South Carolina faces a potentially troublesome future with the rate of high school dropouts in the state. The implications of this trend not only influence the immediate earning potential of a dropout, but reach far into the future with implications for public welfare.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has shown that high school dropouts earn an average under $20,000 annually (female dropouts age 25-34 earn less than $15,000) compared to their high school graduate counterparts who earn $28,800. The average annual income for an adult with a bachelor’s degree jumps to $46,300. Over the course of a thirty year working career, a college graduate with a bachelor’s degree will earn almost $750,000 (with no adjustments for inflation) more than a high school dropout. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Economic Implications, Economic Policy, High School Dropouts, South Carolina Dropouts
High school dropouts have been the focus of unprecedented attention, and rightly so if our education system is to meet the needs of an increasingly demanding workplace. But for all the attention dropouts receive, the results are, at best, ambiguous and, at worst, inadequate.
The United States Department of Education requires state departments of education to report graduation rates. These rates help to determine whether schools are meeting the federal mandate for “adequate yearly progress” in educating the youth of America. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Accountability, High School Dropouts, South Carolina Dropout Rate, South Carolina Dropouts
The approach we take to the mounting dilemma of high school dropouts may well set the course for South Carolinas’ future prosperity. So, where do we go from here?
The incidence of low graduation rates and high dropout rates are only symptoms of more pervasive, underlying problems. The long term, permanent solution to high school dropouts lies in our efforts to institute multi-faceted reforms in order to meet the rigorous demands of a global economy. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Educational Accountability, High School Dropouts, School Reform, South Carolina Dropouts
South Carolina faces a potentially troublesome future with the rate of high school dropouts in the state. The implications of this trend not only influence the immediate earning potential of a dropout, but reach far into the future with implications for public welfare.
