11/15: Assembly Hearing on California's High School Dropout Crisis

PRESS ADVISORY PRESS ADVISORY



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Rebecca Baumann

November 11, 2005
(916) 319-2014



California's High School Dropout Rate - A Growing Crisis



Assembly Committee to Explore the Causes of the Dropout Rate

and

Highlight Promising "School-to-Career" Programs



Richmond, CA - The Assembly Select Committee on Bridging the Achievement
Gap will hold a hearing to examine California's growing high school
dropout crisis. Recent studies by Harvard, the University of California
and the Legislative Analyst's Office have concluded that the dropout
rate is abysmal. The Select Committee, chaired by Assemblywoman Loni
Hancock (D-Berkeley/Oakland) will examine what causes students to
dropout and highlight programs that have been successful in keeping
young people in school.



The hearing will be held in Richmond at the Richmond High School Little
Theater on Tuesday, November 15 from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon.



"We cannot allow more than 40% of our African American and Latino high
school teens to walk away from school and the opportunity to prepare
themselves for the work world and active participation in our
communities. We are shortchanging our young people and failing to
adequately address the larger social and economic issues related to
teens dropping out of school" said Hancock.



The recent Harvard Civil Rights Project report calls the failure of
California schools to engage students, a crisis; and estimates the
economic costs to the student and state to be approximately $18 billion
per year in wages, taxes and costs of subsequent social/law enforcement
services. The Harvard report estimates that overall dropout rates in
the state are 30%.



Assemblymember Hancock, a longtime advocate of public education hopes
that the dialogue about dropouts and the need to make our schools more
effective in engaging students will lead to greater community
participation in the reform efforts of local districts. There are a
number of successful models for reform and the hearing will focus on
"school-to-career" programs.



What: Hearing of the Select Committee on Bridging the
Achievement Gap



When: Tuesday, November 15, 2005

9:30 a.m. -12:00 p.m.



Where: Richmond High School Little Theater

1250 23rd Street, Richmond



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