×

Graduation Rates Show There Is Much Work To Be Done

For some young people, a college degree is not a necessity. Many good, well-paying jobs can be found without one — though clearly, a B.S. or B.A. after one’s name provides an advantage.

There is no debate about the critical importance of graduating from high school, however. Without at least that much education, job opportunities are limited severely.

A review of 2016 graduation rates released recently by the state Education Department show Chautauqua County has cause for concern. The county’s 85 percent graduation rate is better than the state’s 79 percent rate, but graduation rates in the county’s biggest population centers still continue to lag: Jamestown’s four-year graduation rate is 77 percent while Dunkirk’s four-year graduation rate is 74 percent. And in one area, how well the state does in getting students from economically disadvantaged families through high school, New York is still struggling mightily. Just 75 percent of students in that category graduate from high school in four years across the state. Chautauqua County as a whole fares slightly better at 83 percent, but again the population centers struggle to educate students from economically disadvantaged families — Jamestown’s graduation rate for students from economically disadvantaged families is 72 percent while Dunkirk’s is 73 percent.

Look no further than graduation rates and, more specifically, graduation rates for socioeconomically disadvantaged students to explain what is happening to Chautauqua County’s two population centers. In 2016, Dunkirk and Jamestown saw 98 teenagers walk out of their doors without the basic education needed to be qualified for nearly any job. They are likely to bounce from job to job because they don’t have the education or the soft skills to hold a position for very long. These teens have sentenced themselves, in all likelihood, to a life spent in poverty. Far too many will get by on the Social Service safety net provided by federal, state and county governments.

The difficulty with which graduation rates change shows there is much hard work yet to be done. Schools must find a way to help students whose parents place little emphasis on the importance of an education. The statistics show there is much work to be done for students who don’t speak English.

We have written dozens of stories that bring positive economic news for Chautauqua County. The only way for Chautauqua County to truly capitalize on that momentum is to make sure as many students as possible are ready for the jobs that are coming to the county. It is hard to build a thriving community when 50 or 60 people are joining that community every year unqualified for even the most basic of jobs.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

COMMENTS

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today