Why We are Needed

An over-age student is classified as one who repeated a grade level two or more times.

over-age greaphic

Three major factors students become classified as over-age

1. Α Student’s schooling is interrupted. Factors such as domestic violence, foster care placement; frequent family relocation can cause a student to fail to meet requirements for promotion.

2. Αppropriate academic supports are not provided. Students who need special education services, counseling, or other intensive supports fall further and further behind if these supports re not provided completely and consistently.

3. A student who needs to change schools cannot find an alternative placement. Students who need to change schools for reasons related to safety, discipline, or family circumstances sometimes find themselves discharged from their old school with nowhere else to go.

Each year, there is over 5,000 over-age middle school students in New York City schools.

 

 

Research has shown that dropout rates are 2 to 11 times higher for students who were previously held back than their peers who were on track.

 

 

Each year, these dropouts will cost New York State as much as $3.5 billion due to lost tax payments as well as an increase in health, crime, and welfare expenditures.

 

 

In New York City, the estimated lifetime earnings of dropouts are at least $143,900 less than those of high school graduates.