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Students Reveal Dynamics Behind L.A Dropout Crisis

(Eastern Group Publications News - August 21, 2007

By Irantzu Pujadas

Students from Roosevelt and Wilson High Schools were among twenty-four students from the five Los Angeles County high schools with the highest dropout rates, who last week presented their research findings on the reasons students dropout and become disinvested in the high school educational experience.

The students did their research as part of a 5-week UCLA/IDEA’S Summer Seminar examining the root causes behind the high drop out rate. And last Friday, Aug. 10, they presented their research, through a high-tech multi-media presentation, to a packed audience gathered at Los Angeles City Hall.

Students explained they researched the various social, economic, cultural, and pedagogical factors that contribute to youth disinvestment in education. Their research found that overall, students get disinvested in their schools because they feel disconnected from adults. The students told the audience, which included elected officials, educators and others, that they believe better relationships between adults and youth need to be built in order to reduce the high school dropout rate.

Teacher/student relationships need to improve, said the student researchers, adding that many of the students featured in their study said they believe their teachers do not respect them and do not care if they learn.

“When I do math, I need someone with me to help me, because I am slow, but once the teacher was kind of mean to me and I just stopped having an interest in learning math, or going to school,” said a student featured in one of the video portion of the research presentation

Another issue pointed out by the UCLA/IDEA students, is the need to involve the community in the education of its youth, and the need to get students involved in the community so they will feel safer in their own schools.

“We are all responsible for the safety of students going to and from school, this is a community issue and kids need to feel safe,” said Ray Cortines Deputy Mayor for Children, Families and Youth, one of several guest speakers who dialogued with the students during the city hall presentation.

Among their key findings, student researchers said students told them that they want to learn more about their own roots, culture and history.

“Why do I have to learn about European history?” asked a student featured in one of the research videos. “I am interested in what is going on right now, why doesn’t anybody explain to me what is happening in Iraq?” Cortines said that the issue regarding the teaching of roots and culture should have been dealt with a long time ago, and he told EGP that if students can provide that kind of data, he wonders why the school district hasn’t.

“We need the data from every school to look at the issue, whether it’s attendance, whether it is the dropout rate, what are the safety nets that schools have to make children successful,” said Cortines.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa acknowledged the significant dropout problem during his brief speech at Friday’s presentation “When half of our kids in schools are dropping out we have a real problem, we really need to do a real introspective of what’s going on,” he said.

He also said that there isn’t anybody better to explain the dropout rate than young people, who he described as the ones who really “understand the frustrations, the needs, and concerns” of their fellow high school students.

Villaraigosa emphasized that LAUSD Board President Monica Garcia and the new board majority are “absolutely committed to addressing this dropout rate.”

“Teachers and principals should begin to ask themselves why students are dropping out.” Villaraigosa said.

Cortines told EGP that the office of the Mayor is working hard to secure schools, not only on campus, but also in the surrounding community, to make sure that the trip to and from school is safe for every student.

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