National statistics on the number of high school drop outs

New national dropout rates: 25 percent of all students; nearly 40 percent of black and Hispanic kids fail to graduate on time. Recent studies reported by the US Department of Education revealed nearly 1.2 million students between the ages of 15 and 24 dropped out of high school in 2008 alone. However, according to the US Department of Education the true drop out rate for US teens is quite difficult to discern with out factoring in the number of reasons why teens drop out of highschool.
These statistical findings suggest that 1 in every 5 students will drop out of high school between the 10th - 12th grade for one reason or another. Factoring in all the potential reasons for this extremely high ratio of drop outs verses graduates is quite complicated.

Dropping Out of School Affects Entire Community

Dropping out of school has always been a problem that educators understood and tried to prevent. Most people though - even parents, do not realize the full repercussions Graduation from high school is a real accomplishment. It is the culmination of years of study and responsibility, and is a yardstick for fulfilling future potential. When a youth drops out of school he or she limits his or her future quality of life. What people do not understand, however, is the degree of that limitation, as well as the degree to which it impacts upon their family and community.

Impact on the Student

A student who fails to graduate from high school experiences a tremendous loss of income over a lifetime. According to Grad Nation, A Guidebook to Help Communities Solve the Dropout Problem (commissioned by America's Promise Alliance, February 2009), their estimate places this at $250,000 less than a high school graduate would make, and $1 million less than a college graduate makes. Drop outs have a more difficult time finding a job, and a greater tendency for unemployment and chronic andcyclical unemployment. Because of significantly lower earning potential, they have a higher incidence of living in poverty than graduates. They may live in poor neighborhoods, neighborhoods with poor schools, with high crime rates, and a lower quality of housing. They may have less medical and dental care. Those who drop out may also tend to have children who have less.

Impact on Business

Businesses need skilled workers. If drop outs are unprepared for the demands of 21st century jobs, businesses lose their most important resource skilled labor. Businesses have to invest additional money for training or for replacement costs due to high attrition, and even higher property tax rates in these areas to compensate for decreasing home values. These businesses may have higher costs, suffer lower profit margins, and ultimately relocate outside that region denying an important job resource to that community.

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To close the academic achievement gap between underserved and underrepresented students and their counterparts.

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Persisting beyond Barriers, LLC (PBB) is designed to help schools, school administrators, school districts, policymakers, and stakeholders in dealing with struggling, overage, and unmotivated students. Specifically, Persisting Beyond Barriers, LLC (PBB) helps in identifying interventions to improve the academic performance and overall student success of historically low performing students. Through innovative strategies for 21st Century learners, PBB will aid closing the global academic achievement gap between underserved, underrepresented students and their counterparts.