Public Schools at the Crossroads: Addressing the Dropout Challenge in Rural America

Embed
0 Views

Dr. Hobart Harmon is one of the nation’s leading experts on public education in rural America, Dr. Hobart Harmon is codirector of the Rural Math Excel Partnership, an investing in innovation (i3) project funded by the U.S. Department of Education (U.S. DoE), and operated by the Virginia Advanced Study Strategies, Inc. Dr. Harmon has been involved in some of the most significant improvement initiatives in rural education, including the National Science Foundation’s Rural Systemic Initiatives, and the U.S. DoE’s 15-state rural dropout prevention technical assistance initiative. Dr. Harmon also advised the Alliance for Excellent Education in producing a report that brought attention to the dropout problem in rural America. Many communities in rural America are in major transition as leaders confront the realities of significant social, cultural, and economic shifts. Today, public schools are at a crossroads as they try to offer a modern education in the face of dwindling resources, changing school populations, and increasing accountability demands. With more than 12 million students enrolled in public schools in rural America, addressing the dropout challenge is vital to the future of students, their families, and rural communities. How do public schools and community leaders form meaningful partnerships to implement solutions to the dropout challenge – particularly when changing times raise the issue to crisis proportions? “Public Schools at the Crossroads: Addressing the Dropout Challenge in Rural America” will focus on: Where the rural dropout problem is most prominent in the U.S., and why there are high concentrations of dropouts in certain rural areas; What risk factors fuel dropping out of school in rural areas; and How partnerships can help confront challenges for implementing promising dropout practices in rural areas.



August 25, 2015 58:52


The Academy

About Solutions to the Dropout Crisis

With a national dropout rate well exceeding 30% for many subpopulations, we face a national crisis. In South Carolina, the situation is even worse. By sharing what actually works to combat this challenges in our state and across our nation’s future, the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network is committed to providing information to the relevant constituencies on research-based solutions to the dropout crisis. Solutions to the Dropout Crisis is a professional development broadcast produced by Clemson University Broadcast Productions for the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network. Solutions airs the second Tuesday of each month throughout the year, bringing the best in professional learning opportunities to its viewers as they seek ongoing strategies and information related to dropout prevention, intervention, and recovery to improve high school graduation rates and school dropout rates. For more related links and resources related to each program, visit www.dropoutprevention.org/webcast