James Hanks, a Dropout “Recovered”

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2015/04/HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924.png
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:719;s:6:"height";i:386;s:4:"file";s:48:"2015/04/HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924.png";s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-336x180.png";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:180;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-140x140.png";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:46:"HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-80x80.png";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-600x338.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-600x386.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:386;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-579x311.png";s:5:"width";i:579;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-470x252.png";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:252;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-600x386.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:386;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-600x386.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:386;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-125x125.png";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Birmingham City Schools
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_wp_attachment_backup_sizes] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:8:{s:9:"full-orig";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:720;s:6:"height";i:665;s:4:"file";s:25:"HanksGraduatesCropped.png";}s:14:"thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"HanksGraduatesCropped-140x140.png";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:11:"medium-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"HanksGraduatesCropped-183x169.png";s:5:"width";i:183;s:6:"height";i:169;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:10:"large-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"HanksGraduatesCropped-366x338.png";s:5:"width";i:366;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"HanksGraduatesCropped-366x338.png";s:5:"width";i:366;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:23:"wbhm-featured-home-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"HanksGraduatesCropped-337x311.png";s:5:"width";i:337;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:27:"wbhm-featured-carousel-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"HanksGraduatesCropped-287x265.png";s:5:"width";i:287;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:19:"post-thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"HanksGraduatesCropped-125x125.png";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}}
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:1455807;s:14:"optimized_size";i:624137;s:7:"percent";d:57.130000000000003;}s:5:"sizes";a:9:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:76:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/04/HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924.png";s:13:"original_size";i:371017;s:14:"optimized_size";i:170294;s:7:"percent";d:54.100000000000001;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:84:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/04/HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-140x140.png";s:13:"original_size";i:36513;s:14:"optimized_size";i:15368;s:7:"percent";d:57.909999999999997;}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:84:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/04/HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-336x180.png";s:13:"original_size";i:106354;s:14:"optimized_size";i:43232;s:7:"percent";d:59.350000000000001;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:82:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/04/HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-80x80.png";s:13:"original_size";i:13932;s:14:"optimized_size";i:6254;s:7:"percent";d:55.109999999999999;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:84:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/04/HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-600x338.png";s:13:"original_size";i:300386;s:14:"optimized_size";i:126176;s:7:"percent";d:58;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:84:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/04/HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-300x300.png";s:13:"original_size";i:134376;s:14:"optimized_size";i:57548;s:7:"percent";d:57.170000000000002;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:84:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/04/HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-579x311.png";s:13:"original_size";i:272598;s:14:"optimized_size";i:113635;s:7:"percent";d:58.310000000000002;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:84:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/04/HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-470x252.png";s:13:"original_size";i:190579;s:14:"optimized_size";i:78846;s:7:"percent";d:58.630000000000003;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:84:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/04/HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-125x125.png";s:13:"original_size";i:30052;s:14:"optimized_size";i:12784;s:7:"percent";d:57.460000000000001;}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1662733402 
1433800859

The U.S. Secretary of Education recently recognized Alabama for having one of the nation’s steepest increases in high school graduation rates. Birmingham City Schools’ rate increased even more – up roughly 23 percent in the last four years. The latest data reported to the state education department puts the system’s rate at 79 percent — just below the national average. Regardless of that and larger questions about what the diplomas actually mean, having that piece of paper is helpful. For an NPR project, WBHM’s education reporter Dan Carsen sat down with James Hanks. He graduated last month thanks to Birmingham Schools’ Dropout Recovery Program, which runs three Alternative Learning Centers spread throughout the city. James attended the one housed at Agape Missionary Baptist Church in the Eastlake neighborhood. The five-minute on-air interview above starts with the former Woodlawn High School athlete and drum major explaining — really admitting — why he had trouble graduating on time last year.

More interviews follow.

Click below for the extended web-only interview with James:

 

Ezra Shine, Birmingham Schools’ Coordinator of Prevention, Recovery, and Alternative Programs, grades 6-12.

Dan Carsen
Ezra Shine, Birmingham Schools’ Coordinator of Prevention, Recovery, and Alternative Programs, grades 6-12.

Click below for the web-only interview with Ezra Shine, Birmingham City Schools’ Coordinator of Prevention, Recovery, and Alternative Programs for grades 6-12:

 

‘We just want to get to the truth’: Jabari Peoples’ family still seeking answers

Eighteen-year-old Jabari Peoples was shot and killed by a Homewood police officer earlier this year. His family is still reeling from the loss and maintain their disagreement with police’s account of the incident.

Here’s what happens when private equity buys homes in your neighborhood

What makes rents go down and neighborhood diversity go up? Corporate landlords. But they also make it harder to own for yourself.

Here they are: The best student podcasts in America

For the 2025 NPR Student Podcast Challenge, we've listened to nearly 2,000 entries from around the U.S., and narrowed them down to 11 middle school and 10 high school finalists.

Musicians keep leaving Spotify in protest of CEO’s defense investments

In the last few months, bands including Hotline TNT and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard have pulled music from Spotify in a new wave of artist-led protests against the platform.

Trump’s Medicaid cuts will hurt children’s hospitals

The GOP said its overhaul of Medicaid was aimed at reducing fraud and getting more adult beneficiaries to work. Among the likely side effects: fewer services and doctors for treating sick children.

A new Nation’s Report Card shows drops in science, math and reading scores

It's the first Nation's Report Card since the Trump administration began making cuts to the U.S. Education Department. The scores reflect the state of student achievement in early 2024.

More Education Coverage