Fewer black males are dropping out of school in Baltimore - baltimoresun.com: Black male students in Baltimore are staying in school and receiving their diplomas in higher numbers, school officials said on Wednesday, raising hope that future generations of city youths will gain skills needed for success in life.
District officials said that the performance of black male students over the past three years has been the driving force behind the improved statistics for Baltimore schools. In 2007, for every black male student who graduated from high school, one dropped out. Now, three are graduating for every one who leaves school.
'This is a major accomplishment that deserves the attention of all of the city,' said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. 'Baltimore schools continue to improve because we set higher expectations.'
While the graduation rate is still considered far too low, the data offer a remarkable portrait of a population long considered vulnerable. Education leaders have worried about how to rescue African-American male students in urban school districts, and have said that their lack of success leads to joblessness, crime and poverty.
