Roshini Saravanakumar

ISM- Period 7

"School Dropout Rates Add To Fiscal Burden." Wertheimer, Linda, and Claudio Sanchez. Weekend Edition
Sunday. University of Houston. NPR, Houston. 24 July 2011. Web. Transcript.

Out of all the kids who start high school in a certain year, around 1 million dont graduate
Students who drop out of school cost billions of dollars in wasted money, health care, and
prison costs.
4 million kids start ninth grade yearly, but only 75% of them graduate
The American Council on Education predicts that 40 million Americans out of the total
population of about 300 million never graduated.
People without a high school diploma have steeper numbers in unemployment, low wages,
and money spent on by taxpayers.
In the past, drop outs could still manage to find a good job, but today, they are the ones who
are hurt the most.
High school drop outs earn $200,000 less than a graduate, and about $1,000,000 less than a
college graduate.
For those who have left high school, dropout rates are between 15 18%, which is twice
much as for those who graduated high school.
We are not only losing money, but also potential improvers of our society.
Taxpayers pay between $320 to 350 billion for high school dropouts (through lost wages,
taxable income, health care costs, welfare costs, and prison costs.
Most dropouts are Latino or African American.
If high schools could decrease the number of students that belong to these groups so that they
match the graduation rate of white people, the economy would improve.
Caucasian students graduate at a rate of about 82%, which is a 10-15% drop out rate.
If the Latino and African American population could match these rates, the two ethnic groups
would add a collective $310 billion to the American economy.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics released a report in 2007 showing that 60% of high school
drop outs were not contributing to the economy.
NPRs research states that past dropouts who are 25 or older want to get a GED, but cant
because their reading and math skills dont meet standard.
In modern times, many companies dont consider job applicants without a diploma, and
about 60% require 2 years of college.
This can be improved on- Chicago created 22 charter schools that rescue dropouts (from jail,
and other places) and gives them a chance to improve their skills and apply for a job.
This source is a very fact-filled podcast that sheds light on the stress that high school
dropouts place on the economy, and what we can do it alleviate these rates; however, in the
current state of the economy, it is important to stress prevention, as well as damage control.