Title
Authorizing the Committee on Education to investigate and conduct hearings related to the reported crisis faced by the City of Philadelphia regarding the high drop out rate among public school students prior to high school graduation, for the purpose of examining the reported data and exploring corrective measures that can be taken to encourage high school graduation.
Body
WHEREAS, A study conducted by researchers, Ruth Curran Neild, Ph.D. and Robert Balfanz, Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University, entitled, "Unfulfilled Promise: The Dimensions and Characteristics of Philadelphia's Dropout Crisis, 2000-2005," reports that approximately 30,000 students have dropped out of Philadelphia schools between the years 2000 and 2005; and
WHEREAS, About 48% to 54% of ninth graders in Philadelphia schools graduate from high school within four years, with that number increasing to 61% to 63% after six years, according to this study; and
WHEREAS, The study also found that in any one year, approximately 8,000 students, or about 30% of all students in grades 6 through 12, drop out of school and that as many as 5,000 more are in school so infrequently that they are considered to be "near dropouts;" and
WHEREAS, Dropping out of school is not limited to high school students alone; 15% of drop outs referred to in the study were no more than 15 years old, and more than 500 students in grades 6 through 8 are officially listed as having dropped out of school; and
WHEREAS, It is reported that students attending large neighborhood high schools in low-income neighborhoods and disciplinary schools are most at risk and that the lowest graduation rates are among Latino males, followed by African American males, Latino females and African American females; and
WHEREAS, An alarmingly high number of students, 75% or higher, within the care of various City agencies such as abused and neglected children, children in foster care, and those in "out of home placement...
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