HATTIESBURG AMERICAN
By Demetrica Smith
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
PROGRAM AIMS TO CURB DROPOUT RATE
Clemon Ector, an ex-football and track coach, has traded coaching sports to coaching students on the importance of staying in school.
Director of Hattiesburg High School's Dropout Prevention Program, Ector, along with the superintendent, parents and the community, are making it their business to meet once a month to try to put a handle on Hattiesburg's 30 percent student dropout rate.
"Anything you expect, you need to inspect," Ector said.
He's referring to the expectations of producing a decrease in the dropout rate for the district, which would in turn increase graduates. The prevention program will inspect those numbers at the end of each year to become in compliance with the state's future mandated goals.
Gov. Haley Barbour's office, the Legislature, the state Department of Education and the Dropout Prevention Task Force are working together to implement a new plan to decrease the state's number of high school dropouts by requiring each district to create a plan by the end of the year on how they will address the dropout issue in their area. ...
"Even though the state's plan is not effective until next year, our program is working now to help our students stay in school," Ector said.
The state's prevention plan goals are to increase the graduation rate to 85 percent by 2019; reduce
the state dropout rate by 50 percent and to reduce the state's truancy rate from 31.8 to 16 percent by 2013.
"A child who is missing a lot of school is a good indicator that this child may be at risk to becoming a dropout," Ector said. ...
"I am like a buffer between the parent and the law to try to intervene and counsel the parent and student about the repercussions of missing too many days," Ector said. "I will do all I can to retain that student."
Although notifying parents and intervention is necessary for tackling the dropout issue, Ector said the most important aspect of the program is counseling.
He said students need to be tutored and counseled to enable them to identify their career goals and plans. Once their goals are identified, it will give that student a sense of what they are trying to achieve in life and maybe create an interest for that student to stay in school.
"It is important that these students realize the challenges they will face in society when they don't have a diploma or GED," he said. ...
"Successful schools have successful family and community support," he said. "Progress moves a little more faster with support."
For the full story, visit the Hattiesburg American website: http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071004/NEWS01/710040319/1002