Last week's Do Now looks that the high school drop out crisis in America. Students from all over the country presents reasons they felt their peers are dropping out.
The conversation began with some grim statistics:
More than 20 percent of California high school students drop out of school before graduation, according to 2009 state education data. To get a sense of just how many, imagine sitting in your math class and counting out every fifth student sitting in class with you. In a class of 30, that would be six students.
Of course, 20 percent is just the average dropout rate in California. Some schools have a much lower rate, but for others, it's much, much higher. And in many cases, it's low-income areas with large minority student populations that have some of the highest dropout rates.
For instance, in 2009 more than one third of California's African American public high school students didn't graduate. That's far above the rate for any other ethnic group. Hispanics had the second highest rate, at 27 percent, according to the state's data.
Below is the conversation along with narrated slideshows from teachers from the Bay Area.
More than one out of five high school students in California drop out of school. Answer one or more of these questions: What do you think is the biggest reason why so many students don't make it to graduation? Do you know of someone who dropped out? What do you think was the cause?
Introduction
More than 20 percent of California high school students drop out of school before graduation, according to 2009 state education data. That's a lot of students! To get a sense of just how many, imagine sitting in your math class and counting out every fifth student sitting in class with you. In a class of 30, that would be six students.
Of course, 20 percent is just the average dropout rate in California. Some schools have a much lower rate, but for others, it's much, much higher. And in many cases, it's low-income areas with large minority student populations that have some of the highest dropout rates.
For instance, in 2009 more than one third of California's African American public high school students didn't graduate. That's far above the rate for any other ethnic group. Hispanics had the second highest rate, at 27 percent, according to the state's data.
The dropout rate differences between school districts also varied greatly. In Oakland, for instance, the dropout rate in 2009 was 40 percent, one of the highest in the state (up from 28 percent the previous year). But directly across the bridge in San Francisco, the rate was only 9 percent (down from 18 percent in 2008).
On a beautiful fall Saturday in Oakland, students, educators and families filled the Kaiser Center’s 400-seat theater to watch 20 compelling youth-produced films that focused on social change and the high school dropout crisis.
The Rise to the Occasion Youth Media Festival was organized by KQED, along with other members of the Bay Area Youth Media Network (BAYMN), a consortium of more than 20 non-profits that believe in the power of media production to engage youth voice, self-expression and empowerment as well as to inspire social change.
Films not only expressed the complexity of issues that cause students to dropout of high school, they also explored the topics of health, race, sexual identity and discrimination.
Check out the winning videos below. Please note that each of the video players are playlists that host 3 videos, respectively. To view the other videos in the playlist, click on the text that says "Playlist" on the bottom of the player. A window will slide up and you can see the other videos. Click on one to view.
I have been facilitating media literacy and video production workshops with Bay Area youth and educators for over 12 years and the Youth Film Lab was the experience of a lifetime. It was the first workshop I taught in which teens produced and edited their videos within 4.5 hours and then an hour later screened the videos to a live audience at the Oakland School of the Arts Black Box Theater. How did we accomplish this task? First, we had a talented and motivated group of 14 teens from all over Oakland. Second, TILT (the youth media program at Ninth Street Independent Film Center) and Disposable Film Festival (DFF) crafted an action-packed curriculum that had the teens on the flip cameras right away. Teens were able to express themselves in the hands-on video activity When People See Me. This effective icebreaker allowed the teens to quickly get to know each other and therefore they were ready to jump into a brief discussion about using mobile media for social action and change.
The next hands-on camera activity focused on Media Aesthetics and the importance of framing camera shots, sound and lighting. Teens were broke into teams of two to explore the neighborhood as they practiced different types of camera shot-sizes, angles, and movement.
Extreme close up of a small object that has big meaning
Smooth pan of the street
A shot (any size and angle) of a reflection that represents YOU
Applications are now open for BAYMN's Rise to the Occasion Youth Media Festival, hosted at the Kaiser Center in Oakland on October 13, 2012, 2-5pm.
Deadline for submission: September 10, 2012
For its first public festival, the Bay Area Youth Media Network (BAYMN) is seeking youth-produced videos that tell stories or highlight issues of social change. Two issues of specific interest are:
The 2012 Presidential Election
The High School Dropout Crisis
Prizes will be awarded in both of these categories as well as in the general competition.
So what constitutes social change? Issues that affect people in your community, nationally and globally. Issues such as gang violence, drug abuse, bullying, college access, unemployment, affordable housing, medical care, teen pregnancy, racism, sexism, financial inequity... you get the picture. Any issue that you feel passionate about and want your voice to be heard. We want to hear it. And so do your peers.
We are now accepting submissions from youth ages 12–24 who have made video projects in school, in an after-school program, in a summer program, or independently. The video must be self-contained and able to stand alone (e.g., not a segment of a larger project). Digital media presentations that are not film or video (e.g., PowerPoint, Prezi, etc.) will not be accepted. Projects must be published on a video-hosting site such as YouTube, SchoolTube, or Vimeo. Videos may not exceed 15 minutes and must have been produced AFTER June 1, 2011.
Not the most uplifting way to start a blog post, huh? It's all true, though. And few people are more aware of it than the teachers and students on the front lines.
On March 13, teachers, education advocates, and a number of students filled the theater at Laney College in Oakland to address the problem, ask important questions, and share thoughts on how best to tackle this ongoing crisis in American education. The forum was part of American Graduate: Let's Make It Happen, an initiative spearheaded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), in partnership with America's Promise Alliance and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Local public radio and television stations (including KQED) in 20 impacted "hub markets" where the high school dropout crisis is most acute, are convening teacher town hall events to raise awareness of, and bring attention to, the issue.
Moderated by Snap Judgement host Glynn Washington, Tuesday's event centered around a panel of seasoned Oakland educators who spoke passionately about the extent of the crisis from their unique perspectives. While specific opinions and suggested courses of action varied widely, all participants were united in their insistence that a whole generation of young people are being left behind, and that urgent change is desperately needed.
Below are some of the overarching themes that shaped the discussion:
Strong student/teacher relationships are crucial
Students need to know that teachers care; that they know them; that they listen to them
Teachers must create support systems for their most vulnerable students, and provide lasting mentorship
Teachers need to encourage creativity/critical thinking among their students
It’s the role of educators to spark students’ minds, help create change
Much of today's conventional educational approaches focus too much on basic skills, and not nearly enough on creative skills and real-world job skills
Teachers are critical to student success, but there is often too much responsibility placed on them. The community support factor can't be ignored.
There is a serious lack of stability in the teaching force, and this directly impacts the stability of students; teacher dropouts encourage student dropouts
Teachers have questionable access to basic resources, which affects the length of their teaching commitment
There is a lack of consistency in the educational system; a constant flux in procedures, goals and approaches makes it harder on everyone
For many students entering high school, success is predetermined (there is still an unofficial form of tracking at play)
In many cases, students need to be taught “how” to be in school and "how" to learn; it shouldn't simply be assumed that this is inherent knowledge
There is a lack of relevance/meaning in most standardized curriculum; this results in a lack of student engagement and retention
Too often ignored in the education debate are the crucial impact of poverty, nutritional health, and basic resources on educational achievement
More than one out of five high school students in California drop out of school. Answer one or more of these questions: What do you think is the biggest reason why so many students don't make it to graduation? Do you know of someone who dropped out? What do you think was the cause?
Introduction
More than 20 percent of California high school students drop out of school before graduation, according to 2009 state education data. That's a lot of students! To get a sense of just how many, imagine sitting in your math class and counting out every fifth student sitting in class with you. In a class of 30, that would be six students.
Of course, 20 percent is just the average dropout rate in California. Some schools have a much lower rate, but for others, it's much, much higher. And in many cases, it's low-income areas with large minority student populations that have some of the highest dropout rates.
For instance, in 2009 more than one third of California's African American public high school students didn't graduate. That's far above the rate for any other ethnic group. Hispanics had the second highest rate, at 27 percent, according to the state's data.
The dropout rate differences between school districts also varied greatly. In Oakland, for instance, the dropout rate in 2009 was 40 percent, one of the highest in the state (up from 28 percent the previous year). But directly across the bridge in San Francisco, the rate was only 9 percent (down from 18 percent in 2008).
PBS NewsHour segment Oakland Program Aims to Pique Girls' Interest in Science, Tech Careers
As part of the NewsHour's American Graduate series, correspondent Spencer Michels reports on Techbridge, an after-school program based in Oakland, Calif., that shows hundreds of female students a path to pursuing careers in science and technology, while also trying to minimize the chances of them dropping out of school.
To respond to the Do Now, you can comment below or tweet your response. Be sure to begin your tweet with @KQEDedspace and end it with #KQEDDoNow
Do Now is a weekly activity for students to respond to current issues through the use KQED's award-winning online media resources and social media tools like Twitter.
