Ticking Time Bomb

Never in our nation’s history have the demands on our educational system been greater or the consequences of

failure as severe. The difference between success and failure in school is, quite literally, life and death for our

students.

For students who fail in our educational system, the reality is

that there are virtually no paths of opportunity.

The likely pathway for students who struggle in school is an

adult life of poverty, incarceration, and/or

dependence on society’s welfare systems.

-- Dropouts on average earn about $12,000 per year, nearly 50 percent less than those who have a high school diploma

-- They are more likely to experience health problems

--Rouse/Muenning, 2005: www.centerforpubliceducation.org

Poverty…

Nearly one out of two adults,

are functionally illiterate or near illiterate, without the minimum skills

requiredin a modern society.

Larry Roberts, Illiteracy on the Rise in America http://www.wsws.org

Poverty…

44 million cannot read a newspaperor fill out a job application.

Another 50 million more cannot read or comprehend above the eighth

grade level.

Larry Roberts, Illiteracy on the Rise in America http://www.wsws.org

Poverty…

Poverty…

43 percent of people with the lowest literacy skills live below the

government's official poverty line

Larry Roberts, Illiteracy on the Rise in America http://www.wsws.org

Incarceration

Across the United States, 82% of prison inmates are

dropouts

Ysseldyke, Algozzine, & Thurlow 1992

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2248/is_n126_v32/ai_19619426/pg_4

Incarceration

70 percent of all prison inmates are functionally illiterate or

read below a fourth-grade level.

http://www.proliteracy.org/downloads/ProLiteracyStateOfLiteracy%2010-25-04.pdf

Incarceration

State prisons look at 3rd grade reading levels to predict how many

prison cells will be needed in 10 years.

Incarceration

85% of juvenile offenders have reading problems.

http://www.literacybuffalo

Incarceration and Special Education

The incidence of learning disabilities among the general population is

around 5%. This is in sharp contrast with the number of LD students in

the criminal justice system, estimated to be as high as 50%.

Bell, 1990: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2248/is_n126_v32/ai_19619426/

pg_4

Social Costs

75% of those claiming welfare are functionally illiterate.

http://www.covinaliteracy.org/facts.htm

Social Costs

A 10 percent increase in the graduation rate would likely reduce the murder and assault arrest rates by about 20 percent

Moretti, 2005: www.centerforpubliceducation.org

Social Costs

Increasing the high school completion rate by just

one percent for men ages 20-60 would save up to

$1.4 billion per year in reduced costs from crime.

Moretti, 2005: www.centerforpubliceducation.org

With such high stakes, educators today are like

tightrope walkers without a safety net, responsible for meeting the

needs of every child with little room for error.

Ticking Time Bomb