While this is a decent amount of increase, it is still way too low. This school, along with many others, need a lot of help with their graduation rates.

This thing is extremely necessary because if students don't care abut their education they're not going to work hard in order to achieve a high-school diploma. Hard work is the key to success, and is the key to graduating high school and going on the right track to the future.

I would totally agree with all of these tips to make the students, teachers, and parents more involved in the process. If people are more involved, everyone could collaborate and solve the student's problem holistically. Sometimes, there's a problem on one end, but mostly it's on multiple fronts. Also the fact that the teachers could be more experienced and could incorporate more ways of learning by going to professional development would eventually trickle down to the student, and make a student more activated in learning. Finally, the idea of project based learning is another way to get students more excited about learning and makes them explore many fields that would enable them to explore different career options that they would've never known about. I would agree with all of these ideas, for they all make practical sense in the real world and would definitely make students more interested and involved in the process of learning.

I think that it is kind of evident that students from low-income families, or are minorities, are not graduating. It is most likely because of the trouble they are in, having to find money, or not being recognized because of them being minorities.

It is important to involve the families and communities of the students involved in the students' education. It is their surroundings, and their parents who can guide them when they are not in school, where teachers cannot look over them. They then can have guidance when they are outside of school as well.

The fact that the education department did not release a breakdown by race, gender and other factors is something that I disagree with. If we don't know what factors have caused graduation rates for specific groups of children to decrease then it won't help us progress in following years. After all education is important to all students because it is what causes them to succeed in life.

I feel so proud about our country at this moment since we are ranked like last in the entire world according to the subject of graduation. Since the graduation rate in 2013 increased we can have a greater possibility of being #1 in education. this shows us that our country is becoming better day by day in education. And we should all take pride in that and hope that in coming years we gain favorable gains like the one in 2013.

There should be something done about this, everyone deserves a good education and graduate with an high school diploma. But if the DOE didn't release graduation rates in different breakdowns how do they know this though? Never mind the DOE should work on helping the less fortunate students graduate too. They can hold more after school programs and weekend programs as well. I do hope that in the very far or near future everyone in the nation would graduate, is this impossible? I hope it isn't!

This amazing at this rate everyone may graduate in the future. It would also affect the nation's future greatly, the increase economic rate, decrease unemployment population and so forth. Lives would be greatly improved.

I think the fact that the percentage points of students graduating is great because it means students are being more successful. However, if I was in control of this data I would be trying to analyze and look for information that shows things that might help the graduation of high school students so it can be positively used for other people so that they can graduate as well.

the fact that only 4 OUT OF 5 KIDS ARE GRADUATING IS KIND OF CRAZY!!! KIDS AREN'T REALIZING THAT A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA IS SUUUUUUPER IMPORTANT! IF YOU DON'T GRADUATE YOUR'E GONNA GET A BAD JOB!!!!

All the hard work for these students payed off. The only way these students could have gotten into such elite colleges is by doing great in high school and by getting amazing SAT or ACT scores which was the cause of getting into such a college. Even though it might be tough for them, they will get used to it because they were able to get over the difficulties faced in high school to reach to this point

According to student Stanley Stewart he says,"For me, a first generation college student is…Sort of like a blessing and a curse." I would like to agree with her even though I am far off from college, but there were similar instances where I was put in an advanced program and just like him I was blessed with such an opportunity, but it had a lot of work to it. Thats why I want him to know that he is not alone in this because even till today I remember all the stress that I had just because of it..but I guess it was for the best.

The fact that a kid with so many obstacles in his way can reach success is really inspirational. Many kids in this world are facing challenges such as finding enough shelter and nourishment. However, by knowing that it is possible to become a triumphant by demolishing the obstacles in one's way, it gives hope to the kids that are putting hard work into reaching success.

The fact that states have the ability to help more people graduate high school and give them a chance to be successful is great. I mean it really means a lot to make a difference in someone's life especially if they're a person who really needs help and guidance to do the right thing for themselves.

does that mean that now even less than 4/5 people are graduating? that could be an issue.

These roadblocks are usually imposed by home problems, that pertain with parents. There should be no way that parents hurt their kids at a good future, and the 2 parties should be separated.

It's important. Without one you can't get a good job.

That number of graduating high school is pretty awesome, but don't you think that is a bit low? Also it only increased 1 PERCENT??!! I guess it is still an a achievement.

I think that a high school diploma is extremely valuable, because without a diploma, you won't be able to get into college, which is a major part of someone's life. This is because, college decides how successful someone will be in the future and also determines, what type of job they can attain.

I think that Rashema Melson is a very smart and intelligent girl who has worked hard and earned to go to Georgetown. She doesn't let her homelessness get in the way of her path to success and she even became valedictorian of her high school.

Thats pretty disgusting because if you consider it, 1 out of every 5 people will not graduate high school. People these days do not understand how important a high school diploma is in this day and age.

I agreed with that teacher about how college isn't always the best choice. most people can't afford to go to college and not all jobs required college degrees. families can't support high school seniors so high school seniors have debt already before they even have a job. it simply doesn't suit the purpose of going to college for a degree and not being able to get a higher paid job. i mean why go to college when there are other jobs that paid high and don't require a degree?

I think that the value of a high school diploma is extremely important in a young adult's life because without it, you can't go to college. College is important because employers judge you based on the ranking of the college you went to and you can get a better job that gives more pay with a higher value of a diploma.

The value of a high school diploma is increasing at a faster rate than ever. When students are left degree-less and have no options to get to college without a GED, many are hurt and can seriously effect your paycheck in the future.

I think that the value of a High School Diploma is very important in the sense that it is how you can get into a college. However, only having a High School Diploma is not as important as before considering that jobs that require a high school diploma dont pay as much as one that requires some form of a degree

This article has a pretty straight forward answer, priceless. But then again today there are more jobs that don't require a High school Diploma, does that mean students will drop out of high school more?

I think the value of a high school diploma is significant anywhere and any day. It's not like we don't care about our diplomas or don't desire to have one. If the value of having a diploma was not significant, no one would be working really hard.

I think that the value of a High School Diploma isn't as much as it was before. Nowadays, a High School Diploma doesn't offer much more jobs than having no diploma.

I highly agree with this sentence. People should realize the importance of their Bachelor's Degree, if they don't, they won't work as hard as they should. However, when it mentions "...just as the lack of one doesn't say you're a failure!" I can't argue that you aren't a failure, but not getting a degree isn't simple as that. It kinda brings you down sometimes and can discourage you. Some need to realize that because they didn't get what they didn't work hard enough for, they need to work harder in the future. I believe that fact should have been mentioned in addition to this section.

But with student loan debt reaching an all-time high of $1.2 trillion (surpassing credit card debt), and little research to support that the investment is worth it, I am cheating my student by not encouraging them to make the best choice for themselves. if this is higher then credit card debts then most students are being cheated. why get a degree when you can get a job that a person with a degree can get. teachers aren't supposed to do that, but for certain students it is a must.

if this is higher then credit card debts then most students are being cheated. why get a degree when you can get a job that a person with a degree can get. teachers aren't supposed to do that, but for certain students it is a must.

Most teachers want the best for their students, and give false hope that they will do great in life, in order to encourage the student. I don't see how that helps anyone, all it will do is make the student disapointed when their life "fails." College is something that everyone wants to go to, all students want to be able to get that degree. As stated in the article, its mainly about the courage of the teachers. Some are just to kind and don't want to "hurt the child's feelings." But being harsh with the student and giving them critcism that will help them in life, is one of the best things a teacher can do. The only thing that will happen is that the student goes to college later in the future, or the student takes extra classes to better prepare themselves.

College isn't always the right way to go, but rather what fits in with student. Bachelor's degree simply states that you acquried a certain level of education. I believe that you don't always need to get a degree to succeed in life. There are plenty of people without a degree who have succeed, such as Steve Jobs. There are also plenty of people who have a degree and have succeeded, such as Barack Obama. It all depends on what fits in with someone's plans. Teachers shouldn't always encourage kids to go to college, not unless it is the thing they exactly need. I don't see why teachers pretend college is life itself, when it sometimes leaves you in a position you never planned to be in.

I think that it may be true that a four year degree is not always be the best choice, because of all the debts mentioned in the article. There are ways that you can agree with the author of the article, but when it comes to educational reputation, and trying to find a job, it might be best to have the four-year degree, even if there might be a possible high student loan debt.

While this article does show a different point of viw on going to college, I must disagree with the fact that 44% of graduates are unemployed. While this is true, it is important to consider other facts, one such being the fact that people may have attempted to get jobs that they had not majored in. This would seriously affect the number of people that went to college because you have a less likely chance of getting into college. Another important factor would have to be the fact that many people would not be ready for jobs as soon as they left college. Some people may not go for jobs right away or might more likely not be mentally ready for them. This would seriously affect the number of people with jobs as well. These are just a few factors to think about.

"A few years ago, I worked closely with a student who very much wanted to be a reporter. She was passionate about it, and spoke about her dreams with wide eyes and a contagious smile. The issue? This student’s writing was subpar at best, and her talents, while immense, were not shown through her academic ability. She simply did not have the grades to make it through four more years of college.

Guilty of it myself, I watched as all of her teachers smiled at her and encouraged her to follow her dreams, no one having the courage to push in her a direction that was more logical for her to take. We smiled and watched as she dropped out of college and moved back home with no back-up plan in place. I had to learn the hard way that sometimes it’s our jobs as teachers to tell students no, otherwise life will do it for them — and life is rarely ready to catch them when they fall."

  The teachers should have informed her of how she was doing and that she needs to work harder. Just because she wasn't doing well does not mean that she could never become a reporter. She needed a push and that is exactly what her teachers did not give her. 

In my opinion, college is a major factor in your career. Going to college is because you have a specific job you want to have, not just because everyone else is going there. However, a lot of people do go to college just because they want to. This leads to the underemployment rate being higher. When these students finish college, they have nowhere to go and go to a job not requiring a bachelors's degree, just to pay their bills.

that mean college isn't worth it. if only about 50% get jobs then college is just something to bankrupt you. it doesn't help you with your life at all. getting a degree today means that it is just another degree to put on your bedroom wall. the degree isn't everything. it is your skill that matters. college grads have no insight for the future and think the degree would do everything. the conclusion of this is that it is natural why all these people would be unemployed up to today since of their debts to various colleges.

The “underemployment rate” for young college graduates is 44 percent.

This is crazy! You would expect that college and a degree would have some kind of aid on a persons ability to get a job, but according to stats, apparently not.

This is an interesting acknowledgement, going with the rest of the article. Most people whom push students towards college only do so because college has been told to them to be a great option and the best way to achieve their dreams and also because going to college is nowadays an accepted system that is part of being a "good" student. As much as it may not be, would you question the worth of a degree? After all, many jobs require college level education and experience for them to even be considered. With this in mind, wouldn't a degree of some kind be of some worth? (I still agree with the rest of the article, just a question)

Nowadays, a Bachelor's Degree is the same as a High School Degree was in the past. Most employers look for a College Degree. Be realistic, most jobs that don't require a college degree are those that don't pay much and are unstable. Although a College Degree may not be for everyone, it is for most people. It teaches students to work hard and gives chances at a better life. By telling a student not to go to college is the same as telling them that they are not smart enough, they do not work hard enough, and that they wouldn't get a good job anyways, so just give up. Instead, it is a teacher's job to encourage their students to work as hard as they can to achieve their dreams. Not tell them that they cannot do something and not to just smile at a failing student.

I think this is important for teachers, as well as students to understand. It seems only right that students don't need college to succeed in life, since society says that people need college to be a worthy student. I find it unnecessary in some cases for people to go to college if it doesn't affect their future career. Some people find successful jobs and have a good future, despite their lack of a college education.

These lines really drew my attention. It's true, and completely relatable. As summer nears, most students and teachers would probably start feeling less stressed. However, high school seniors are facing one of the biggest and toughest decisions of their lives. Education is really a hard choice, and a "simple" decision of college can easily change a person's life.

I disagree with this statement because a Bachelor's degree is what most employers are looking for, and therefore, the student getting the job is equivalent to achieving the American Dream. For the two year college, I disagree with her reasoning. The job she describes are not in high demand, as there are not many underwater structures, and welding technology is only needed when something breaks. I believe that a four year college opens more possibilities for the student.

I don't think students should skip college even if they have to pay a fee for their loans for their tuition at the college. Getting a good job requires a college degree, students that go to colleges are usually the most successful in life, you don't have to go to universities in order to be able to get a good job, just go to a regular college and do the best you can in life after that. The better the college is the more likely of a chance you have of getting a good job.

When I first read the title of this article, I was a bit skeptical. It seems unheard of that a teacher wouldn't be so open to encouraging their students to go to college. I found it interesting that Jillian Gordon had a different opinion than so many other teachers, and found it unnecessary for students to have to go college. Most students have been surrounded with teachers that strongly encourage them to go to college. This teacher had such a different point of view that it surprised me and would probably surprise others too.

This is a really important statement. Many people view a bachelor's degree as a sign that they're a success in life, and without it, it shows that they're a failure. However, it really isn't. If you think about it, a bachelor's degree is just a piece of paper, and one can succeed without that piece of paper.

According to student Stanley Stewart he says,"For me, a first generation college student is…Sort of like a blessing and a curse." I would like to agree with her even though I am far off from college, but there were similar instances where I was put in an advanced program and just like him I was blessed with such an opportunity, but it had a lot of work to it. Thats why I want him to know that he is not alone in this because even till today I remember all the stress that I had just because of it..but I guess it was for the best.