Dilemmas In High School

As I walk into the classroom, I am immediately struck by the myriads of colors and sounds that fill the room with vibrant life. It looks as if a miniature home, and it is clear that the students, their ages from two to six, are running it. Towards one end of the classroom, there is a distinct section of hardwood. Seated at tables, students in this section seemingly play with a wide array of multi-colored objects with a diligent concentration. There is even a small table at which one student is peeling and slicing a banana, which he then proceeds to share with his classmates as he walks around the room, his head held high in diplomatic responsibility. The rest of the vivacious room is carpeted in blue, at the center of which is a square red …show more content…
Numerous studies have indicated this through severe statistic dilemmas in the education system. For example, the average high school graduation rate is merely fifty-three percent in the fifty largest cities and eighty-two percent nation-wide. In the city of Cleveland, this average drops to a mere thirty-eight percent of students. These appalling numbers become even more significant when compared to the eighty percent graduation rate in the Cleveland suburbs (Dillon). Not only do these statistics reveal inequitable high school graduation rates between different areas, but they also indicate significant challenges to the high school graduation overall. While the numbers are startling, many attempt to improve graduation rates from high school by starting in high school. The reality of the situation, however, is that this is often too late. By taking a further look at the roots of high school dropout, a chilling story emerges. The statistics reveal that educational setbacks develop long before high school. One example of these statistics is that, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, merely thirty-six percent of fourth grade students performing at or above grade level in reading. This shocking deprivation additionally exhibits the urban-suburban gap, as this level increases in suburban areas to forty-one percent but decreases in urban areas to thirty-two percent. Furthermore, the statistics reveal the deep racial inequities in education as the percentage of fourth grade students reading at or above grade level increases to forty-six percent for white people and fifty-seven percent for Asian people, whereas it decreases to twenty-one percent for Hispanic people and eighteen percent for black people ("2015 Mathematics & Reading Assessments"). Based on these numbers, there are tremendous