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Education secretary promises federal aid for uniform graduation rate formula
date: April 22, 2008
SOURCE: Detroit Free Press
By: Chastity Pratt Dawsey
U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced today federal support for a uniform formula to calculate graduation rates.
The formula was first proposed by the National Governor’s Association in 2005 and endorsed by 45 states including Michigan. She announced states would be required to adopt the formula by 2012. She made the announcement at a Detroit Economic Club luncheon today at the Masonic Temple in Detroit.
Her speech comes just weeks after a national study concluded that Detroit Public Schools has a 25% graduation rate, the worst in the United States.
The formula looks at the number of students who enter high school in 9th grade compared to those who graduate four years later, but with adjustments for transfers in and out of the school or district. Michigan has been working toward adopting this formula and will release its first set of graduation rates under the formula in August.
Spellings said she supports changes that Detroit Superintendent Connie Calloway has planned for five low-performing schools.
She said some of the changes are “going to make a lot of people uncomfortable.’’ However she said, “Your schools are urgent need of reform, change and improvement.’’ Calloway was in the audience during the speech.
She also proposed several new policies that she said would improve accountability under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. One proposal would make it mandatory by the 2012-13 school year for states to analyze graduation rates for minorities and special education students, and make sure they are counted in total graduation rates.
During a question and answer session Travis Parks, a senior at Caesar Chavez High School asked Spelling if she thought urban students have to work harder than non-urban students to meet federal standards.
Spellings said yes, because of a lack of sufficient resources and opportunities at some inner city schools.
Afterward, Travis said he ”was really looking to know how we could acquire those resources.’’
Calloway said Spellings’ proposed new regulations are on target to improve achievement.
”Everything I heard is encouraging,’’ Calloway said.
Spellings is expected today to tour the Detroit School of Arts this afternoon and speak with students there.
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