BOISE - Beginning in just two weeks high school seniors across our state will graduate, and move on to new chapters in their lives.
But there's a phenomenon happening this same time of year. It's called the "summer melt." Researchers at the Idaho State Board of Education are studying the phenomenon and how it's contributing to the state's stagnant "go-on" rate.
Idaho has long been focused on pushing more of our high schoolers to complete a postsecondary education, whether it be at a two- or four-year institution or at a career technical program. Yet, Idaho's overall go-on rate has been relatively flat, at 45 percent, for the last three years.
Carson Howell, chief researcher officer at the Idaho State Board of Education says the summer melt is partly to blame.
"These are kids who've said 'this is where I want to go' and then by the time college comes around, they're nowhere to be found," Howell said.
Studies conducted by Howell and his team show summer melt affects about half of Idaho high school seniors.
"Those students over the course of the spring of their senior year and during the summer melt away," said Jean Henscheid, principal policy analyst with the Idaho State Board of Education. "So they go from intending to not attending."
There is good reason to care about the summer melt. Howell says if high school seniors don't immediately go-on the first year, chances are they may never. The go-on rate drops from 45 percent the first year to just 10 percent the second year.
"And then it continues to drop off after that," Howell said. "So it's really important that those students
who want to go to college, get into college as soon as they can."
So now the big questions for education researchers are why are high school seniors melting and how can we help them?
"All of the indicators are that students are extremely distressed right now as they make plans for after
high school," Henscheid said.
They are children of the Great Recession and some are skeptical that there's a bright future out there with a great job, according to Henscheid. Other students are simply overwhelmed at all the choices and decisions.
"We don't want to scare kids away from college," Howell said. "And I think that over time college has
become this big beast to a lot of kids."
North Idaho College recently started supporting seniors by sending faculty and staff out to more than a
dozen high schools in the Idaho Panhandle. Once a month they visit with high school seniors, answer
questions and build relationships.
"So the students can put a face to the name, which is incredibly important, a connection with a human being who represents the other side of high school," Henscheid said. "Slowly high schools are taking it upon themselves, and post secondary institutions are taking it upon themselves to make it a great Idaho handoff that really is supporting the students in that critical, summer melt period."
Finances also add to the summer melt, according to Howell. The Idaho Legislature this year allocated more money for so-called opportunity scholarships, which will help.
But whatever the reasons may be - emotional, logistical, financial - Board researchers say slowing the
summer melt to a slow trickle is key to improving Idaho's go-on rate.
"Really, we're trying to make education work better for the Idaho student," Howell said.