"Schools and states now must track and lift the graduation rates for all students, including minorities and students with disabilities, under rules issued Tuesday by Education Secretary Margaret Spellings."

For more info, read Libby Quade's article - States, Schools Will Have to Improve Dropout Rates - in today's Yahoo! News.

I wonder if this is why NJ is trying to raise the mandatory education law to 18yo where it is currently 16yo (meaning legally, they can leave at 16 and not graduate where if the law is 18, they're there until graduation).

The reason the dropout rate is higher for minorities is because teachers by and large are teaching outside of their culture with zero training on differences in culture as they pertain to educating the children. In the eyes of academia: a child is a child and they are all blank slates. WRONG!

Its very likely, Heather.

Another primary issue is that states are raising curriclum standards (towards a college track as a standard) willy nilly without taking the time to insure that all students have equal standards to the academic supports that will prepare them for college track classes.

Add that on top of the nonsensical testing standards and we have a real mess.

I think the education system in the US is worrying about the dropout rate much too late--that is when the students are in high school. Dropout prevention should begin in first grade.

Approximately 20% of all students have some form of dyslexia, yet schools across the US refuse to test for dyslexia and/or offer services for dyslexic students. Teachers receive no training in how to teach these students to read. This creates a continuing problem where students become functionally illiterate and leave school as soon as possible.

Can you imagine the sea change if we really addressed this learning issue.