2007-08

Reducing The Dropout Rate

Felix W. Ortiz

WHEREAS, the national graduation rate is between 68-71 percent and the graduation rate for Black, Hispanic and Native American students is about 50 percent;

WHEREAS, estimates suggest that nearly one third of all public school students fail to graduate with their class;

WHEREAS, in 2000, young adults living in the poorest families were six times as likely as their peers from families in the top 20 percent of the income distribution to drop out of high school;

WHEREAS, students who drop out are more likely to experience negative outcomes, including unemployment and incarceration;

WHEREAS, students who graduate from high school earn over $9,000 a year more than those who do not;

WHEREAS, tthe United States could prevent billions of dollars a year in economic losses and secure its place as a world economic and educational leader by raising the quality of schooling, investing more money and other resources in education, and lowering dropout rates;

WHEREAS, our society has a shared responsibility to reduce the dropout rate;

WHEREAS, the National Education Association has launched a comprehensive program to lower the high school dropout rate including mandatory high school graduation or its equivalency; high school graduation centers; individualized student attention; expanded graduation options; increased career education and workforce readiness programs in schools; early education; family involvement; training and resources for educators to prevent students from dropping out; and an investment of $10 billion dollars over the next 10 years to support dropout programs;
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that NHCSL supports the National Education Association’s efforts to reduce the dropout rate and will work with NEA to advance legislation and programs that will prevent students from dropping out.

Adopted this 21st day of April, 2007 at the NHCSL Executive Committee and BBA meeting held in Washington, D.C.

Assemblyman Felix W. Ortiz, NY
NHCSL President