Was curious about the gun violence in Chicago, where I was born and lived my toddlerhood. Came across this quote, which gives some context to the numbers we see here in NM for dropouts from school. And what can happen when kids problems are not addressed:
The impulsive nature of youth violence is connected to truancy and dropout rates, said Rachel Johnston, director of the Youth Shooting Review at the University of Chicago. In many of the city’s poorest neighborhoods there is a clear connection between high school drop out rates and violent crime.
For black males in Chicago, the high school graduation rate is just 39 percent, a rate that has remained flat for the past 40 years, according to the Crime Lab.
Assume it was better 40 years ago? That would be around 1973, a period not known for success for black populations in the inner city, AFAIK. How many programs have come and gone in those 40 years? Is it crazy to consider that group of kids an opportunity for new learning tech to transform such failure?
As they say, if it can work there, it can work anywhere…
I found these high school drop out statistics for the US from Education Week: improvement in high school drop out rates in all groups since the 70’s, still very high however. 75% of US crimes committed by a drop out, and 60% of black high school drop outs have spent time in prison.
http://www.statisticbrain.com/high-school-dropout-statistics/
I remember reading many years ago that 75% of US prison inmates are high school dropouts. Even if a drop out goes to prison for a crime that is not violent, I imagine by the time they get out they are violent.