Why ChalleNGe is Important
A Dropout Nation
Every school day more than 7,200 high school students drop out of school and fail to graduate with their peers. Perhaps more staggering than the number of students dropping out of American high schools is the silence that surrounds this growing problem. The recent Gates Foundation-commissioned study entitled “The Silent Epidemic – Perspectives of High School Dropouts” and its conclusion that the nature of the high school dropout rate in this country is “tragic” says it best.
The consequences of leaving school without a diploma are very often dire. Consider the evidence of this growing and troubling national problem outlined in the various studies and reports below:
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation:
“The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of High School Dropouts” (PDF)
Strong American Schools:
“A Stagnant Nation: Why American Students Are Still at Risk” (PDF)
Economic Mobility Project:
“Education and Economic Mobility” (PDF)
Alliance for Excellent Education, IssueBrief, January 2007:
“The High Cost of High School Dropouts” (PDF)
