teacher (white) at the local Urban League, I have found insights and parallels that are valuable, challenging, and more similar than disimilar.  Of course, the most important ingredient is to be open to critical reflection on one's own teaching in whatever environment, isn't it?  
Highly recommended.  Melissa

Melissa Monti, Ed.M.
Professional Developer
IU-13/SEPDC
Instructional Services Dept.
1110 Enterprise Road
East Petersburg, PA 17520
tele. (717)519-1012
fax (717)560-6150
email: melissa_monti at iu13.org

visit our website at: https://www.iu13.org/aded_otda_main.shtml



"Those who can, do.  Those who believe others can also, teach." - John E. King Jack Glade wrote:

>I would be very interested in learning what are some of Peter

>MacMonagle's research sources on dropouts. Excuse my laziness, but this

>seems like an opportunity to get some helpful research info from someone

>who's already dug it out without spending a day searching it out on my

>own. Thanks to Peter in advance if this is possible.

>

>Jack Glade

>The Tutorial Center, Bennington, Vt.

>

>-----Original Message-----

>From: workplace-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:workplace-bounces at nifl.gov] On

>Behalf Of Peter MacMonagle

>Sent: Friday, March 03, 2006 9:04 AM

>To: The Workplace Literacy Discussion List; NIFL-WORKPLACE; Poverty Race

>& Literacy List

>Cc: moderators at nifl.gov; dkpugale at email.uncc.edu;

>cwang15 at email.uncc.edu; Mona Baker; lbrannon at email.uncc.edu;

>chutchis at email.uncc.edu

>Subject: Re: [Workplace] rethinking dropouts reply

>

>To all,

> >One of the reasons students leave high school is an intense

>dis-satisfaction with the experience.  Minority students feel trapped in

>a system that does not recognize or value their differences from the

>dominant culture (predominantly white middle class female

>teachers...sorry folks, but that's what research tells us). We also

>expect students entering with first languages other than English to

>quickly master a language that takes 5 to 7 years to become fluent in.

>The increasing rigidity of state and federal mandates to push these

>students into standardized testing creates a frustration and sense of

>failure native English speakers cannot begin to imagine. Add to this the

>lack of self-efficacy, a feeling of powerlessness, and high schools with

>4000 studentsas part of the pattern of our willingness to serve the

>system instead of the student.

> >Students I have seen in my GED/ABE labs can be bright students who are

>fed up with the overall zero-tolerance policies of principals and staff

>at schools where the slightest infraction results in suspension.  This

>occurence is very high for minority (Read African-American) students. I

>suggest we all read A.A.Ferguson's ethnographic research Bad Boys, which

>is an account of the treatment of young black males in school, and

>Jerome Morris's research, Can Anythong Good Come Out of Nazareth? on

>what it takes to capture student interest in minority schools.  Mike

>Rose's own account (Lives on the Boundary) of the undereducated in Los

>Angles is also full of important insights. There is other research out

>there if we wiill but read it. More than that is needed...we need to act

>on it.  Empty words are unfullfilled promises.

> >Schools districts are also reluctant to allow research into these

>important topics for fear of looking bad. Other districts have in the

>past, fudged the numbers in order to hide the true picture of the

>problem and the failure to address the needs of the under-educated and

>special needs student.  A clear look at the problems and solutions

>offered would certainly help.  Imagine engineers refusing to check a

>bridge for structural failues for fear you might find something wrong,

>or pilots who choose to land some of their passengers and not others.

> > My conclusion after 15 years in the field of adult education is that in

>the current climate, schools are afraid of children and young adults in

>high school and keep them in a lock-down situation of marching in unison

>to and from class and heavy handed tactics in the hallways to and from

>class.  Petty annoyances build up in even the most complliant.  Bright

>students who do not conform find themselves out of step with the imposed

>restrictions and do not feel frree to find school a friendly place where

>they can learn.

> >We also use a one-size-fits-all approach to education and students who

>are not interested in going to college are required to sit out endless

>days preparing for a life they are not interested in. Count boredom in

>for a lage chunk of the reasons for leaving school.

> >The research on those who leave school early is out there. Let's put it

>to use instead of using anectodal reports and uninformed newspaper

>accounts of what is happening in our schools.

> >Wm. Peter MacMonagle, M.Ed. >Central Piedmont Community College >West Campus 2219

>Community Development/Workplace Basic Skills >704-330-4668 > >Murphy's Law of Possibility: All things are possible >except skiing through a revolving door. >

>

>________________________________

>

>From: workplace-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of Donna Brian

>Sent: Thu 3/2/2006 11:29 AM

>To: NIFL-WORKPLACE; Poverty Race & Literacy List

>Cc: moderators at nifl.gov

>Subject: [Workplace] rethinking dropouts

>

>

>

>

>

>This morning on Morning Edition on National Public Radio there was a 3

>minute clip about a study on dropouts.

>

>"Morning Edition, March 2, 2006 . A new study from the Gates Foundation

>finds that high school dropouts aren't always getting F's on their

>report

>cards. A surprising number are C or better students, and most say they

>regret having dropped out."

>

>The conclusions the study draws are largely about how states and high

>schools should rethink what they are doing, but I was wondering what

>this

>says to those of us who are in adult literacy and the learners we are

>dealing with.  I think we often assume that our adult learners failed at

>high school and that's why they dropped out.

>

>The clip is worth listening to.  You can access it at

><http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5241173>.

>

>Donna

>

>Donna Brian

>Center for Literacy Studies at The University of Tennessee

>djgbrian at utk.edu

>

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 Melissa Monti, Ed.M.
Professional Developer
IU-13/SEPDC
Instructional Services Dept.
1110 Enterprise Road
East Petersburg, PA 17520
tele. (717)519-1012
fax (717)560-6150
email: melissa_monti at iu13.org

visit our website at: https://www.iu13.org/aded_otda_main.shtml



"Those who can, do.  Those who believe others can also, teach." - John E. King