| A Conversation with Sheril R. Smith |
 The No Child Left Behind Act requires individual states to take steps to keep students in school. In Mississippi, Sheril Smith leads the fight as Director of the Office of Dropout Prevention.
Name: Sheril R. Smith Title: Director, Office of Dropout Prevention, Mississippi Department of Education, Jackson, Miss. Education: Ph.D., Higher Education, Georgia State University, Atlanta
Q: What state-specific factors affect Mississippi’s dropout rate?A: Mississippi is the poorest state in the nation, and that’s one contributing factor. Students who live in poverty are at a higher risk of dropping out of school. In addition, the state of Mississippi has many rural areas, which also puts students at risk for dropping out.Q: What changes does Mississippi need to put in place?A: The state legislature has mandated that we increase the graduation rate to 85% by the 2018-2019 school year. At the state board of education level, we put two additional goals in place. One was to reduce to the dropout rate to 13% by 2012-2013. The second was to cut the truancy rate in half by 2012-2013 as well. The K-12 truancy rate for the 2007-2008 school year is 31.8% . Q: Are you optimistic about success in these areas?A: At this point, we’re on track to reach each of these goals, and it’s likely that we’ll be able to exceed them. Q: What statewide efforts have you undertaken?A: We started a public awareness campaign, On the Bus, for dropout prevention earlier this year. It was sponsored by State Farm and America’s Promise. That has been a year-long campaign. The main goal was to make everyone in the state of Mississippi aware that the number of students dropping out was a real issue. The campaign consisted of TV and radio ads and a Web site, and two summits in January and February. Since that campaign, we have received really positive feedback that everybody now is really aware of the issue. Q: What are individual districts doing to keep more students in school?A: One of our districts has developed a partnership with local businesses. The businesses cooperate with the schools to ensure that the child will only remain employed if they stay in school. If they’re not going to go to school, they’re not going to have a job anymore. Another district has the apartment complexes in the school district act as the satellite areas for the schools. When children leave school, they can go home and get after-school tutoring. And another had a parade at the beginning of the school year for all K-12 kids. The students all carried cards to show what year they were expected to graduate. When that child graduates, they will turn in that card for their high school diploma. This was done in conjunction with the community. Q: Why are these efforts significant?A: It shows the students that it’s not just their parents or the school that wants them to graduates, but the community as well. It’s really important for us to demonstrate that school districts aren’t going to be able to solve this alone, that we need the partnerships with business and community.
POSTED ON HOTCHALK.COM
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Mississippi’s dropout rate is 15.9%. The rate is for students who were first-time 9th graders in 2003-2004, the graduating class of 2007. But it’s difficult to compare state dropout statistics unless states use the same methodology to calculate them, according to Smith. However, the situation is significant enough to warrant the creation of a separate office within the Department of Education, she said. Smith talked about how Mississippi is lowering its numbers of dropouts in a recent conversation with HotChalk.
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