The Problems in Schools
There are several issues and problems that are plaguing schools in the United State. Some of these issues include the increasing rate of school violence and dropouts. Given these dilemmas, chosen reports shall be presented and evaluated to give light on these issues. According to the recent report of National Center for Education Statistics entitled “Violence in U. S Public Schools,” school violence has gotten increasing attention in current years as a result of numerous highly broadcasted cases of violence in public schools (Larsen, n. d).
Serious school violence transpires most frequently within urban schools. In accordance to the Constitutional Rights Foundation, the rate of school violence tends to reflect those of the general population (National Center for Children Exposed to Violence, 2006). The prevalence of serious violence is associated with several factors such as school enrollment size, the percentage of males in the student population, the number of school-wide disruptions and the number of serious disciplines given out (Larsen, n. d).
In line with the USA School Violence Statistics, on the 14th day of April 2003, a 15-year old student from New Orleans was killed and three students were wounded at John McDonogh High School because of a gunfire caused by four teenagers who are not even students of the said school. Primarily, the motive for the violence induced is suspected to be gang-related (The School Violence Watch Network, n. d). In order to solve the problem of school violence, it is critical for adults to extend their assistance and guidance to the students and children involved.
As such, it is the responsibility of parents, school personnel including educators, administrators, and school mental health workers, police officers and other health and safety providers to provide children and student with a safe and conducive learning environment in order to lead the students away from violence. In addition, these people also have the responsibility to keep themselves well-informed of their children’s issues and everyday experiences (National Center for Children Exposed to Violence, 2006). On the other hand, the case of dropouts varies widely from different states, districts and schools.
The U. S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has reported three different types of dropout rates stating that: “event rates reflect the percentage of students who drop out in a single year without completing high school; status rates reflect the percentage of the population in a given age range who have not finished high school or are not enrolled in school at one point in time; and cohort rates reflect the percentage of a single group of students who drop out over time” (U. S Department of Education, n. d).
These cases of dropouts is largely proportionate to the number of students who will not be able to finish their school course works; as such, will not be able to obtain their diplomas which will further hinder them to complete their education and obtain good jobs. The school violence and school dropouts are just two of the most pressing problems in schools. These problems greatly hinder both the success of the students and the schools as an institution.
Therefore, it is indeed important for the U. S Department of Education, the public and private schools, the parents and the students to cooperate and work on providing solutions for these dilemmas. References Larsen, E. (n. d). Violence in U. S Public Schools: A Summary of Findings. Eric Digest. Retrieved March 13, 2009, from http://www. ericdigests. org/2004-3/violence. html. National Center for Children Exposed to Violence. (2006).
School Violence. Retrieved March 13, 2009, from http://www. nccev. org/violence/school. html. The School Violence Watch Network. (n. d). USA School Violence Statistics. Retrieved March 13, 2009, from http://www. cybersnitch. net/schoolwatch/svstats. asp. US Department of Education. (n. d). High School Dropout Rates. US: Department of Education: Consumer Guide. Retrieved March 13, 2009, from http://www. ed. gov/pubs/OR/ConsumerGuides/dropout. html.
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