The scripts are available for printing and for sound bite identification.
Go to http://www.wichita.edu/newsline to get the current Wichita State University Newsline. If you cannot access the Newsline at the Web address above, contact Joe Kleinsasser at (316) 978-3013 or cell (316) 204-8266 or joe.kleinsasser@wichita.edu. Newsline cuts may be edited to suit your needs. If you have additional questions for Terry Behrendt after listening to the WSU Newsline, please call him at (316) 978-6945 or terry.behrendt@wichita.edu.
Background:
Millions of students will graduate from high school this year, but many who should, won't, because they dropped out. More than a million students who enter ninth grade each fall fail to graduate with their peers four years later, according to the Alliance for Excellent Education. Terry Behrendt, co-director of the Transition to Teaching Program in the College of Education at Wichita State University, comments on the challenge of keeping youth in school.
Voice wrap:
Announcer: The economy may hold the national spotlight, but another potential crisis is on the horizon: a persistently high dropout rate that some say increases the threat to the country's strength and prosperity. Terry Behrendt, co-director of the Transition to Teaching Program at Wichita State University, says dropping out of high school today has stronger consequences than it did years ago.
Behrendt: "Fifty years ago an individual could drop out of school and still have a good job. That's getting difficult in today's age. Stay in school. Don't drop out."
Announcer: More than a million students who enter ninth grade each fall fail to graduate with their peers four years later, according to the Alliance for Excellent Education. Behrendt says it's hard for teenagers to look 30 years down the road, and dropping out is easy. Staying in school is hard, but the rewards long-term are worth it. This is Joe Kleinsasser at Wichita State University.
Sound bite #1
Behrendt looks at the potential impact of dropping out of school. The sound bite is 11 seconds and the outcue is "stay in school."
Behrendt: "Over 50 percent of the young people who drop out are currently unemployed. Stay in school. Get that diploma and degree. Make a future for you and your family. Don't live a life of poverty. Stay in school."
Sound bite #2
Behrendt says there's a significant lifetime earnings differential among those who stay in school and those who drop out. The sound bite is 8 seconds and the outcue is "make that million dollars."
Behrendt: "By staying in school and going ahead and finishing a college degree, a high school dropout can make a million dollars more. Make that million dollars."
Sound bite #3
Behrendt says more dropouts wind up in prison than those who remain in school. The sound bite is 14 seconds and the outcue is "stay out of prison."
Behrendt: "Statistically, one in four people that drop out of school end up in prison. Today's prisons, 80 percent of those are dropouts. Only one in a hundred students that graduate from a university end up in prison. Stay in school. Stay out of prison."
Sound bite #4
Behrendt says high school dropouts face other lifelong challenges. The sound bite is 13 seconds and the outcue is "of your community."
Behrendt: "Those who drop out of school tend to have more difficulty in their marriages, less likelihood of owning a home and make fewer financial contributions to their local community. Stay in school and be a member of your community."
Sound bite #5
Behrendt says it's in everyone's interest to encourage young people to stay in school. The sound bite is 11 seconds and the outcue is "it's your future, too."
Behrendt: "It's important that individuals spend time and talents with future leaders, by helping young people to get diplomas and degrees. Don't let them drop out. It's your future, too."
Sound bite #6
Behrendt says dropping out is easy, but staying in school is hard. The sound bite is 8 seconds and the outcue is "stay in school."
Behrendt: "It's hard for teenagers to look 30 years down the road, and dropping out is easy. Staying in school is hard, but the rewards long-term are worth it. Stay in school."