Texas dropout conference will bring national researchers to Rice University Oct. 6 to address dropout crisis

B.J. Almond                                                                                             Rashena Lindsay
PHONE: 713-348-6770                                                                         281-459-2698 or 713-301-4577

Texas dropout conference will bring national researchers to Rice University Oct. 6 to address dropout crisis

In major Texas cities, huge numbers of students never complete high school. The future of these students is bleak, and the impact of this crisis on the health of our community is very serious. Each year, we lose over 120,000 young people from Texas schools prior to their graduation. National researchers will be at Houston’s Rice University Oct. 6 to address this crisis at “The Texas Dropout Crisis and our Children – A Conference on Graduation Rates, Causes, and Policy Solutions.”

Co-sponsored by the Rice University Center for Education, Children at Risk, the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University, and the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, the conference will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in McNair Hall, 6100 Main St. Register at http://centerforeducation.org.

Research shows that individuals with a high school diploma live longer, have better indicators of general health, and are less likely to use publicly funded health insurance than high school dropouts. Over a lifetime, an individual who has not completed high school will earn about $260,000 less than a high school graduate. People who drop out of high school are more likely to commit crimes and end up in prison. Individuals who not only complete high school, but also college, are three times more likely to vote than those without a high school diploma.

The Editorial Projects in Education Research Center reports the following graduation rates for major cities in Texas, demonstrating that the impact of the dropout crisis falls most strongly on urban centers and on African-American and Latino students.

The conference will convene nationally recognized researchers to present studies that use different methodologies but come to the same conclusions: on average, only 60 percent of students in Texas graduate, and as low as 40 percent of students in the state’s major cities graduate .  

Researchers will also present findings about what causes students to drop out, with implications for how schools and school systems can address the problem. The conference will feature superintendents and community leaders who will talk about their understanding of the dropout problem and what kind of support is needed from the community to resolve it.

Presenters include:

• Gary Orfield, Harvard University Graduate School of Education and The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University

• Linda Darling-Hammond, Stanford University and the School Redesign Network

• Angela Valenzuela, the University of Texas at Austin

• Christopher Swanson , Editorial Projects in Education Research Center and editor of “Diplomas Count,”,a special report of Education Week

• María Robledo Montecel, Intercultural Development Research Association

• Robert Sanborn, President and CEO, CHILDREN AT RISK

• Linda M. McNeil, Professor of Education, Co-Director of the Center for Education at Rice University

• Robert Balfanz, Johns Hopkins University

• Stephen Klineberg, Rice University

• Abelardo Saavedra, Superintendent, Houston ISD

• Sandra Mossman, Superintendent, Clear Creek ISD

• Duncan Klusman, Superintendent, Spring Branch ISD

• Sylvia Brooks, Executive Director, Houston Area Urban League

• Renato De Los Santos, Dallas Regional Office Director, LULAC National Educational Service Center

• Scott Hochberg, Texas State Legislator

• Dora Olivo, Texas State Legislator

Agenda

9 a.m. — Welcome, Rice University Center for Education

Session I
Getting the Right Numbers and Getting the Numbers Right: How Research Converges on the Severity of the Problem

Gary Orfield, The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University and Harvard Graduate School of Education

Chris Swanson, Editorial Projects in Education Research Center

Stephen Klineberg, Rice University

Julian Vasquez Heilig, University of Texas in Austin

Magnus Lofstrom, University of Texas in Dallas

Session II
Understanding the Dropout Issue:  Do our Current Education Policies Help Students Get through School?

Robert Balfanz, Johns Hopkins University

Linda McNeil, Rice University

Eileen Coppola, Rice University

Linda Darling-Hammond, Stanford University

Luncheon, Grand Hall

Speaker:
María (Cuca) Robledo Montecel, Intercultural Development Research Association

Panel of Superintendents:
Abelardo Saavedra, Houston ISD
Sandra Mossman, Clear Creek ISD

Duncan Klusman, Spring Branch ISD

Session III
What Causes Dropping Out?  How Our Schools Approach Diverse Languages and Cultures

Judy Radigan, Rice University

Angela Valenzuela, University of Texas at Austin

Carol Camp Yeakey, Washington University in St. Louis

Session IV
The Dropout Problem:  What Can Policymakers and Community Leaders Do?

Daniel Losen, The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University

Responses from a Panel of Legislators and Community Leaders:
Representative Scott Hochberg
Representative Dora Olivo
Sylvia Brooks, Executive Director, Houston Area Urban League

Renato De Los Santos , Dallas Regional Office Director, LULAC National Educational Service Center

About CHILDREN AT RISK

CHILDREN AT RISK is a nonprofit organization leading the way to improving the quality of life for Greater Houston children through research, collaboration, advocacy and legal services. CHILDREN AT RISK educates the community and public officials based on its groundbreaking research, Growing Up in Houston , which tracks children’s health, safety, education, and economic conditions. By understanding children’s needs and speaking out on their behalf, CHILDREN AT RISK drives change. For more information about CHILDREN AT RISK, visit www.childrenatrisk.org or call 713-869-7740.

About Rice University Center for Education

Since its founding in 1988, the Center for Education has created links between learning, research, curriculum, and school organization and policy. It has become a significant presence in school change in Texas and nationally by working closely with school practitioners, community leaders, policymakers, and children. The Center offers professional development for teachers in early literacy, multicultural education, science education and writing, in addition to conducting extensive research in the field of education. Contact the Rice University Center for Education at 713-348-5145 or http://centerforeducation.rice.edu.