With high school dropout rates on the rise, ASU has teamed up with local high schools to increase graduation rates.
A team of ASU community members decided to help improve the dropout rates last February by creating retention plans for six schools in the Valley.
The effort was led by Eugene Garcia, vice-president of university-school partnerships and dean of education.
"We don't want to focus on dropouts, we want to focus on completers," Garcia said.
Last year, Tolleson Union High School in Tolleson, Ariz., increased its graduation rate with the help of ASU.
The initiative plan at the school included ASU students and faculty who spoke with Tolleson students and answered questions about college. The ASU volunteers recruited Tolleson students to enroll at ASU, and guided them through the process of registering for classes.
"This alleviated a lot of their fears," said Guidance Counselor Department Chair Perla Gonzalez.
The initiative had a very positive impact at Tolleson, Gonzalez added.
"The students were able to communicate with people about college on a regular basis," she said.
Arizona high schools reported a dropout rate of 8.67 percent in 2000. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, Arizona is ranked 46th out of 50 states for high school completion.
The initiative will "allow ASU to make a contribution," Garcia said.
"College students give [high school students] a different vision of the world," Garcia said.
Garcia, who grew up wanting to be a bus driver like his uncle, said his teachers helped him realize what going to college could do for him.
Now that he is dean of education, he wants to see the same thing happen to high school students in the valley.
Cristin Lucas, a Spanish and anthropology junior, said mentoring was a good way to increase high school retention, but it shouldn't be the only answer.
"It is not just up to the University, but also the community and the state," she said.
Lucas, a former mentor, said this help is one way students can make a difference.
"If you have a strong, positive figure in your life, you are probably going to succeed," Lucas said.
Reach the reporter at amanda.m.gonser@asu.edu.
