In the past decade there has been a decline of boy graduating from high school. In fact by 2004, 54% of the youth dropping out of high school were boys. 23% in 2005 were Hispanic, 11% were African Americans and 6 % White (Services, 2008). A decline of boys entering college; of those that do enter college they drop out or it takes them longer to finish. Questions have arisen to what is going on, why this is happening and ideas on how to fix the problems. It is suggested that one of the reasons that boys are having problems is in the classroom curriculum. The way teachers are teaching the boys and the type of material chosen is what is failing the boys. The rules in schools are tougher not allowing any leeway for any missteps should any mistakes happen, pushing boys out of schools. There are many boys that have to choose between family or school. This paper discusses the problems that are seen in today’s schools. What are the reasons that boys are failing to graduate, along with possible fixes to the systems to help the boys regain graduation rates.
There have been boys who have dropped out of school because they have been doing poorly in school. There have also been boys who have been pushed out because of behavior. This could be behavior that has gotten them suspended from school so that the student does not feel as though they need to return. Or perhaps the boy could have gotten expelled from the school and they are not welcome back. As with Michigan’s expulsions’ rules if any child is expelled from school they are not allowed to attended any public school for one year. This is a very harsh punishment; in fact this may possibly discourage many boys from wanting to return to school after the year is up. Many boys hav...
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...CLASS MATTERS —In and Out of Schoo; lClosing gaps requires attention to issues of race and poverty. PHI DELTA KAPPAN , 40-44.
Bradley, C., & Renzulli, L. (2011). The Complexity of Non-Completion: Being Pushed or Pulled to Drop Out Of High School. Social Forces , 521-545.
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Michigan, S. O. (2013). Welcome to the Bureau of Assessment and Accountability. Retrieved 12 2, 2013, from Michigan Department of Education: http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,4615,7-140-22709---,00.html
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Gerry Garibaldi, a high school teacher and Michael Kimmel, a professor of sociology both explain how the consequences of the feminism movement are harming boys in school and later in life. Kimmel and Garibaldi present their views on the gender education problems in their articles “How The Schools Shortchange Boys” and “A War Against Boys”. Both make passionate arguments and prove that boys are at a disadvantage in modern feminized classrooms. Kimmel’s arguments about the problems boys face in the American educational system are more convincing than Garibaldi’s, because his style of argumentation is more objective, supported by more statistics, and provides unbiased restatement of opposing views.
According to Leonhardt, many people who drop out usually plan to go back eventually to get their degrees, but very few actually do. According to “Access to Attainment”, approximately 65% of all job openings will require postsecondary education by the year 2020 and “many of the long-standing programs and policies designed to foster access no longer supports the needs of today’s students” (Miller, et al. 5). The availability of higher education to the public has greatly changed over time, and thus the system and the programs must adapt as well to continue providing the best access and opportunities possible to individuals. “….a college education matters much more now than it once did” (Leonhardt). Lower-class students coming from low-income high schools might not have the same opportunities for learning as their upper-class counterparts, and as a result they are less likely to be accepted to elite universities. The education system is beneficial for many but it is flawed as well, especially in preparing high schoolers for college, which has the potential to greatly impact their
Gregory Mantsios advocates more on the struggle to proceed from one class to another in his essay-“Class in America”. Mantsios states that, “Class standing has a significant impact on our chances for survival....
In the Washington post the essay “Why Schools Are Failing Our Boys” relates to the study of the “boy problem” Fink’s concern is that boys have a harder time in school causing them to drop out or not to go on to college. I agree with Fink’s concern because of the mistreatment of genders and the pressure put on students as a whole. Based on class readings it has been illustrated that throughout history boys felt as though school made them feel less masculine. From what I have personally seen in school, boys are constantly being told to “man up”. I feel as though boys are expected to act a certain way and all students are expected to conform to a certain type of learning. Fink’s truthful experience through her son is an accurate model on how
Martin, K. (1998). Becoming a gendered body: the practices of preschoolers. In Weitz R. (2003, 1998) The politics of women’s bodies: Sexuality, appearance, and behavior (pp. 219-239). New York: Oxford University Press, Inc.
Brooks argues that male and female brains work and experience things differently. He suggests that this theory is also the reason as to why young girls are surpassing their male counterparts in school settings. He incorrectly assumes that by separating males and females, males will be allowed to break free from gender stereotypes. Brooks strengthens his argument with results of brain research on sex differences. But, Brook’s argument is unpersuasive. He categorizes all young males, and suggest that single sex-schools are the best solution for them. He wants to apply a black-and-white solution to something that is just not that simple. While Brooks uses comparisons and surveys to convince the reader, his argument simply does
Since the early 70s theorists have pondered the causes of college dropout. Generally referred to as “student attrition,” this problem has spurred numerous causal theories and theoretical models. Vincent Tinto led the research with his revolutionary 1973 study, which he later revised (1987) amid criticism from other luminaries in the field, most notably Bean, Astin, Terenzini, and Pascarella. It is on the work of these scholars (including also Tinto) that all modern research in the student attrition field is based. I found and will review in brief some of the extensive research from Tinto to the present, including the basic criticisms therein. I will further explain the steps some colleges are currently taking to counteract this increasingly important issue.
Martin, Karin A., 1998. “Becoming a Gendered body: Practices of Preschools” American Sociological Assosciation (4): 510.
My family has always taught me that even though we come from a background where opportunities are given, we still need to work hard to earn them. People always judged that school was easy, or buying clothes was no problem but my family was humble about what we had and we needed to work for the achievements we wanted. If social class was more of a sensitive topic like race and ethnicity, people would not judge as often based on what a person wore or how they were educated. Education is a major problem within social class in terms of the opportunities kids get, whether it’s going to college, or attending a private high school. Within the book Diversity, Oppression, and Change it says “there is a persisting gap between the upper and lower classes’ access to a college education” (Marsiglia, Kulis 2009 56). This quote is unsettling because even if a person is from a lower class, everyone should get the opportunity to go to college or get an education of some sort. Achieving opportunities is never easy, but knowing that a person’s social class can affect someone else’s future is what is the most devastating because that person did not truly work for their chance to
Sending a child to a gender based school, is a very big decision to make. The decision is so big, that looking at what research has to say about the topic could alter one’s decision to send their child to a gender based school. “Educators must apply different approaches in teaching make, and female students” (Gurian). This is said by Gurian, because he also believes that boys and girls learn differently. “Social pressures can be gentler and your child can learn at his own pace” (Kennedy).
Students’ wouldn’t be able to hold down a job is the second reason they shouldn’t dropout of high school. Many employers would like to have someone who has been too high school and that have been educated so they can handle money and add things p...
Besides suffering relationships, there are many consequences to dropping out of high school (Bloom). A dropout's relationship with family, friends, and significant others can fail dramatically (Kokemuller). Dropouts are going to have poor outcomes in life, suc...
The proponents of single-sex education argue that boys and girls have differing needs and that their styles of learning are different. Education which respects personal differences must take this into account. ( Mullins 124) Single-gender schools seem logical, than, to a public that accepts that gender differences are real and likes the idea of expanding choices. (Silv...
Teens today face a lot of pressure. Many students deal with difficult life situations that hinder them from focusing on their futures. This can lead to a loss of interest in school and school events, such as a sports, clubs, or after school programs. Teens start to prioritize other things over their education. Every year, over 1.2 million students will leave school without earning a high school diploma in the United States alone (“11”). That’s a student every 26 seconds – or 7,000 a day (“11”). The United States, which used to have the highest graduation rates of any country, now ranks 22nd out of 27 developed countries (“11”). Students may not realize that by dropping out of high school they are more likely to commit crimes, become parents at a young age, use and abuse alcohol and drugs, and live in poverty (“Drop”). Dropouts make up the majority of those