partnering with community colleges is not really going to be a solution for a lot of the students. i've taken about 20 credit hours at OCC's Southfield campus recently and the former DPS students stick out like sore thumbs-completely lost in an entry level course [[no pre-requisites) and generally unable to function at an academic level i would expect from a competent middle schooler.

and those are the ones that stick around. i'd guess there was a 75% dropout/fail rate among black students in my classes last fall, and from conversations had and overheard, i'd guess that nearly all were products of DPS or Southfield schools.
to break it down further, i'd say there was a 90% drop/fail out rate among black students under 25. over 25, i'd say it was more like 50%, and these were generally the better equipped [[and at times excellent) students.

keep in mind, these were mostly entry-level courses with no pre-requisites, so anyone can take them, so there's generally a higher attrition rate than more advanced courses. lots of middle aged folks returning to a classroom for the first time in 20 years, or 20-somethings looking for something that holds their interest better than their part time job at the cell phone store. but they're generally quite easy courses-the kind that should be a breeze for anyone with a decent high school background and any idea of how to function in an academic environment.

if that's happening at OCC, i'd hate to see what it's like at a more rigorous academic environment like WSU.