Fewer students dropped out of Dothan’s public schools last year than have done so in the recent past. That, in itself, is not unexpected. In 2008, the Alabama Legislature, hoping to keep youngsters in school longer, raised the age at which they can leave school from 15 to 17. That change can explain some reduction in the number of students who quit school.
However, the reduction is startling – from 124 dropouts two years ago to only three in the 2010-2011 school year. Dothan schools, once among Alabama school systems with the highest number of dropouts, now ranks third lowest.
The lion’s share of the credit for keeping youngsters in school goes to the school system itself, which implemented programs to assist students who are struggling academically. “We make it really hard just to walk away from school,” said Allyson Morgan, director of secondary curriculum.
What confluence of factors led to the dramatic reduction in the dropout rate is largely irrelevant. The school board’s willingness to commit to students who might otherwise throw in the towel is admirable, and the strategies employed by the schools themselves have proved to be successful.
Dothan City Schools gets an A-plus on student retention.
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