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"GEORGE W. BUSH’S EDUCATION POLICIES INCREASE HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT RATES
The United States is facing a crisis in the rising number of our kids who do not complete high school and the Bush Administration’s education policies are not only NOT addressing it but are encouraging local school districts to “push” kids out of high school before graduation. Here are some facts:
‒ One-third of all kids who begin high school don’t graduate...that’s over 1 million kids
‒ The policies implemented by the Bush Administration in connection with the federal No Child Left Behind (“NCLB”) law actually encourage school districts to inflate or misrepresent their graduation rates and to “push out” struggling students who don’t test well.
‒ The “Texas Miracle” was no miracle at all! George W. Bush has held out the Texas educational experience with NCLB as a national model BUT recent independent reports have shown that:
• The reported Texas dropout rate of 80% was really 65% - above the national average dropout rate
• Houston Texas improperly classified dropouts as “transfers” and, as a result, the dropout rate of 1.5% that it reported was really nearer to 40%
• In Austin, Texas the misreporting of the dropout rate was so severe that the entire school district was criminally indicted. The case was ultimately settled and the dropout rate recalculated...the district’s dropout rate more than doubled.
• In Texas, any student who cannot be accounted for is removed from the dropout calculations as if he or she had never existed.
• Texas graduation rate calculation for NCLB accountability purposes removes students from enrollment data once they drop out and enroll in a GED program. Although NCLB regulations prohibit this practice, the Texas formula has been approved by the federal government.
• The Bush Administration is NOT ENFORCING the graduation accountability provisions of NCLB, BUT it is STRICTLY ENFORCING provisions which CREATE INCENTIVES FOR REMOVING STUDENTS FROM HIGH SCHOOL who score too low on the federally mandated standardized tests. NCLB UNDER GEORGE W. BUSH ACTUALLY PROMOTES DROPOUTS!"
and.....
"THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION GETS AN “F” IN COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY
‒ 400,000 qualified students were prevented from attending college last year due to financial constraints
‒ the average tuition costs at public colleges increased 14% last year
‒ there was a 66% increase in borrowing for college last year BUT NO INCREASE IN FEDERAL PELL GRANT FUNDING during Bush’s term
‒ Over the past three years most federal student aid programs have been frozen. With inflation, this amounts to a nearly 10% cut in student aid funding. With tuition increases and state budget cuts to higher education, an affordable college education increasingly out of reach for millions of qualified students.
‒ The Bush Administration’s 2005 budget plan is totally inadequate to meet the needs of America’s college students and their families. Instead of investing in federal student aid, the Bush budget plan freezes Pell Grant funding. The Bush budget plan eliminates state matching grants and Perkins low-interest loans.
‒ The Bush Administration has actively supported a loophole in the education loan law which gives billions of dollars of subsidies to banks making education loans. This loophole guaranties banks a 9.5% interest rate on their student loans at a time of historically low interest rates. The federal windfalls to these banks come directly from the American taxpayer’ pocket and these monies could be better used to provide more college access to qualified, financially strapped students.
‒ Over 4.5 million students depend on federal Pell Grants to fund their college education. Over 70% of these Pell Grants go to kids from families with an average income of $20,000 or less. In 1976, a typical Pell Grant covered 84% of public college tuition. Today a Pell Grant only covers 39% of public college tuition.
‒ The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, an independent, non-profit, non partisan organization, has recently given the United States an “F” in college affordability. It reports that increases in financial aid have not kept up with college tuition increases.
‒ IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, college costs now amount to 32% of an average family income compared to 23% ten years ago.
AMERICA’S KIDS DESERVE A FAIR CHANCE AT A COLLEGE EDUCATION!
GEORGE W. BUSH REFUSES TO GIVE IT TO THEM. IF GEORGE W. BUSH WAS DEPENDING ON FEDERAL EDUCATION AID TODAY, YALE AND HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL WOULD NOT BE IN HIS FUTURE!"
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