High School Dropout Rates And Incarceration Rates

Introduction The public education system has always been a controversial topic in America. Many different approaches have been taken to resolve the issues; however, the federal and state governments have yet to find a balance between school safety and education performance. Sociologists have studied the relationship between high school dropout rates and the increasing incarceration rates, that have been occurring within the last few decades. According to Thompson (2011; 23), â€Å"the nation’s public school system has been criminalized over the last forty years† resulting in poor academic performance of both students and teachers. In addition, Schept, Wall, and Brisman (2015; 96), focus on the negative impacts of federal legislation that has resulted in â€Å"racialized punishment† throughout public schools in the United States. In order to understand the relationship between high school dropout rates and incarceration rates, I will first touch upon a few laws specificall y passed to improve school safety, for example the Safe School Act of 1994 (Schept, Wall, and Brisman, 2015; 96), the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Ellis, 2007; 221), and the Gun-Free School Act 1994 (Essex, 2000; 37). Next, I will discuss how the policies lead to increased school suspensions (Schept, Wall, and Brisman, 2015; 96), increased crime rates (Thompson, 2011; 23), and race bias (Simmons, 2009; 215 and Marable, 2008; 59). This paper intends to explore the various factors in an educationalShow MoreRelatedComparison Between Schools And Prisons1732 Words   |  7 PagesSchools Vs Prisons The United States prison population has grown from approximately 500,000 to 2.3 million people in three decades. The us spends almost $70 billion dollars yearly to put adults in prison and jails. They also put 7.3 million people on probation and parole. California has the largest prison population rate in the country, with more than 170,000 people behind bars. More than a billion dollars is spent every year to incarcerate people from a community in Los Angeles . 40% of studentsRead MoreEssay On Dropout Age To 18864 Words   |  4 PagesKentucky, Maryland and Rhode Island all considered raising the high school dropout age to 18, yet Rhode Island was the only state that proved successful (Lewin, 2012). Only a year later, President Barack Obama urged all states to move the dropout age to 18 in his State of the Union Address. This was the first time Washington directly addressed an issue that many state legislators found difficult to present (Ho, 2017). In the past, the dropout age was set at 16 in a majority of the nation. Some statesRead MoreIs American Education Getting Worse Or Better?. One Of1378 Words   |  6 Pagesless money on war and inmates and lower the high school dropout rates. First, Americans are willing to put more money toward war than education. Education should be the number one priority instead of war. Americans pay 21% of their taxes to the military. â€Å"In fiscal year 2015, the federal government spent $3.7 trillion, amounting to 21 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP)† (Policy Basics: Where do our federal tax dollars go?). Some school will need new materials, such as books andRead MoreThe Results Of Raising The Dropout Age1517 Words   |  7 PagesKeys 1 The Results of Raising the Dropout Age Obtaining an education is essential in today’s society. Most students who attend school on a regular basis usually succeed in life. On the other hand, many students fail to attend school every day which can lead to problems in schools. However, some students have acceptable reasons for dropping out. As a result, a student’s punctuality can ultimately alter his or her education. On that note, dropping out of high school can affect an individual in manyRead MoreCriminalization at School: Zero-Tolerance Discipline Policies Might Be Damaging to Students1309 Words   |  6 Pagesindefinite suspension with a recommendation for expulsion because his school administrators believed he flashed a gang sign although he was simply putting up three fingers to represent his football jersey number. (NPR Isensee, 2014). This kind of criminalization of young people contributes to suspension, dropout, and incarceration, and too often pushes students into what is referred to by many education scholars and activists as the â€Å"school-to-prison pipeline,† a term that refers to â€Å"the policies and practicesRead MoreA Community Mapping Of The Little Village And Pilsen Communities1338 Words   |  6 Pagespublic schools, historical churches, parks, and recreation areas. In addition, the vibrant Mexican culture found on just about every block of the community. All of these factors contributed to what I would classify as a closely knit community. As with all communities, the Pilsen and Little Village areas are also dealing with a few challenges. Among these, a few were attempting to enhance image of Mexican culture, making Pilsen self reliant and family oriented, gang issues, and high high school dropoutRead MoreWhy Students Should Drop Out Of High School1268 Words   |  6 Pages Music Literacy in Schools High school literacy is linked to the high school dropout rate. While the high school dropout rates have declined over the past decade, the facts that influence this phenomenon continue to be consistent. There are multiple reasons for why students would drop out of high school. The following are just some of the reasons to why kids might dropout, including that they missed too many days, they thought they could not complete the course requirements, they didn’t feel safeRead MoreIs American Education Getting Worse Or Better?. One Of1638 Words   |  7 Pagesless money on war and inmates and lower the high school dropout rates. First, Americans are willing to put more money toward war than education. Education should be the number one priority instead of war. Americans pay 21% of their taxes to the military. â€Å"In fiscal year 2015, the federal government spent $3.7 trillion, amounting to 21 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP)† (Policy Basics: Where do our federal tax dollars go?). Some school will need new materials, such as books andRead MoreThe, Jim Crow And Mass Incarceration1056 Words   |  5 PagesMichelle Alexander writes and speaks about the 3 caste systems slavery, Jim Crow Laws, and mass incarceration. She asserts that racial separation has not gone away but rather morphed into present mass incarceration. Racial segregation has taken a new form and exists in prison systems and in socio-economic ways Caste system locks people up literally virtually. Alexander writes, â€Å"Jim Crow and mass incarceration have similar political origins. As described in chapter 1, both caste systems were born, inRead More Raising the Dropout Age Essay1421 Words   |  6 PagesChildren are told from a young age that it is mandatory for them to graduate from high school, but it’s not until they are on the verge of dropping out that they hear the importance for staying in school. It is also when they hear how high school students who dropouts learn the incredible price to pay in the future when they give up on an education. Thinking with a teenage state of mind and trying to take the easy way out they go straight for a GED, which is told to be an equivalent earning of a