Nearly 2,000 Kent County students dropped out of high school last year and the year before that, the numbers were the same.
To prevent that negative trend from continuing, the Heart of West Michigan United Way has developed a bold plan to decrease the dropout rate by 50 percent by the year 2020.
United Way's Education Vision Council recently created a strategy to reduce the high school dropout rate and they are now moving forward with their plan. The Council was created in early 2012 and co-chaired by Kevin Konarska, Kent ISD superintendent, and Lauren Walker, an executive at Amway. A cross-section of community leaders served on the Council as well.
Without a high school education, the lost lifetime earnings for these 2,000 students who dropped out last year equals around $500 million. This figure is calculated by taking into consideration the lower wages earned by these students, versus what those who graduate from high school or college earn. The need for government assistance for some of the high school dropouts factors in as well, and by making less income, these students will also contribute less in taxes.
There are a number of reasons why students drop out of high school, but the United Way and its Education Vision Council are focusing their efforts on one of the most preventable reasons -- having difficulties reading and understanding other basic skills.
A study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation discovered that kids who don't read proficiently by the third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school. That's why the Council's plan puts early intervention and literacy skills as main priorities.
A part of United Way's Schools of Hope program has already been focusing on improving literacy and teaching basic skills for nearly 11 years. They currently have around 1,000 volunteers that tutor approximately 600 kids at several different area schools.
In addition, Schools of Hope has an after-school program operating at 22 sites locally and a family literacy program that teaches parents academic and English skills.
Vice President for Community Impact and Education Tony Campbell says there is "a direct correlation to a parent's educational ability with a student’s achievement level" and that's the reason for also helping the parents. All of the Schools of Hope programs will continue in addition to the new strategies recently developed.
Going forward, the Education Vision Council recommends five solution teams that will work toward cutting the high school dropout rate in half by 2020. Two of these teams will focus on academic achievement, with a kindergarten readiness team and a K-12 team. The other three teams will tackle issues such as family housing, health, and employment.
These teams will work with a specific high dropout neighborhood yet to be announced and create intervention plans for various age groups. So, if a child falls behind and they're in that neighborhood, there will be a key intervention in place.
One of the key priorities is to make sure all students can read by the third grade. That's important, Campbell says, because "if you're behind at third grade, you never catch up."
Along with Education Vision Council members, anyone else in the community who wants to volunteer is encouraged to sign up for one of the solution teams. The contact information and other ways you can be involved with United Way are listed below.
- Visit the
Heart of West Michigan United Way online.
- If you're interested in signing up for one of the Solution Teams,
contact Ann Dard.
- Other volunteer opportunities are always available. To find out more, visit the
Volunteer Center on United Way's website.
- Like them on
Facebook.
- Follow
@HWMUW on Twitter.
Source: Tony Campbell, VP for Community Impact and Education at the Heart of West Michigan United Way
Writer: Heidi Stukkie, Do Good Writer
Images provided by the Heart of West Michigan United Way.
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