The Dropout Nation Podcast: Save Young Men

On this week’s Dropout Nation Podcast, I take a look at the Schott Foundation’s report on black males and offer reminders that the achievement gap is not just one of race. All males, especially black and white males, are failing badly, with major consequences for America’s economy and society. It will take the reform of how we teach reading to young men and Iron Men of all races to stem this aspect of the dropout crisis.

You can listen to the Podcast at RiShawn Biddle’s radio page or download directly to your iPod, Zune, MP3 player or smartphone.  Also, subscribe to the podcast series. It is also available on iTunes, Blubrry, Podcast Alley, the Education Podcast Network,  Zune Marketplace and PodBean. Also, add the podcast on Viigo, if you have a BlackBerry, iPhone or Android phone.

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Watch: Addressing the Boys Crisis in Reading

As Dropout Nation has discussed, the problems in teaching boys how to read is the key underlying factor behind the growing achievement gap between boys and girls — and why there is as much as a two-to-one ratio between women and men on college campuses. Other countries, including Australia, have begun addressing this crisis in their own countries. But in the U.S., far too many Sara Meads and others continue to ignore the matter or argue that it isn’t a real issue — to the nation’s detriment.

Watch the following video on boys and reading by Gretchen Pinard, a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University, and consider what school reformers must do to address this achievement gap. Listen to the Dropout Nation Podcast on boys and reading. And think about how you can help get our boys reading.