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Left Behind, Dropping Out

From: WNPR
Length: 52:00

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Every year, more than a million kids drop out of school. Without a diploma, they will have a tough time succeeding. But the problem starts much earlier than high school. This hour, we'll ask the big question: What works? Originally created for American Graduate Day in September, this special continues to be a timely look at education in America. Read the full description.

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Every year, more than a million kids drop out of school. Without a diploma, they will have a tough time succeeding. But the problem starts much earlier than high school. This hour, we'll ask the big questions: Why are students dropping out? What's the cost? And, what works to keep them in school and graduate? We’ll talk to Arne Duncan, the education secretary in charge of turning around the problem. And we'll look at the dropout crisis through the eyes of the kids themselves. You'll hear stories from:
  • Chicago, Duncan's hometown, where we try to find out why students leave school in the first place.
  • San Diego, where a mentoring program has helped cut dropout rates substantially.
  • Washington, DC, where we examine the cost of dropouts to families.
  • Boston, where we look at whether the President's call for a "dropout age" of 18 could really work.
  • And New Haven, Connecticut, where students are given the "promise" of college if they work hard and stay in school.
This special is hosted by former NPR correspondent Andrea Seabrook, now host of her own blog DecodeDC.

It's part of American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen, a public media initiative, supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), to help students stay on the path to graduation and future success. 

Listen to the full interview with U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan.  
Listen to the full interview with Russell Rumberger, author of Dropping Out: Why Students Drop Out of School and What Can be Done About It.   


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Piece Description

Every year, more than a million kids drop out of school. Without a diploma, they will have a tough time succeeding. But the problem starts much earlier than high school. This hour, we'll ask the big questions: Why are students dropping out? What's the cost? And, what works to keep them in school and graduate? We’ll talk to Arne Duncan, the education secretary in charge of turning around the problem. And we'll look at the dropout crisis through the eyes of the kids themselves. You'll hear stories from:
  • Chicago, Duncan's hometown, where we try to find out why students leave school in the first place.
  • San Diego, where a mentoring program has helped cut dropout rates substantially.
  • Washington, DC, where we examine the cost of dropouts to families.
  • Boston, where we look at whether the President's call for a "dropout age" of 18 could really work.
  • And New Haven, Connecticut, where students are given the "promise" of college if they work hard and stay in school.
This special is hosted by former NPR correspondent Andrea Seabrook, now host of her own blog DecodeDC.

It's part of American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen, a public media initiative, supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), to help students stay on the path to graduation and future success. 

Listen to the full interview with U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan.  
Listen to the full interview with Russell Rumberger, author of Dropping Out: Why Students Drop Out of School and What Can be Done About It.   


Broadcast History

This program aired on several Public Radio Stations on and around American Graduate Day in September. But it remains timely and newsworthy until further notice.

Transcript

A SEGMENT:
This is Left Behind, Dropping Out. A public radio special on America’s dropout crisis, produced by PRX -- the Public Radio Exchange and WNPR, Connecticut Public Radio. I’m Andrea Seabrook.

Each year more than million kids drop out of American public schools.
Kids like Carl, in New Haven, Connecticut

<<:07 Carl -The only thing I knew was the streets. So I started letting the streets take over me and I didn’t really care about school. >>

And kids like Keonna in Chicago

<< :04 Keonna: Well, I choose not to go to school because I get into too many fights.>>

This hour we’re going to look at the school dropout crisis not through cold numbers or government statistics, but through the eyes of these kids.

It’s part of American Graduate: Let’s Make it Happen, a public media initiative made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to help local communities address t...
Read the full transcript

Timing and Cues

RUNDOWN
00:00-1:00 Billboard [separate file]
01:00-06:00 News hole
06:00-19:45 Program [Dropout Segment A]
19:45-20:45 Floating Break
20:45-38:35 Program [Dropout Segment B]
38:35-39:35 Floating Break
39:35-59:00 Program [Dropout Segment C]
59:00-60:00 Break

CUES:
Billboard:
IC: From PRX, the Public Radio Exchange…
OC: through the eyes of the kids themselves. Stay with us. (music fade)
TRT: 1:00

Segment A:
IC: This is Left Behind, Dropping Out
OC: We’ll be right back (music continues for :05)
TRT: 13:45

Segment B:
IC: This is Left Behind, Dropping Out
OC: I’m Andrea Seabrook. We’ll be back in a moment. (music continues for :35)
TRT: 17:50

Segment C:
IC: This is Left Behind, Dropping Out
OC: This program is distributed by PRX, the Public Radio Exchange… PRX dot org.
TRT 19:25

Musical Works

Title Artist Album Label Year Length
My Perfect School Cinco and JustKidding An American Graduate. Bump Records & KQED 2012 00:00
Lifeboat Ani DiFranco Which Side Are You On? . Righteous Babe 2012 00:00
The Corner Common Be. GOOD Music, Geffen 2005 00:00
Breaking Away Ratatat Ratatat. XL Recordings 2004 00:00
Smoke and Mirrors Gotye Making Mirrors. Eleven 2011 00:00
Parachute Tabi Bonney The Summer Years. EMI 2011 00:00
No Motivation Cinco and Bhindi G An American Graduate. Bump Records & KQED 2012 00:00
Take Notice J Dilla Ruff Draft. Mummy Records 2003 00:00
Ffunny Ffrends Unknown Mortal Orchestra Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Fat Possum Records 2011 00:00
Improvise Jurassic 5 Jurassic 5. Interscope Records 1999 00:00

Related Website

http://www.prx.org/amgrad