NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
Does not completing high school increase criminal arrests? The connection between dropout rate in high schools and crime statistics in America has been well established by numerous statistical surveys, which indicate that the probability for the school dropout to get involved in crime equals to approximately 90 %. The reason is obvious; students academic inadequacy derives out of his mental inability to operate with abstract categories, which is the main principle of studying process. The dropout, while being unable to understand that finishing school is the most important condition for becoming a socially successful individual, looks for instant gratification. Why study and work when it is easier to make money by selling drugs or by taking them away from people, with the mean of gun? In this paper, we will analyze a few articles, which are directly related to the discussed topic.
Their authors use different methods to convince readers in the validity of their vision of what can solve the problem of an increasing dropout rate among high school students. Nevertheless, the main idea of every article is that students racial background affects dropout rate more than any other factor. In all cases, authors sense of political-correctness does not allow them to suggest that racial affiliation directly relates to dropout and crime rates in America. Nevertheless, they also cannot deny the objective reality, which indicates that the criminal is being rather born than made. Jaclyn Grodin in her article In New York, Rising Teen Drop-out and Incarceration Rates uses explanatory approach to make a point.
She relates a story of 18 years old Ashley Evans, who was being charged in connection with murder of 28 -year-old Nicole du Free on the citys Lower East Side, after dropping out of school: She is among the Black and Hispanic youth who comprise 95 percent of the citys total juvenile inmates, according to the Correctional Association of New York. A report issued last year by the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University found that New York State has the worst overall graduation rates for Black and Hispanic minority students. While nationwide 50 percent of minority youth graduate within four years, in New York the figure stands at 35 percent. The report also said that due to discrepancies in reporting; the actual dropout rate may be even higher (Grodin). However, Grodin's article cannot be considered as perfectly valid, in academic sense of this word, because authors conclusions do not correspond to the essence of her research. She suggests that the minority students need to be given more special care, although she does not specify what does mean by this.
Grodin articles main fallacy is that social programs, which are meant to decrease the dropout rate among minority students, can never affect their genetic predetermination; therefore, they cannot result in achieving a positive effect. Brian Mattmiller's article Study: Early Intervention Cuts Crime, Dropout Rates is a good example of replication with modification method of sociological research. In it, author is trying to adopt a positive attitude. While admitting that dropout rate among minority students is significantly higher, he nevertheless believes that it is possible to fight crime by applying an early intervention technique, in order to encourage kids to stay in school: New data on crime and high school completion show that early intervention creates a "cumulative advantage" that persists into early adulthood (Mattmiller). However, just like Grodin, author does not specify the meaning of buzz-terms, which are being excessively used in his article.
He tries to modify the social affects of application of cumulative advantage, yet, his way of thinking betrays him as left-wing Liberal, who simply strives to adjust the objective reality to his ideas. As practice shows, this can never happen, because the laws of nature always remain the same and they cannot be affected by delusional ideas. Daniel Losen's article Behind the Dropout Rate can be considered as the most honest, among the ones that are being analyzed in this paper. This is because he does not come up with the recipes of how to reduce the dropout rate in schools, while basing his vision solemnly on the social aspects of the problem. Author is right when he says: The failure of so many students to earn a real diploma is a major issue in the state and the city, as well as across the county. And when we dont see exactly what is going on, broken down by race, by ethnicity, by disabilities, by socioeconomic status, we dont have the basis to judge whether what we are trying to do is effective (Losen).
Author uses exploratory method to make a point in his article, because he researches the issue of dropout rate and crime statistics, in their relation to its natural setting. However, this again brings the author into the world of ghettos, as the place where the roots of the problem are really hidden: According to estimates of the national graduation rate data crunched by the Urban Institute in Washington, D. C. , theres a 50 - 50 prospect of graduating on time if you are Black, Latino or native American. When you disaggregated this further by gender, you find that black, Latino and Native American males have less than a 50 percent likelihood of earning a real diploma (Losen). Losen suggests that the increase of dropout rate, among high school students, is a direct result of multicultural policy, which is being enforced upon Americans by the hawks of political-correctness. Greg Toppo's article Baltimore Experiment Curbs Dropout Rate focuses on the positive effects of appreciation of students talents, when it comes to reducing dropout rate.
Apparently, in Baltimore, some schools decided to implement additional courses, which are meant to encourage students to discover their own hidden talents. Toppo says that this experiment has only lasted for a few weeks, yet he praises it as being fully successful. Author clearly uses an explanatory approach in his article, because he suggests that Baltimore schools methods of encouraging students to continue with their studies can be used by other American schools, as well. However, there are many logical fallacies can be found in Toppo's article. For example, attending talent class automatically implies possession of talent, on the part of students.
Yet, author describes these classes as such that do not impose any admission requirements: Talent Development High School has no admissions requirements. Students are admitted by lottery. Yet it's working, on a simple, common-sense principle: Find a dynamic principal with high expectations, give him what he needs, and let him hire the teachers he wants (Toppo). There is no doubt that this technique might work, but only at the expense of turning a high school into the kindergarten. Therefore, the overall validity of Toppo's arguments appears to be doubtful. To conclude this paper, we will analyze Rick Kahn's article 12, the new 21? , as such that helps us to define papers main idea the connection between school dropout rate and crime is more dependent on current demographic shifts, within American society, than on the social aspects of youngsters upbringing.
Today, teenagers and 12 -year-olds are becoming criminal role models for children 9 and 10 as the culture of violence continues to calcify in the community, says Kahn. According to him, it is not the dropping out of school, which inevitably leads young person to become a criminal, but rather his association with the culture of violence. Even though that author does not go beyond this point, for obvious reasons, the culture of violence is strongly associated in public conscience with Black gangsta rap. Author uses an explanatory approach in his article. He tells us about many cases of school dropouts committing horrendous crimes, but he comes to wrong conclusions, as he suggests than is the enforcement of moral principles among youth, which can change situation for better. This, of course, is a very naive suggestion, because with American society becoming more multicultural, the very basis, upon which contemporary morality is based Christian dogma, is going to loose its social influence.
It is quite amazing that neither of analyzed articles offers a comprehensive understanding of the issue. This is why there is no wonder that the dropout rate, among high school students, continues to rise with an alarming speed, which in its turn, negatively affects the crime rate in this country. Only the proper social engineering can change situation for better, but it would have to make the improvement of populations biological quality as its main principle. Bibliography: Grodin, J. In New York, Rising Teen Drop-out and Incarceration Rates. 2005. Washington Square Review.
Retrieved January 31, 2007 from web Kahn, R. 12, the new 21? . July 23, 2006. The Boston Globe. Local News. Retrieved January 31, 2007 from web Losen, D.
Behind the Dropout Rate. March 20, 2006. Gotham Gazette. Retrieved January 31, 2007 from web Mattmiller, B. Study: Early Intervention Cuts Crime, Dropout Rates. May 8, 2001.
University of Wisconsin. Retrieved January 31, 2007 from web Toppo, G. Baltimore Experiment Curbs Dropout Rate. September 27, 2006. USA Today. Com.
Retrieved January 31, 2007 from web Abstract: This paper analyses five articles of different authors that research the connection between the dropout rates in American high schools and the crime ratio. Outline: p. 1 Introduction. p. 2 Articles of Jaclyn Grodin and Brian Mattmiller. p. 3 Articles of Daniel Losen and Greg Toppo. P. 4 Article of Rick Kahn. Conclusion.
Free research essays on topics related to: objective reality, minority students, dropout rate, early intervention, political correctness
Research essay sample on Does Not Completing High School Increase Criminal Arrests
