high school students

Matthew Lynch published in Matthew Lynch, Policy & Reform

3 Things High School Students Should Know about College

As the stakes rise regarding the necessity of a high school diploma for lifelong success, so do the standards to earn one. High school students and graduates today must know more than the generations that came before them, both in academic and real-world applications. College, which was once considered an option for some students, is now viewed as a necessity. All of the lesson planning from Kindergarten forward funnels student information into the end goal of high school and college graduation.

While rigorous academics can certainly prepare students for college, which is just one facet of what I believe they should know. There is no way to totally prepare a young adult for the realities of the college experience and what it will mean for his or her long-term success, but there are some things that high school educators should emphasize, including:

1. The cost of a college education. We are so quick to push our students towards a college education that we often forget the practicalities. While in most cases a college degree will pay off in the end, it is expensive upfront and can have an impact on the early years of adulthood. It is flawed thinking to assume that young people with very limited experience with their personal finances will truly be able to comprehend the cost and sacrifice of a college education. Any efforts to better inform students about the responsibility and reality of a college education should not be undertaken as a discouragement but rather as a way to inform them of what those things will mean in real-life settings. Things like estimated college loan repayments, and for how long, should be discussed and put in terms of how many hours of work that money will end up equaling.

2. The importance of a college degree. While it does come at a cost, a college degree is well worth it over the course of a lifetime. People with bachelor degrees earn nearly $1 million more over their lifetimes than their peers who receive high school diplomas. People with master’s degrees earn closer to $1.3 million more. So even the most expensive colleges, if paid out of pocket and through loans, still do not tally up to the lifetime earnings potential of a college graduate versus a high school one. A college degree holds more than financial value though. There is the issue of job stability and security too. By 2018, over 60 percent of jobs will require a college degree and that number is sure to rise. This next generation of K-12 students simply cannot afford to bypass college learning and this should be emphasized to high school students whenever higher education is discussed.

3. The outlook in the industry of interest. From a young age, children are asked the inevitable “what do you want to be when you grow up?” question. With stars in their eyes, they talk about the jobs that seem the most glamorous – firefighters, movie stars, doctors and maybe even teachers. While all of these are noble career choices, high school students should have a firm grasp on the field they want to pursue in terms of job opportunities and earning potential. Again, this is not to discourage students from following what they believe to be their calling – but it is a way to guide them into their field of interest with eyes wide open.

Before high school graduates are shipped off to college with dreams of jobs and big paychecks on the other side, they need a reality check. A college degree is a valuable asset but does not come without a cost.

What else should high school students know before they enroll in college?

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Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation, Higher Education, Matthew Lynch

4 Things High School Students Should Know Before Graduation

As the stakes rise regarding the necessity of a high school diploma for lifelong success, so do the standards to earn one. High school graduates today must know more than the generations that came before them, both in academic and real-world applications. All of the lesson planning from Kindergarten forward funnels student information into the end goal of high school and college graduation.

While rigorous academics can certainly prepare students for college, which is just one facet of what I believe they should know. There is no way to totally prepare a young adult for the realities of the college experience and what it will mean for his or her long-term success, but there are some things that high school educators should emphasize, including:

The cost of a college education. We are so quick to push our students towards a college education that we often forget the practicalities. While in most cases a college degree will pay off in the end, it is expensive upfront and can have an impact on the early years of adulthood. It is flawed thinking to assume that young people with very limited experience with their personal finances will truly be able to comprehend the cost and sacrifice of a college education. Any efforts to better inform students about the responsibility and reality of a college education should not be undertaken as a discouragement but rather as a way to inform them of what those things will mean in real-life settings. Things like estimated college loan repayments, and for how long, should be discussed and put in terms of how many hours of work that money will end up equaling.

The importance of a college degree. While it does come at a cost, a college degree is well worth it over the course of a lifetime. People with bachelor degrees earn nearly $1 million more over their lifetimes than their peers who receive high school diplomas. People with master’s degrees earn closer to $1.3 million more. So even the most expensive colleges, if paid out of pocket and through loans, still do not tally up to the lifetime earnings potential of a college graduate versus a high school one. A college degree holds more than financial value though. There is the issue of job stability and security too. By 2018, over 60 percent of jobs will require a college degree and that number is sure to rise. This next generation of K-12 students simply cannot afford to bypass college learning and this should be emphasized to high school students whenever higher education is discussed.

The outlook in the industry of interest. From a young age, children are asked the inevitable “what do you want to be when you grow up?” question. With stars in their eyes, they talk about the jobs that seem the most glamorous – firefighters, movie stars, doctors and maybe even teachers. While all of these are noble career choices, high school students should have a firm grasp on the field they want to pursue in terms of job opportunities and earning potential. Again, this is not to discourage students from following what they believe to be their calling – but it is a way to guide them into their field of interest with eyes wide open.

Alternatives to college. What if a student cannot afford to go to college; what do they do then? We have to explain to students that sometimes life throws you lemons, but that doesn’t mean you should just give up and settle for less. We have to teach them that here are other ways to get the education they want without shelling out huge amounts of cash or placing themselves in debt.

Short diploma courses, like the diploma of community services from BCA National are geared towards offering practical learning, without the huge price tag. The best thing about short courses, particularly online ones, are that they are affordable and offer tremendous flexibility as well as a real diploma that people can use in their job applications. Students may want to consider obtaining this type of practical training if they need to gain skills that will be useful in various types of positions.

What else should high school students know after high school?

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Matthew Lynch published in Policy & Reform, Secondary Education

High School Dropouts: The Stats and Possible Solutions

While recent high school dropout rates appear to be on the decline, the numbers are still too high to stomach, especially with all of the alternative options high school students now have to finish their diplomas outside traditional classroom settings. At this juncture in U.S. K-12 progress, the dropout rate should be barely worth mentioning.  So, what does the typical high school dropout look like, and how can we address the situation?

The Numbers

Since the government started tracking the dropout rates specifically for Hispanic students in 1972, this group has consistently had the highest percentages of students who fail to complete a high school diploma. In 1972, over one-third of all Hispanic students dropped out. Today that number is down to 13.6 percent, but the group still leads all races and ethnicities when it comes to young people out of school with no diploma or G.E.D. Black students dropped out at a rate of 29 percent in 1967 (the first year the group was tracked) and that number is down to 7 percent (the same as the national average) today. White students have always held on to the lowest percentage of the dropout pie chart, even when their numbers represented a larger majority of total student populations. In 1967, 15 percent of white students dropped out of high school; today, just 5 percent do.

When it comes to gender, there has not been much differentiation when it comes to percentages in over 40 years.  As far as economic backgrounds, lower-income students have always been at a high school graduation disadvantage. In 2009, students from families in low-income brackets ran a risk of dropping out that was five times higher than high-income peers. Still, the future is not completely bleak for kids from disadvantaged economic environments; in 1975, low-income students dropped out at a rate of 16 percent but that number now sits comfortably under 10 percent.

One unchanging factor when it comes to the dropout rate is socioeconomic background. Since the National Center for Education Statistics first started tracking different groups of high school students in the late 1960s, the socioeconomic status of each pupil has impacted the graduation rate. Students from low-income families are 2.4 times more likely to drop out than middle-income kids, and over 10 times more likely than high-income peers to drop out.

Household income is the not the only disadvantage many dropouts have, though. Students with learning or physical disabilities drop out at a rate of 36 percent. Overall, a student who does not fit the traditional classroom mold, or who falls behind for some reason, is more likely to lose motivation when it comes to high school and decide to give up altogether.

One thing is certain, a high school diploma is the first step to a better life.  Therefore, that should be a starting point for focus.

So what can be done to increase the percentage of high school graduates?

One solution is increased involvement from the business community.  There is money to be made and an economic boost is possible – but only if these students stick around long enough to obtain a high school diploma, and potentially seek out college opportunities. Georgia is a great example of a state that has taken advantage of the business community to help improve graduation rates. Areas like Atlanta Metro have some of the strongest business leaders in the nation, and school officials have begun to call on them for guidance and funding when it comes to improving graduation rates.

Further support outside the classroom would also go a long way toward improving drop out statistics.

Since risk factors for dropouts include coming from low-income or single-parent families and teachers simply cannot address emotional needs of every student–programs need to be in place for students who are at risk for dropping out. A pilot program in San Antonio called Communities in Schools has set out to accomplish this through offering on-campus counseling services for students on the fence about dropping out. Of the students in the program in the 2012 – 2013 school year, 97 percent obtained a high school diploma instead of dropping out.

Finally, earlier education for all would address the problem before these teens reach the proverbial crossroads.  In truth, the learning and social experiences they have from birth influence their attitudes about education, society and their own lives. Perhaps the dip in dropout rates in the past four decades hinges on another statistic: from 1980 to 2000, the number of four-year-old children in the U.S. enrolled in preschool programs rose from half to over two-thirds.  It’s time to stop making the high school dropout issue something that is confronted in the moment; prevention, as early as pre-K learning, is a long-term solution.

What do you think? What is the solution to the high school dropout crisis?

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Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education

Why Making Decisions is Hard for High School Seniors

**The Edvocate is pleased to publish guest posts as way to fuel important conversations surrounding P-20 education in America. The opinions contained within guest posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of The Edvocate or Dr. Matthew Lynch.**

A guest post by Kimberly Russell

Today high school seniors have so many choices regarding their future that it requires more thought than ever to decide what they want to do after graduation. There are a few variables that have made choosing if, where, and when to go to college a much more difficult decision.

Following in their parents’ footsteps. Often teenagers are faced with an enormous amount of pressure to follow in the footsteps of their parents. Those that come from a legacy family have, since birth, been living under the assumption that they will naturally choose the same Ivy League university that their parents and grandparents and great-grandparents chose. The more that these alumni push their children toward their school of choice, the more they may see them running in the opposite direction. The pressure of choosing a school outside of the family legacy doubles when a sibling chooses to go to a parental alma mater. Going against the grain and selecting a school that is not approved of can leave the other sibling feeling disconnected or even ostracized by the rest of the family.

Adventure seekers. Taking a year off to travel was unheard of 30 or 40 years ago. The number of opportunities for young adults to travel has increased thanks to more overseas and remote opportunities and less expensive travel options. A recent Verge Magazine article stated that you don’t need thousands of dollars to get yourself on the road. In fact, all you need is a little originality, some guts and enthusiasm, and some ideas to get you started. Additionally, the availability of online classes and more stable Internet services around the world make it easier for college students to continue their studies from anywhere in the world.

The desire to be better. Students that come from diverse backgrounds, through adversity, and dream of success want to go to college. They want a better life, a better career and a better future than what life has shown them so far. These students are the ones that work hard because nothing has ever been handed to them or been made easy for them and that’s all they know how to do. The driving force for these young adults is the belief that without a degree or a purpose, things will remain challenging and success may never be achieved.

Money matters. Paying for college or rather who should pay for college is the subject of heated debates among politicians, educators and parents. The right to an education is considered to be a basic right for all Americans. Loans, work-study programs, private and public grants and scholarships, in addition to parental contributions are all financial aids that help cover the cost of college. However, the idea of college debt is daunting considering that beginning wages hardly cover living expenses for most graduates. President Obama’s stance on affordable education is well known and represented through his actions. As president he has increased Pell Grant awards, created new tax credits to help parents pay for education, reformed student loan programs, and taken steps to combat rising costs and improve value of college education. It will be up to our next president to continue his work and make postsecondary education accessible for all.

Who needs college anyway? Success stories are wonderful and inspiring especially when they come from those that grew up in a less privileged environment. However, when the success stories are from those that didn’t go to college yet became successful, college students may be inspired to throw their education to the wind and just jump into their career. Whether a college education really matters has become such a hot topic that even Time magazine recently published a Pew Research Center study that gave statistics related to the subject. One of the most convincing numbers in favor of college education was that 86 percent of graduates thought that college was a good investment. People who argue that college is not worth it contend that the debt from college loans is too high and delays graduates from saving for retirement, buying a house or getting married. They say many successful people never graduated from college and that many jobs, especially trade jobs, do not require college degrees according to ProCon.org.

There are still other but less profound categories of the ‘undecided life choices’ of a high school senior. Luckily, there are so many resources available that making decisions doesn’t have to be a lonely, tiresome or stressful process. Using friends and family to get opinions and information, asking questions and reading about experiences of others online, and avoiding pressure from self or family are all great decision making aids. Lastly, all future life decisions don’t have to be during the last year of high school. Some people may not discover what they really want to do in life until they reach their 40s. In the meantime, our life goals are constantly changing.

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Kimberly Russell has spent nearly 15 years in the field of education. She has served as an international educator and administrator in underdeveloped areas throughout the world. The desire to promote quality education and make a difference in the lives of underprivileged children is what drove her to teach overseas. Kimberly now spends her time as an Education Consultant between Louisiana and Cairo, Egypt while homeschooling her 3 children. She can be contacted via email at [email protected], and can be followed on Twitter @startrighted.

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