Frontline: Dropout Nation

Gr 10 Up—Many complex questions related to the high dropout rate in our schools today are posed by this documentary. Four at-risk students along with the teachers, counselors, coaches, and school administrators at Sharpstown High School in Houston, Texas, are the focus of the program. Marcus is intelligent and well-spoken. He has the ability to attend college based on his football talent, but his absenteeism due to family problems prevents him from completing school work. Sparkle, an orphan refuge after Hurricane Katrina and a teenage mother, moved to Houston to start a new life. She struggles to attend school regularly as she faces the daily challenge of meeting the basic needs of safe shelter and food. Lawrence can't control his anger and lacks motivation. Marco has the drive to be the first one in his family to graduate. With his father recently deported and the fear that his mother is also in danger, he works full-time to provide for his family while continuing to attend school. In the end, Marco is the only one of the students who graduates during the course of the documentary. One of 20 schools participating in the Houston Apollo 20 program, a bold initiative to transform pubic education, the staff of Sharpstown High provides additional individual counseling, tutoring, and other forms of assistance necessary to support student success. The film offers evidence that academic success is directly linked with family life and support. The film is lengthy, but chapter selection allows it to be useful for large and small groups. High school viewers will relate to age-appropriate peers and the film might help them to understand the importance of meeting their potential and graduating. There is some strong language that may not be appropriate for all viewers.—Linda M. Teel, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC