Chip Taylor

Lowering dropout rates

New York and a few other states hope to do it by forcing would-be dropouts to stay in school one more year.

ALBANY, N.Y. -- A new state law aimed at increasing graduation rates will allow more school districts to compel students to stay in school through the year of their 17th birthday.

The measure, which has failed for years, was signed into law this month by Gov. George Pataki after overwhelming approval by the Legislature. The law will allow small- and medium-sized central school districts to keep students without full-time jobs in school through the academic year in which they turn 17. New York City and other districts with more than 4,500 students already have the option.

New York's move to a 17-year-old compulsory education age comes as 17 states have already set 18 as the age at which students must attend school, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Most of the interest now is raising the compulsory age to 18, although efforts are hurt by a lack of research that shows increasing the age reduces dropouts, said Greta Durr of the NCSL.

I guess the theory is that by keeping them in school a little longer, you increase the chance that some portion of them decide to stay and finish. On the other hand, (and this is the first thing that came to mind when I saw the headline):

The state School Boards Association says schools must weigh the considerable value of keeping more kids in school to graduation with the potential drawback of keeping unmotivated kids in class who will simply mark more time.

"The end result might be nothing more than disruption of the school year ... and the education of everyone else in the classroom is lessened," said David Ernst of the school board group.

It would be a shame if trying to salvage the education of one no 'count ne'er-do-well sabotaged the education of a greater number of kids who are trying to learn.