Promises Broken

In reviewing the 2007 Illinois School Report Card for Steinmetz Academic Centre High School, under the 'Academic Performance' category with a subcategory listing Steinmetz' 'High School Graduation Rate'. In this subcategory it lists the graduation rate of Steinmetz by gender, race/ethnicity, students with disabilities, and economically disadvantaged students as compared to the Subregion, District and State of Illinois. Out of all the students enrolled at Steinmetz, 62.7% of the students graduated. By gender, 53.8% of males and 71.6% of females graduated. By race, 73.9% of whites, 71.5% of blacks, 54.9% of Latinos, 72.7% of Asian/Pacific Islander, 88.9% of multiracial/ethnic students graduated,. Of the economically disadvantaged students, 67.1% of those students graduated, while a staggering 38.9% of students with disabilities graduated.

When you compare Steinmetz graduation rates with the State of Illinois, Steinmetz does not seem to fare well. Across gender, and race/ethnicity except for the categories of 'Multi Racial/Ethnic' groups, Steinmetz scored lower than its reference group, the State of Illinois. In comparing the differences between the highest and the lowest graduation rates spread across all of the above categories between Steinmetz and the State, the greatest disparity is with students with disabilities where the graduation rate is only 33%. In an article from the Manhattan Institute For Policy Research, their Civic Report, revised April 2002, reported "High School Graduation Rates in the United States". In that report it states that Chicago was one of five districts among the 50 largest districts in the U.S. having an overall graduation rate below 50%; Chicago had a graduation rate of 47%. The report stated, when focusing on the district results for African-American students, an even more negative picture revealed Chicago's graduation rate of only 45%. The picture is even bleaker for Latino graduation rates.

As stated in an article from the Chicago Sun-Times which was reported by the Manhattan Institute, "Chicago is not alone in the graduation crisis. There is a near-consensus that too few students across the nation earn a diploma each year. However, the city is a major offender and needs to look for ways to improve the education it provides. When graduating high school is only a 50-50 proposition, it is time to consider dramatic changes to the system".