Study Finds Six Million Children in Danger of Being "Left Behind"

According to "Every Child a Graduate," a study released on September 24 by the Alliance for Excellent Education, six million students in American middle and high schools are in danger of being "left behind" in terms of literacy. The study reports that children of all income levels in cities, suburbs, and rural areas read far below their grade levels. Less than 75% of eighth graders nationwide graduate from high school in five years, and that graduation rate is less than 50% in urban areas. Because of the increasing popularity of high-school exit exams and the rigorous standards that students must achieve in order to pass the tests, dropout rates can only be expected to rise.

In response to these problems, the Alliance is calling for the adoption of its Framework for an Excellent Education, a group of four research-based national initiatives aimed at changing the culture and conditions of middle and high schools so that every student, regardless of race or class, has a good opportunity to graduate with the skills to succeed in college. These four programs are: the Adolescent Learning Initiative; the Teacher and Principal Quality Initiative; the College Preparation Initiative; and the Small Learning Communities Initiative. The Alliance "strongly recommends" that Congress and President Bush fully fund these initiatives as a sign of their continuing commitments to improve public education.

Prepared September 26, 2002