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Thursday, June 26, 2008
Fixing student turnover
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Visit a school in a low-income neighborhood and teachers discuss a problem you won’t find in wealthier communities: school hopping.
That’s when children move from place to place (usually apartments) because families have trouble affording the rent. I’ve heard stories of kids attending three or more schools a year because their families move so much.
This constant moving causes some students to fall behind in class. Some struggle with basic reading and math skills. They’re more likely to fail state exams and repeat a grade.
But it doesn’t just affect them. When these children enter a classroom mid-year teachers typically spend more time reviewing old lessons. That means the rest of the class may not get as much new material.
Leaders are trying to fix this problem. That’s one reason why we have standardized curriculum in many districts. If students move from one school to another, they can still follow what’s going on.
Michigan is trying something different it will pay some families $100 a month to help with the rent so they won’t move around so much.
What do you think of Michigan’s plan? Is this a problem money can fix or are greater issues at play? How do you think schools should handle high student mobility?
