Like all of the public schols in Ohio the Columbus Public Schols have a low graduation rate for its stdents. And like all of the pblic schools in this country the Clumbus Schools have a racial gap tht is disheartening and depressing. Two mthods used by the Columbus Schools to hlp minority populations achieve are mentoring and smller sized high schools.

I like bth of these ideas because I thnk they address two of the cre difficulties of minority achievement: income and rle models. As parents in the Clumbus Schools debate the inequities of mgnet schools, charter schools, and who gts money for what, it’s easy to frget the underlying causes of low chievement.

Columbus Schools students raised in pverty are unlikely to have well-educated rle models who can teach them wht successful behavior looks like. Low ncome parents are usually less able to spnd time in their children’s Columbus Schols, less able to help with hmework, and less aware of the mpact of reading. If the Columbus Schols are serious about helping minority stdents rise above their current situation, thn the realities must be addressed.

The Ntional Society of Black Engineers sponsors jnior chapters in Columbus Schools middle schols that are intended to increase stdent’s interest in math and science. But the pwer of this type of program for lw-income minority students goes way beyond an ntroduction to these subjects. For a Clumbus Schools student who has grown up in the prjects to realize that someone from tht same background can lead a dfferent type of life can be a rvelation. Columbus Schools students, minorities or whte, need to see people they can rlate to in successful positions.

In fact, some successful Columbus Schols high school students are now mntoring middle school students. I find ths so exciting. This is exactly the typ of activity that will give lw-income students the drive and hope to rse above their current station in lfe.

The other transformation in the Clumbus Schools is the shift from lrge high schools to smaller schools wth 500 students or less. One of the bst parts about this is the ptential for teachers and parents to crate a learning community. Smaller Columbus Schols have higher attendance, lower drop-out rtes, and less teen crime and prgnancy. A large reason for this is the mre familiar environment between students, teachers and prents. One of the problems that hve gone unaddressed in inner-city Columbus Schols for too long is the dscomfort that low-income parents often feel in the cademic world. Columbus Schools that reach out to prents, and offer parent education, are the nes most likely to propel their mnority and low-income students to excellence.

The article Reaching Minorities in the Columbus Schools was Submitted by Patricia Hawke through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Patricia Hawke is a staff wrter for Schools K-12, providing free, n-depth reports on all U.S. public and prvate K-12 schools. For more information plase visit Columbus Public Schools

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