Tuesday, May 13, 2008

By MERRILL BALASSONE
mbalassone@modbee.com

last updated: February 21, 2008 09:36:59 AM

One hundred of California's roughly 2,400 public high schools produce nearly half of the state's high school dropouts, according to a study released today.

Three Modesto high schools -- Elliott Alternative Education Center, Modesto High and Davis High -- were among the 100 California schools reporting the most dropouts during the 2005-06 school year. State data show nearly 650 students dropped out from those Modesto schools that year.

The California Dropout Research Project found that 4 percent of the schools accounted for 41 percent of all dropouts.

"That's an extent of concentration that, to me, was surprising," said Russell Rum- berger, director of the project, founded in December 2006 to study and give policy recommendations on the subject of dropouts.

Alternative and charter schools had some of the highest rates statewide and in the Northern San Joaquin Valley.

In California, the average dropout rate of a traditional high school was 2 percent, compared with 9 percent on average in charter schools and 14 percent in alternative schools.

In Ceres, Endeavor Alternative High School posted a one-year dropout rate of nearly 37 percent. Elliott Alternative Education Center in Modesto and Whitmore Charter School in Ceres reported 25 percent of their students dropped out.

Stanislaus County Superintendent Tom Changnon said financial pressures are often the biggest deterrent to keeping students in school.

"No one is pleased with the dropout rates in California," Changnon said. "Many students need to help out their family financially and feel that it's the right decision for them to go to work. They don't realize the long-term benefit of staying in school."

Craig Rydquist, associate superintendent of educational services for Modesto City Schools, said the dropout numbers at Elliott, Modesto and Davis high schools in part reflect their large enrollments, ranging from 935 to 3,200 students during the 2005-06 school year.

But Rydquist said the numbers also show that students need more help to start strong in the ninth grade. He said high school principals are bolstering orientation sessions for freshmen. Modesto City Schools has set up a task force this year to find ways to break up traditional high schools into smaller learning communities.

"We have concerns about our students and their success," Rydquist said. "Research shows if they have a couple of failing grades in the freshman year, it's difficult for them to be on track to be successful."

Rumberger said the current method of counting dropouts often leaves students unaccounted for. He said a new state Department of Education system called CALPADS, expected to be ready in 2009-10, will help track each student through graduation.

The California Dropout Research Project is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation and the Walter S. Johnson Foundation.

Bee staff writer Merrill Balassone can be reached at mbalassone@modbee.com or 578-2337.