Against the Odds, Students Excel at Detroit High

NPR

Published July 29, 2004 at 12:00 AM EDT

Detroit City High Principal Sharon Appling watches as 10th grader Joshua Hobson does a trial run of his science presentation on earthquakes.

Combining students who will likely graduate high school at age 20 with trouble-making students in an inner city Detroit classroom might lead many to expect a recipe for academic disaster.

But one high school is beating those odds, and even attracting students to apply or transfer.

This week, the students finally got to go on summer vacation, but they'll be back in class in one month. Robert Frederick investigated the school's successes. He says it has a little to do with students who realize they're all in the same situation -- and a lot to do with a staff that tries to nurture them.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.

Donate