THE COST OF DROPPING OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL

1
THE COST OF DROPPING OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL

2
WHERE DOES THE U.S. STAND IN GRADUATION RATES?

• In high school completion rates, the United
  States has now slipped to 10th place in the
  world.

3
HOW MANY U.S. STUDNETS DROP OUT?

• Approximately 1 in 8 children in the United
  States never graduate from high school.
• Based on calculations per school day (180 days of
  seven hours each), one high school student drops
  out every nine seconds.

4
REASONS WHY YOUTH DROP OUT

• Didn't like school in general or the school they
  were attending.
• Were failing, getting poor grades, or couldn't
  keep up with school work.
• Didn't get along with teachers and/or students.
• Had disciplinary problems, were suspended, or
  expelled.
• Didn't feel safe in school.
•  

5
REASONS WHY YOUTH DROP OUT

• Got a job, had a family to support, or had
  trouble managing both school and work.
• Got married, got pregnant, or became a parent.
• Had a drug or alcohol problem.

6
ACCORIDNG TO STATISTICS WHO IS AT RISK FOR
DROPPING OUT?

• Young adults of Hispanic descent are more likely
  to have dropped out of school than Black or White
  young adults (64 Hispanic, 84 Black, and 92
  White ages 18-24 who completed school) (NCES,
  2002).
• On average, students from low-income families are
  at increased risk of not completing school
  (dropout rate is 10 for low income, 5.2 for
  middle income, and 1.6 high income) (NCES,
  2002).

7
ACCORIDNG TO STATISTICS WHO IS AT RISK FOR
DROPPING OUT?

• Of youth with disabilities who drop out of
  school, the highest proportions are students with
  learning disabilities (32) and students with
  emotional/behavioral disabilities (50) (Wagner
  et al., 1991).

8
WHAT TO HIGH SCHOOL DROP OUTS COST SOCIETY?

• Students who do not complete school cost
  taxpayers billions of dollars in lost revenues,
  welfare, unemployment, crime prevention, and
  prosecution (Joint Economic Committee, 1991).

9
WHY IS THE U.S. DROP OUT RATE PARTICULARLY
ALARMING?

• The number of students in our nation who are not
  completing school is particularly alarming in
  todays society because there are few employment
  opportunities that pay living wages and benefits
  for those who have neither completed a high
  school education nor acquired necessary basic
  skills.

10
EARNINGS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR DROPOUTS

• The gap between dropouts and more educated people
  is widening as opportunities increase for higher
  skilled workers all but disappear for the less
  skilled.
• Students who graduate from high school earn an
  average of 9,245 more per year than students who
  do not complete school (Employment Policy
  Foundation, 2001).

11
EARNINGS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR DROPOUTS

• Dropouts make up nearly half (50) the heads of
  households on welfare.
• Dropouts make up nearly half (50)the prison
  population.

12
EARNINGS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR DROPOUTS

• Recent dropouts will earn 200,000 less than high
  school graduates, and over 800,000 less than
  college graduates, in their lives.

13
EARNINGS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR DROPOUTS

• In 1971, male dropouts, working full time, earned
  35,087 (in 2002 dollars), falling to 23,903 in
  2002, a decline in earnings of 35 percent.
  Earnings for female dropouts fell from 19,888 to
  17,114.

14
RESOURCES

• http//www.focusas.com/Dropouts.html
• http//ncset.org/publications/essentialtools/dropo
  ut/part1.1.asp