Edwards Campaign Press Release - On Day Six Of "Fighting For One America Tour," Edwards Outlines Plan To Tackle High School Dropout Crisis

Plan will create multiple pathways to graduation so more young people have the opportunity to succeed

Dubuque, Clinton, Davenport and Cedar Rapids, Iowa – On the sixth day of Senator John Edwards' "Fighting for One America" tour, Edwards outlined his plan to increase high school graduation rates so more young people have the chance to get ahead. Nationwide, almost a third of students are estimated to drop out of school before earning a high school diploma. Iowa has many great schools and hardworking teachers that have helped put the state well ahead of the national average with an 81 percent graduation rate. Yet, Edwards believes this rate is still unacceptably low and it includes significant racial disparities. As president, he will reform our schools and offer multiple pathways to graduation, including "second-chance" schools for dropouts and alternative schools for at-risk students.

"We need to address the dropout crisis in our country, because we all pay a price when young people who could someday find the cure for AIDS or make a fuel cell work are sitting on a stoop because they didn't get the education they needed," said Edwards. "America is about second chances, and we should make sure all of our children have the chance they need to earn their high school diploma. A good education is the sturdiest ladder to success and we need to do everything in our power to encourage our young people and make sure they have the chance to go as far as their hard work and God-given talents will take them."

Today, Edwards released his plan to help students stay in or return to school and earn their high school degrees. Surveys find that dropouts almost universally express regret over leaving school. Because one size does not fit all children, Edwards believes we must create multiple pathways to high school graduation, so more students graduate and have the chance to achieve success. Edwards' plan will increase efforts to create the opportunities that students need to earn a high school diploma. As president he will:

• Reform Our Schools, Starting in the Early Grades: Edwards will recruit more excellent teachers where they are needed most and, because of the strong connection between poor literacy skills and dropping out, increase funding for the Striving Readers program to help students struggling to read and write in grades four and up. Edwards also supports strong early childhood education programs to help more students start school ready to learn.
• Create Second Chance Schools and Other Paths to Graduation: Edwards will create "second chance" schools to help former dropouts return to school and earn their diploma with flexible class times and locations and connections to youth development services. He will also support alternatives for students at risk of dropping out, such as smaller schools and classes, academically rigorous alternative schools, flexible and accelerated schedules, academic and other support services, and engaging coursework connected to real life experiences.
• Balance Accountability Systems to Reward Progress in Graduation: An overemphasis on test scores can unintentionally create incentives to push out low-scoring students. Edwards believes that No Child Left Behind should be fixed to reward higher graduation rates, including the enrollment of former dropouts, as well as higher test scores.

Today's proposals build on the rest of Edwards' agenda to strengthen schools and make college affordable, which includes:

• Investing in Teachers: Edwards will attract good teachers in rural, urban and other schools where we need them most with college scholarships and higher pay.
• >Expanding Access to Early Childhood Education: As president, Edwards will expand Head Start and other programs that offer access to early childhood education.
• Expanding College Opportunity: As president, Edwards will pass a College for Everyone program - based on the successful model he helped start in North Carolina -- to pay one year of public-college tuition, fees and books for more than 2 million students. In return, students will be required to work part-time, take a college-prep curriculum in high school, and stay out of trouble.

A detailed fact sheet outlining Edwards' plan to help students stay in or return to school and earn their high school degrees is below.

The Edwards campaign has launched a blog on its Iowa webpage featuring updates, photos, and video about the seven-day "Fighting for One America" bus tour. To follow along with the trip, Iowans are invited visit JohnEdwards.com/Iowa.

Ending The Dropout Crisis With Multiple Paths To High School Graduation

"There is a dropout crisis in our nation. America is about second chances, and we should make sure all of our children have the chance they need to earn their high school diploma." - John Edwards

More than 50 years after Brown v. Board of Education, we still have two school systems, separate and unequal, now divided by family wealth as well as race. Nationwide, almost of a third of students are estimated to drop out of school before earning a high school diploma. Iowa has many great schools and hardworking teachers that have helped put the state well ahead of the national average with an 81 percent graduation rate. Yet this is still unacceptably low, and includes a significant racial disparity. At nearly 2,000 high schools nationwide - called "dropout factories" - more than 40 percent of students won't graduate. These schools are 10 percent of American high schools and produce about half of its dropouts. At times, high-stakes testing policies have led schools to "push out" low-performing students since the easiest way to raise test scores is to let or even encourage students with low test scores to leave school. [Baron, 2005; Alliance for Excellent Education, 2007; Balfranz and Legters, 2004; Orfield, Losen, Wald and Swanson, 2004]

Strong public schools are critical to achieving One America where everyone has an opportunity to work hard and build a better life. Today, Edwards released his plan to help students stay in or return to school and earn their high school degrees.

• Almost a Third of Students Fail to Graduate: The exact number of students who fail to earn a high school diploma is unknown; the failure to even count them accurately symbolizes the failure to address the dropout crisis. National estimates often find that nearly a third of our children fail to earn a regular diploma, including nearly half of black and Latino students. The most generous estimates of the dropout rate are still unacceptably high. [Baron, 2005; Education Week, 6/12/2007; EPI, 2006]
• High School Dropouts Suffer in the Job Market: High school dropouts earned an average of $20,100 in 2005, nearly 50 percent lower than workers with a diploma or G.E.D. They are only three-quarters as likely to be employed as high school graduates. [NCES, 2007; NEA, 2007]

Helping Every Child Graduate Through Multiple Pathways

John Edwards believes that high school dropout rates are unacceptably high. We must redouble our efforts to create the opportunities that students need to earn a high school diploma with the skills and knowledge they need to continue their education. As president he will:

• Reform Our Schools, Starting in the Early Grades: Children do not drop out overnight; they start dropping out years earlier as they fall behind in their classes and disengage from school. Edwards supports strong early childhood education programs to help more students start school ready to learn. He will recruit more excellent teachers where they are needed most and, because of the strong connection between poor literacy skills and dropping out, increase funding for the Striving Readers program to help students struggling to read and write in grades four and up. And he believes that our education system should help children develop the skills they need for the future in math and science, creativity and critical thinking.
• Create Second Chance Schools and Other Paths to Graduation: Surveys find that dropouts almost universally express regret over leaving school; as adults, 81 percent say that graduating from high school is important to success in life. Because one size does not fit all children, Edwards believes we must create multiple pathways to high school graduation. He will create "second chance" schools to help former dropouts return to school and earn their diploma with flexible class times and locations and connections to youth development services. He will also support alternatives for students at risk of dropping out, such as smaller schools and classes, academically rigorous alternative schools, flexible and accelerated schedules, academic and other support services, and engaging coursework connected to real life experiences. New York City has achieved successes with its transfer schools and young adult borough centers. Edwards also supports proven programs like Job Corps and YouthBuild USA. [Civic Enterprises, 2006; NYC Department of Education, 2006]
• Balance Accountability Systems to Reward Progress in Graduation: Test scores alone cannot measure a school. In fact, an overemphasis on test scores can unintentionally create incentives to push out low-scoring students. Edwards believes that No Child Left Behind should be fixed to reward higher graduation rates, including the enrollment of former dropouts, as well as higher test scores.

Today's proposals build on the rest of Edwards' agenda to strengthen schools and make college affordable:

• Invest in Teachers: Studies bear out what parents already know: nothing is more important to children's success than their teachers. Our country needs to invest more in recruiting, training and paying teachers like the professionals they are. Edwards will attract good teachers in rural, urban and other schools where we need them most with college scholarships and higher pay. Because the hardest time in a teacher's career is the first couple of years, he will pair new teachers with successful veteran "master teachers."
• Expand Access to Early Childhood Education: High-quality education for young children can have a large impact on their later success in school and in life. Young people who are enrolled in preschool programs are more likely to graduate from high school, own homes, and earn more as adults. With its Smart Start program, North Carolina has been a national leader in early education. As president, Edwards will expand Head Start and other programs that offer access to early childhood education. [High/Scope Educational Research Foundation, 2005]
• Expand College Opportunity: College graduates can expect to earn $1 million more over their lifetimes than high school graduates, and their children are almost twice as likely to attend college. An estimated 200,000 college-qualified graduates fail to go to college each year. As president, Edwards will pass a College for Everyone program - based on the successful model he helped start in North Carolina - to pay one year of public-college tuition, fees and books for more than 2 million students. In return, students will be required to work part-time, take a college-prep curriculum in high school, and stay out of trouble. Edwards will also simplify the student aid application and help every Title I high school hire an additional counselor. [College Summit, 2007; Dynarski, 1999]