Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)

Many middle school teachers writing that their students lack math skills-- multiplication facts, place value. Near the end a "support conceptual thinking with inquiry based learning" person weighs in, and a first grade teacher explains that her district requires use of calculators in first grade.

Data suggest that most dropouts are students who could have succeeded in school. Of even more concern is the fact that positive life outcomes for dropouts have changed significantly. This issue of Infobrief focuses on the dropout rate and is the third in a series designed to examine factors that contribute to the achievement gap.

By Gene R. Carter, Executive Director, ASCD
It\'s no secret that our nation has a problem keeping kids in school. The graduation rate hovers below 70 percent, jeopardizing the future of millions of young people. What\'s more, many of the problems facing students are present before they set foot in high school, and a third of dropouts exit school without making it past 9th or 10th grade.