The dropout rate shows how many leave school before ... - MeckEd

							Education Briefings for
 Candidates for Office
       In 2008

    The Dropout Issue




   www.ncforum.org
TWO WAYS TO MEASURE SCHOOL COMPLETION:

The dropout rate shows how many leave school
              before graduation.

The 4-year graduation rate indicates how many
              graduated on time.
                                        NC      US

                         Dropout rate   5.2%   9.3%



                            4-year      68%    75%
                          graduation
                             rate
Dropout Rates Rising Slightly

                                            NC Dropout Rates, 1999-2007

                          7.00%    6.43%
                                           5.71%
 Statewide dropout rate




                          6.00%                      5.25%                                        5.24%
                                                              4.78%    4.86%             5.04%
                                                                                 4.74%
                          5.00%
                          4.00%
                          3.00%
                          2.00%
                          1.00%
                          0.00%
                                  1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07
                                  (23,597) (21,368) (20,202) (18,964) (20,035) (20,175) (22,180) (23,550)
                                                             Year (# dropouts)
          Graduation rates differ by race,
          both in NC and nationwide.
    100%

      90%

      80%                                             76.8%



                   68.0%                                      68.3%
      70%
                           63.5%
                                                                                                       61.0%   61.1%
                                                                               58.4%
      60%
                                                                       53.2%                   53.6%
                                      51.1%                                            50.2%
      50%

      40%
                                              33.8%


      30%

      20%

      10%

        0%
                        All          Am Indian          Asian          Hispanic          Black           White
Source: Harvard Civil Rights Project (2004)
                                                                  US   NC
 NC’s Educational Pipeline

    For every 100 ninth grade students….

 60 complete high school 4 years later


 41 of those enroll in college


 29 of those return to college for their 2nd year


 Just 19 receive an associate’s degree within 3
  years, or a bachelor’s within 6 years
Solutions to the Dropout Problem

High School Reform
• Dropout Prevention grants
• NC Virtual Public Schools
• Learn & Earn Online
•9th grade academies
                 Other strategies
                 • Raise compulsory
                    attendance age?
                 • Early interventions?
                 • Better counseling?
                 • Afterschool programs?
John Dornan
jdornan@ncforum.org
919-781-6833
www.ncforum.org