Station Info ·  Stay Connected ·  Online Extras
Overcast
Temp: 66 F (19 C)
Humidity: 81
Heat Index: NA F
Home   ·   News   ·   Weather   ·   Sports   ·   Lottery   ·   Health Info TV  ·   Recipes  ·   A Greener KAKEland  ·   Blogs  ·   Hawker Beechcraft Strike
Post your favorite "Big Catch" pictures on Jeff Herndon's Braggin' Board. Click Here!
Stay Connected With KAKE
E-News
Local news and weather delivered to your inbox twice a day
Health Info TV
Get the latest health news & reports

Kansas Now 22
24-hour local news, weather and sports on Cox Cable channel 22

KAKE First Alert
Instant access to local news and weather
KAKE On Your Cell
News, weather, sports and more on your cell phone or PDA
News Tip
Send your news tips to KAKE
As Seen On KAKE-TV

ABC
Your favorite ABC shows and ABC news programs

Johnson's Garden Time
Gardening Advice from the pros at Johnson’s Garden Centers

KAKE Sports Overtime Live
More than the scores, more than the highlights - every Sunday night at 10:35 PM

Lawyer on the Line
Roger Riedmiller, Esq. answers your legal questions
News Poll
Who is K-State's most exciting play-maker right now?

Josh Freeman
Brandon Banks
Deon Murphy
Keithen Valentine


Kansas High Schools Dispute "Dropout Factory" Report Save Email Print
Posted: 9:38 AM Oct 31, 2007
Last Updated: 8:46 PM Oct 31, 2007
Reporter: KAKE News
Email Address: news@kake.com

A | A | A

Lyons school administrators are disputing a national report that labels Lyons High School as a "dropout factory".

Seven Kansas schools, including Lyons High School, were identified by Johns Hopkins University researchers as "dropout factories" because no more than 60 percent of the students who start as freshmen make it to their senior year:

Lyons High School Principal Gary Sechrist says the data used by Johns Hopkins is skewed and not factual.

"We know exactly how they got the information and it is not factual," said Sechrist. "Our reputation has been sullied because of their poor research."

Sechrist points out the school received Standard of Excellence Awards for math and reading assessments.

Johns Hopkins released this information about the study. "Using data compiled by the National Center for Education Statistics, researchers Robert Balfanz and Nettie Legters measured the "promoting power" of 10,000 regular and vocational high schools that enroll more than 300 students. They compared the number of freshmen in each school to the number of seniors there four years later."

These Kansas schools were cited as "dropout factories".
-- Elkhart High, Elkhart, Kan., 59 percent
-- J.C. Harmon High, Kansas City, Kan., 60 percent
-- Wyandotte High, Kansas City, Kan., 44 percent
-- Lyons High, Lyons, Kan., 49 percent
-- Capital City, Topeka, Kan., 31 percent
-- Topeka High, Topeka, Kan., 60 percent
-- Topeka West High, Topeka, Kan., 56 percent

PROMOTION RATE: The percentage of students who start as freshmen
and make it to their senior years. For the nationwide study, an
average promotion rate was calculated by using rates over three
years at regular and vocational high schools.

  • The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    To see a detailed map of the study, click the link below.


  • Related Links
    More Stories
    Woman Shot During Home Robbery

    Three Injured In S. Wichita House Fire

    Police Searching For Missing Boy

    Ike Downgraded to Cat. 3; Battering Cuba

    Simple Scams That Can Lead To Big Trouble

    Boil Water Advisory In Effect For Augusta

    Salina Bank Robbery Suspect Arrested

    Feds Take Over Mortgage Giants

    Post Your Comments
    First Name:
    Location:
    Enter Comments: characters left
    Email (optional):
    Email will not be displayed on site. For station contact purpose only.
    Read Comments
    Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.
    Posted by: Annonymous Location: Annonymous on Nov 9, 2007 at 11:12 AM
    WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE this has been a problem in the Lyons School District for as long as I can recall... That is why parents are sending their children to other school districts..

    Posted by: Annonymous Person Who Cares Location: Elkhart High Graduate of 2007 on Nov 1, 2007 at 09:47 PM
    I believe that you should get the facts straight, before you broadcast your opinion. You failed to mention that their are specicalty programs such as the Point Rock Academy at Elkhart High School USD 218. The faculty and staff are devoted to "creating" life long learners. I'm sure that if it was your home town school, you probably wouldn't want people "slandering" it... Case in point, get the facts straight before you put "junk" on the web and news. And furthermore; find something better to talk about...

    Posted by: Anonymous on Nov 1, 2007 at 04:26 PM
    Duh Jennifer, figures lie and liars figure. It sounds like they are comparing apples to oranges. If all you are doing is comparing those numbers, they are not taking into consideration move aways, etc. That data is there but it sounds like the researchers are lazy.

    Posted by: Anonymous Location: Kansas on Nov 1, 2007 at 02:38 PM
    How many of those students moved away and finished at a different high school?

    Posted by: jennifer Location: Topeka on Nov 1, 2007 at 01:15 PM
    Yes, that is right they made up the numbers and put it out there all willey nelly.

    Posted by: Ali Young Location: Lyons High on Nov 1, 2007 at 08:56 AM
    Sure, we do have kids droping out, but that data is not factual, not that many have dropped out

    Posted by: jennifer on Oct 31, 2007 at 03:15 PM
    I would say the number don't lie!

    As Seen on KAKE News
    Community
    Community calendar listing of events happening all across KAKEland
    Cost Cutters
    Money-saving tips
    Entertainment
    Ricky's Reviews, ABC Video Player, entertainment news & movie listings
    Golden Apple
    Nominate an outstanding teacher
    GMK Birthdays
    E-mail your birthday to Good Morning Kansas
    Good Question
    KAKE anchor Jeff Herndon provides answers to your good questions
    Hatteberg's People
    KAKE anchor Larry Hatteberg profiles ordinary Kansans doing extraordinary things
    Piece of KAKE
    KAKE TV has been the symbol of excellence in Kansas television for over 50 years. Take a look back at its history.
    Reading Caravan
    Nominate an elementary school library for a $500 grant
    Schools
    Local school & education news including weather related school closings
    Susan's Kids
    KAKE anchor Susan Peters profiles local kids looking for an adoptive home
    National AP Video