Giving Compass' Take:

• A report released from Johns Hopkins University found that only 1,329 high schools in the U.S. (which represent ten percent of traditional high schools) have low graduation rates, commonly located in high poverty areas. 

• Looking at the relationship between poverty and graduation rates, the author observes that grass root community organizing in those areas can encourage more parent involvement which could boost graduation rates. 

• Read about transparency programs for high school graduates that offer insight into alternative educational pathways. 

Just 1,329 U.S. high schools — representing 10% of all traditional high schools enrolling at least 300 students — have low graduation rates or weak rates of student promotion from freshman to senior over four years, according to the "Great American High School," released Thursday by Civic Enterprises and the Everyone Graduates Center at the Johns Hopkins University.

Conducted in partnership with America’s Promise Alliance and the Alliance for Excellent Education, the research finds that these schools are largely located in high-poverty districts, half of the schools serve a 90% minority population, around 75% are majority minority, 76% are district-run and 24% are charters.

Poverty's impact on educational achievement cannot be understated. Students from low-income families are more likely to face food insecurity, lack access to affordable healthcare, and even be homeless. And students who are hungry, frequently ill, or wondering where they might sleep that evening are less likely to be able to concentrate and perform well in school.

Of course, these are bigger problems than administrators can confront alone. Partnering with local organizations and businesses can help band-aid these needs within communities, but broader advocacy — and grass-roots organizing that brings parents and community leaders into those efforts — must also be considered to encourage policymakers to address these root causes rather than continuing to patch the symptoms.

Read the full article about low graduation rates by Roger Riddell at Education Dive