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Brian Uribe
Professor Bieber
English 115 Honors
3 November 2015
Efforts towards Graduation
In the article, "Failure is the Rule: Graduation is Not the Norm for Black
and Latino Boys in City High Schools. Efforts Are Needed to Change That.",
the Philadelphia Inquirer brings into light the discrepancies in graduation
rates and the minorities who fail to receive a high school education. A task
force researched for ten months, showing credibility to the results and
intensive time put into gathering said results. Only 45% of black males
graduated, while Latino males fared worse with only 43%. The group which
was led by School Reform Commission Chairman Robert L. Archie Jr., went on
to receive testimonials from former students who felt pressured by the
district and had requested assistance which were left without answers. The
group suggested a change in expectations and facilitate an environment of
learning. The group proposed suggestions which ranged from ones which
could be implemented immediately to those which required funding and
planning. Superintendent of the district, Arlene Ackerman, received the
recommendations and promised to offer support to minority students. The
task group hopes to replicate models in other urban districts which have
shown success in helping minority students receive an education and
prepare them for life after high school.

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Work Cited
"Failure is the Rule: Graduation is Not the Norm for Black and Latino Boys in
City High

Schools. Efforts Are Needed to Change That." Philadelphia

Inquirer, (2010): A.10.

Brian Uribe
Professor Bieber
English 115 Honors
3 November 2015
Alarm in East Penns Latino Statistics
In the article, "East Penn Targets Graduation Rates Only 67 Percent of
Latinos in School District Earn Diplomas. High School Students Fail to Meet
Math, Reading Goals." Margie Peterson, a freelance writer, addresses the
inadequate performance of Latino students in the East Penn School District.
Peterson reported that the Emmaus High School failed to make the yearly
progress quote set by No Child Left Behind. Peterson acquired scores in
reading and math along with the graduation rate of Latino students and
found a large disparity between the high school and state requirements.
Peterson went on to inform the reformation going on within the state and
school board in the endeavor of improving the curriculum and making
progress in school performance. Peterson interviewed the School Director,
Alan Earnshaw, who planned on evaluating and gauging students
competence in core academic subjects. Earnshaw assured Peterson of the

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assimilation of high-performing programs and the use of an academic
support team which will work towards increasing graduation rates and
reaching Math and Reading goals.

Work Cited
Peterson, Margie. "East Penn Targets Graduation Rates Only 67 Percent of
Latinos in School District Earn Diplomas. High School Students Fail to Meet
Math, Reading

Goals." Morning Call, (2013): A.6.