The ENTERPRISE Volume XVII Captain Shreve High School, Shreveport, Louisiana Number 3 Dropouts prove costly to Americans .. "School is not for me." Every year one million youngsters in the United States drop out of school. • by Jill Thomas Statistically speaking, Louis- iana looks bad. However, Caddo Parish looks better. number of students that In the past five years, the gram has also been established networks, -and other facets of Louisiana has the lowest grad­ complete graduation require­ number of Caddo Parish <:lrop­ within most of the parish ' s society. uation rate in the nation. In the ments four years later. This may outs has declined , SQ the concern high schools. Although Shreve According to many studies 1984-85 school year, only 57 be misleading according to now is on the future, in reducing is not offering this course of conducted by government and percent of Louisiana students James Bruce, supervisor of that number even more. The study, this program gives stu­ education groups, high school graduated; however, during the Child Welfare and Attendance, Caddo Parish School Board has dents, who are unable to pass dropouts are America ' s cost­ same year Caddo Parish had a because a student may transfer committed itself to efforts in science and mathematics re­ liest, least productive class. 72 percent graduation rate which to a school out of state. Con­ preventing dropouts. quiremens, the chance to work These studies indicate that was only one percent behind the sequently , he would be con­ One alternative the board has toward the G .E.O. diploma. dropouts are very likely to wind natinonal average. Last year, sidered a "dropout." Bruce approved is the P. M. School, The students learn basic skills up on welfare rolls and in un­ 1985-86, Caddo Parish ' s grad- stated, " If we could just gain set up two years ago. This pro­ in math and English, then spend employment lines. To add to the • uation rate remained the same as many students from other vides dropouts from past years part of their day at the Caddo list of " undesireable" conse­ at 72 percent. states as we lose, we'd look the opportunity to have a Career Center learning a skill . quences, dropping out of school better." Bruce also said that "second chance" to get an ed­ Upon "graduation," these stu­ is a step that often leads to Although alarming, the stat­ there is no uniform national ucation . " Potential dropouts" dents receive a certificate from crime. These same studies say istics make it look like almost standard for figuring these can transfer from regular high the Career Center showing they that half the inmate population half the Louisiana student pop­ statistics, so other states may school to the PM School as early successfully completed the pro­ in local jails nationwide is made u Iat ion d raps out of school ; look better because they compute as age 16. gram, rather than a high school up of high school dropouts. however, these statistics are their numbers differently. Some An adult education program is diploma. Most will get their Efforts, locally and nationally questionable and misleading students are counted as drop­ also available. This program is G .E.D. upon completion. are being made to reduce the .. according to school officials. outs more than once also. If designed to help prepare the The problem of school drop­ dropout rate and keep students a student drops out two dif­ student pass the General Ed­ outs is not merely an academic in school until graduation. The graduation rate is found ferent times for attendance ucational Development diploma one. All sorts of studies say it Only statistics will tell · the by comparing the number of problems, he is counted as (G. E. 0.) is a problem that reaches into story of whether the efforts • entering freshmen with the two dropouts, not one. An alternative diploma pro- the labor market, social service are working or not. 2 The ENTERPRISE December 19, 1986 ~Editorials-------- Ryan Herbel , The good old days Cuts: firsf priority W ell, looks like I received See ing that it is Christmas 6 inch tall G. I. Joe with the army some fan mail in the letters to t ime, I think a column on what fatigues , kung fu grip, and eagle As our state faces its worst financial crisis ever, Govern­ the edit or. An unknown cafeteria happened to the toys we used to eye . Do you remember when or Edwin Edwards has proposed a lottery plan to add revenue sympathiser, Mike Stockton , have as kids is appropriate. You Barbie was just Barbie. Now 1 which will help erase the mountain of red ink, the current wrote a letter stating " ... I have remember when you , were a see these commercials with oil crisis which has damaged the economies of Louisiana and never read a series of articles kid and you couldn ' t wait to get Barbie and the Rockers, " bubble Texas. as stupid , useless and boring" ... that Sears Christmas catalog . bath " Barbie, "street corner" The Louisiana Association of Educators (LAE), in a Who does this person think he You would fight your mother to Barbie, and a d ifferent Barbie meeting last month in Shreveport, endorsed the governor ' s is? You let a guy write one article get it and when you did you for everything you can think of. lottery proposal under the condition that 75 percent of the for the paper and he thinks he ' s couldn ' t put it down. The toys monies generated be appropriated to education. But first, an expert. Mike, I read your were real toys , like . I. Joe, The onl y th ing that surprises me we feel , spending in many education programs must be article. It wasn ' t good news­ B. B. guns, and remote control is that t here isn 't a Barbie trimmed or the programs eliminated. cereal paper mater ial, but it was a good airplanes. or cartoon out yet . Just One program that needs to be examined is the special the other attempt by a journalism student. day I was watch ing television and education program . Though we feel these students deserve I guess that ' s why your byline Those were the good old I saw a commercial for a doll that a chance to try to ach i ev~ something, the money in this read Journalism Student, so days before a toy became a is pregnant. You can take program spent on specially trained teachers, aides, and other off her no one would. think that the cartoon , a cereal , and fifty more sk irt and th en she ' s no longer so-called " needs" for H1i s program could be better Enterprise would have such a low accessories . Remember the real pregnant, and then the father used in the classrooms of the achievers. quality writer on the newspaper G. I. Joe. No I ' m not talking has an awful sus picious looking The Vo-Tech program needs close examination too . staff. And by the way , you about the 3 inch tall plastic grin on his face. To me there is Shouldn ' t some of these grown men and women have spelled my name wrong . Enough figures who fight Cobra, eat G. I. just so mething wrong with toys studied these laborer skills at their high school career center? of that, I just thought I would let Joe action star cereal , and star li ke that. If not , the opportunity was there for them. These schools Mike know how much I ap­ in their own cartoons weekdays They certainly don ' t make toys should not be cut out altogether, but their budgest should be preciate his input. after school. I 'm talking about like th ey used to . cut substantially. Louisiana ' s system of public colleges and universities is a complete mess. Why such schools like LSU-Aiexandria have not been closed is a mystery. Yes, the same shack you Havard see in the cow pasture beside the highway between Alex­ andria and Baton Rouge is an actual state university. Higer Lyons rm proud and ashamed admission standards for in-state students are desperately needed. The policy of "all you need is a diploma" can ' t work these days because of the incredible amounts of money to be an American spent on remedial classes for our in-state students who can't handle, say, basic Algebra. The governor's plan does have good intentions and is In my new Harvard notebook, and the driver holds the destiny a taxi driver so that he could a good idea- but first let ' s cut out, or cut down, some waste­ I'm writing this article. As a of ignorant passengers in his learn English faster. In Iran, ful programs. matter of fact, I' m zooming along hands. If a friend, he will help he had studied electrical engin­ in an airplane on my return from you , direct you , give you tips, eering; however, when the an east coast tour of colleges . and never over-charge or exces­ Ayatolah came to power, all non­ And, I hear you ask, "Havard sively drive just to make more Is lamic sympathizers were re­ - so what 's the significance? " money. If an enemy, the driver fused the rights of education and Well - I'm getting to that. is a parasite - a wolf in sheep's careers. My driver left it all My parents have been gracious clothing, and will carefully and behind - his home, family - - they have loved and supported skillfully scalp you of your and now he is in America.