+ 32% of black males graduated from NYC’s high schools on schedule in 2006
+ 57% of white males graduated on time
+ Both percentages are unacceptable, but the discrepancy is yet another example of educational inequities
+ New York City public schools ranked 54th out of 63 of the nation’s largest school districts surveyed in a new national report, “Given Half A Chance: The 50-State Report on Public Education and Black Males” by the Massachusetts-based Schott Foundation for Public Education.

Article.

The likelihood that a ninth-grader in one of the nation’s biggest cities will clutch a diploma four years later amounts to a coin toss — not much better than a 50-50 chance, new research finds.

Cross into the suburbs, and the odds improve dramatically.

The findings, which are being released today, look closely for the first time at the gap in high school graduation rates between public schools in the 50 biggest cities and the suburbs that surround them. Among the alarming disparities: In 12 cities, the gap exceeds 25 percentage points. Of those cities, nine are in the Northeast or Midwest.

Source: “‘Crisis’ graduation gap found between cities, suburbs,” USA Today (8/1/2008)

Still another reason why urban churches need 20/20 Vision for our schools.

“Fourteen urban school districts have on-time graduation rates lower than 50%; they include Detroit, Baltimore, New York, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, Denver and Houston. …

“Among the nation’s 50 largest districts … three graduate fewer than 40%: Detroit (21.7%), Baltimore (38.5%) and New York City (38.9%). …

“52% of blacks graduate, and 57% of Hispanics. …

“The study, which uses 2002 and 2003 data, the most current available, finds that public schools graduate 69.6% of an estimated 4 million eligible students each spring, meaning about 1.2 million students likely won’t graduate this year. That means about 7,000 students drop out per school day, Swanson says.”

Source: “Big-city schools struggle with graduation rates,” USA Today (6/20/2006)

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Also, watch Wendy Kopp live at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit this Thursday at one of the Summit’s New York satellite locations.

Dave Eggers at TED conference (2008)

Even the “best and brightest” gathered at this year’s TED conference are exploring how to engage public education reform.

Accepting his 2008 TED Prize, author Dave Eggers asks the TED community to personally, creatively engage with local public schools. With spellbinding eagerness, he talks about how his 826 Valencia tutoring center inspired others around the world to open.

About Dave Eggers:

Writing is only his day job: Dave Eggers moonlights as a publisher, philanthropist and advocate for students and teachers.

Dave Eggers’ first book, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Since then he’s written two more novels and launched an independent publishing house, which publishes books, a quarterly literary journal (McSweeney’s), a DVD-based review of short films (Wholpin), a monthly magazine (The Believer) and the Voice of Witness project.

Meanwhile, Eggers has established himself as a philanthropist and teacher-at-large. In 1998 he launched 826 Valencia, a San Francisco-based writing and tutoring lab for young people, which has since opened six more chapters across the United States. He has extended his advocacy of students by supporting their educators, instituting a monthly grant for exceptional Bay Area teachers. His TED Prize wish is for more people to follow him into getting involved in your local school — and talk about it — through the website Once Upon a School.

“Many writers, having written a first best-seller, might see it as a nice way to start a career. He started a movement instead.” - Time

20/20 Vision for Schools activates people in faith communities to engage public education reform. 50-80% of each congregation is already directly connected to public schools, as students, parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts , uncles, cousins, teachers, custodians, administrators, support staff, coaches, and more. As such they are positioned already to be agents of positive change. What moves a church from status quo lack of engagement to a transformative relationship with a school is an embrace of vocational calling. On May 29, Dr. Evans captured this idea in a classic, Dr. Evans speech as only a master orator can. Enjoy.

“Mommy, can you take us to see the good people?” My son chimed in, “Yes, Mommy! Please, I want to see the good people.” So I promised them that I would take them and I did.

Here’s the backstory to the mother’s testimony of the “good people.” The video captures how one church (Christ Tabernacle) embraced its call to engage public schools last fall. Their 20/20 Vision relationship with this school and others is still evolving.

• 77% of the students now consider their actions or words prior to acting or speaking.
• 66% now have a desire to be a person of good character.
• 60% say they now make better choices.
• 85% of the students now feel that they will not quit when times become rough.
• 47% increase in average academic marks and test scores from the start to end of year.
• 92% increase in individual self-esteem from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.

What if the plan only cost $10/student per year?

It does.

20/20 churches activate people in their pews to do the work of ministry. In the context of education reform, that begins by recognizing that 50-80% of each congregation is already directly connected to public schools, as students, parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts , uncles, cousins, teachers, custodians, administrators, support staff, coaches, and more. As such we are positioned already to be agents of positive change.

What moves a church from status quo lack of engagement to a transformative relationship with a school is an embrace of vocational calling. On May 29, Dr. Evans captured this idea in a classic, Dr. Evans sermon as only a master orator can. Enjoy. Download [FREE!] or listen:

Courtesy: Christ Tabernacle.