Play4min 10secPoor American Indian graduation rates may have deep rootsMay 18, 2016 4:00 AMBy Brandt WilliamsIf you're an American Indian student in Minnesota, your chances of graduating from high school in four years are lower than any other racial and ethnic group. One observer says it's complicated.
Play9min 46secHomeless and alone, she struggles toward graduationMay 4, 2016 4:06 PMBy Laura YuenIn her last year of high school, Diamond is full of questions about why her life had to be so hard.
Play54min 00secBig Question: 'Why haven't we closed the achievement gap?'April 29, 2016 12:00 AMA broadcast from the University of Minnesota's College of Liberal Arts "Big Questions" series. The question this time is "Why haven't we closed the achievement gap?" Education commissioner Brenda Cassellius, Mitch Pearlstein of the Center of the American Experiment and Catherine Squires of the U of M discuss why so many things have been tried, but the gap continues to persist.
Play3min 56sec'Culture of second chances' -- or opportunity for struggling students?April 20, 2016 4:00 AMBy Laura YuenAs schools try to close the achievement gap, some educators worry that a shift in grading standards -- and allowing students to correct answers they've gotten wrong on tests -- isn't preparing their students for college or the workplace.
Play18min 22secBridging the gap: When the teachers are white, but the students are notApril 6, 2016 4:07 PMBy Laura YuenIn a state where the vast majority of teachers are white and a growing number of kids are not, schools are trying to figure out the best way to bridge that divide.
Play12min 26secA deep dive into Minnesota's graduation gap: For these students, the challenge is realMarch 23, 2016 6:23 PMBy Laura Yuen and Tom WeberOver the next few months, MPR News reporter Laura Yuen will join host Tom Weber in taking a deep dive into some of the issues surrounding Minnesota's graduation gap, introducing along the way some of the students and teachers who are living it.
Play28min 57secWithout support, Minnesota students left behind at graduationMarch 7, 2016 12:07 AMBy Laura Yuen and Brandt WilliamsMinnesota's students of color graduate at rates lower than their counterparts in nearly every state. A lack of spending on student support statewide may have something to do with it.
Play8min 09secHigh school dropouts try to get back in the gameMarch 7, 2016 12:05 AMBy Brandt WilliamsHardships, bad decisions and lack of support mean many students of color fail to graduate on time. Some try to get back on track.
Play7min 50secMoney for student counseling takes a back seatMarch 7, 2016 12:03 AMBy Tim PugmireMinnesota hasn't always ranked so poorly when it comes to pupil support spending. But budget cuts have resulted in schools making other choices at the local level.
Minnesota's graduation gap: By the numbersMarch 7, 2016 12:02 AMBy MPR News StaffMinnesota's failure to graduate its high school students of color on time is among the worst in the nation. A look at the numbers.