%3Cp%3EFrom%20Solutions%20for%20America%20--According%20to%20this%20article%2C%26nbsp%3B%20a%201%20percent%20increase%20in%20high%20school%20completion%20rate%20would%20save%20the%20United%20States%20%241.4%20billion%20each%20year%20in%20health%20care%20costs.%20This%20makes%20it%20even%20more%20important%20than%20ever%20to%20encourage%20kids%20to%20stay%20in%20school%2C%20and%20for%20teachers%20to%20improve%20curriculum%20to%20improve%20their%20connection%20to%20students.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26%23147%3B%26nbsp%3BFor%20decades%2C%20educators%20have%20labored%20to%20help%20these%20kids%20but%20a%20community-wide%20problem%20needs%20a%20community-wide%20solution.%20Moreover%2C%20schools%20want%20community%20help.%20A%20survey%20conducted%20by%20the%20Pew%20Partnership%20for%20Civic%20Change%20in%202003%20found%20that%2093%20percent%20of%20literacy%20workers%20said%20they%20could%20use%20more%20volunteers%20to%20help%20people%20learn%20to%20read%2C%2075%20percent%20of%20public%20educators%20said%20they%20could%20use%20more%20volunteers%20to%20work%20in%20classrooms%20and%2060%20percent%20of%20teachers%20said%20they%20could%20use%20more%20people%20to%20assist%20with%20the%20collection%20of%20donated%20books%20and%20other%20school%20supplies.%26nbsp%3B%26%23148%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20Public%20Schools%20of%20North%20Carolina%20--%26nbsp%3BAccording%20to%20the%20%22Annual%20Dropout%20Event%20Report%20for%20School%20Year%202006-07%2C%22%20a%20total%20of%2023%2C550%20students%20in%20North%20Carolina%20dropped%20out%20of%20school.%20%20Howard%20Lee%2C%20State%20Board%20of%20Education%20Chairman%2C%20declares%20%22students%20drop%20out%20of%20school%20for%20many%20reasons%2C%20including%20excessive%20absences%2C%20family%20concerns%2C%20academic%20problems%20or%20the%20belief%20that%20they%20can%20finish%20a%20high%20school%20credential%20more%20quickly%20through%20a%20GED%20program.%22%20%20These%20drop%20out%20rates%20must%20be%20decreased.%20%20The%20question%20is%3A%20how%3F%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26%23147%3B%26nbsp%3BState%20Board%20of%20Education%20members%20have%20set%20as%20their%20guiding%20mission%20that%20every%20public%20school%20student%20will%20graduate%20from%20high%20school%2C%20globally%20competitive%20for%20work%20and%20postsecondary%20education%20and%20prepared%20for%20life%20in%20the%2021st%20century.%26nbsp%3B%26%23148%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20The%20New%20York%20times%20--%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3BNew%20Jersey%20officials%20are%20making%20plans%20to%20reduce%20the%20drop%20out%20rate.%20%26nbsp%3BThe%20state%20already%20has%20a%20low%20drop%20out%20rate%2C%202%25%20of%20the%20state%2C%20but%20officials%20are%20still%20urging%20to%20make%20that%20percentage%20decreased.%20%26nbsp%3BWith%20the%20help%20of%20the%20community%2C%20summits%20and%20groups%20are%20being%20designed%20to%20tackle%20the%20problem%20head%20on.%26nbsp%3B%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26%23147%3B%26nbsp%3BColleen%20Wilber%2C%20a%20spokeswoman%20for%20the%20alliance%2C%20said%20that%20dropouts%20are%20more%20than%20just%20a%20problem%20for%20schools%2C%20because%20those%20students%20are%20more%20likely%20to%20become%20a%20burden%20to%20society%20%26mdash%3B%20ending%20up%20in%20jail%2C%20on%20welfare%20rolls%20or%20without%20any%20health%20insurance.%20According%20to%20the%20group%26rsquo%3Bs%20research%2C%20dropouts%20from%20the%20class%20of%202007%20will%20cost%20the%20nation%20more%20than%20%24320%20billion%20in%20lost%20wages%2C%20taxes%20and%20productivity%20over%20their%20lifetime.%26nbsp%3B%26%23148%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20California%20Drop%20Out%20Research%20Project%20--%26nbsp%3BIn%20this%20informative%20article%2C%20students%20discuss%20their%20challenges%20with%20school%20and%20pontificate%20California%27s%20high%20school%20drop%20out%20problem.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26%23147%3B%26nbsp%3BAbout%2030%25%20of%20students%20in%20California%20will%20never%20graduate%20from%20high%20school.%20While%20many%20explanations%20have%20been%20put%20forth%20by%20researchers%20and%20policy%20makers%2C%20few%20have%20given%20voice%20to%20the%20students%20themselves.%26nbsp%3B%26%23148%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20Child%20Trends%20Databank%20--Among%20youth%20ages%2016%20to%2024%2C%20Hispanics%20accounted%20for%2041%20percent%20of%20all%20current%20high%20school%20dropouts%20in%202005.%20However%2C%20they%20only%20made%20up%2017%20percent%20of%20the%20total%20youth%20population.%20%20This%20ratio%20is%20troubling%20and%20infers%20an%20educational%20bias.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26ldquo%3B%26nbsp%3BHispanics%20is%20in%20part%20the%20result%20of%20the%20high%20proportion%20of%20immigrants%20in%20this%20age%20group%20who%20never%20attended%20school%20in%20the%20U.S.%26nbsp%3B%20Asian%20youth%2C%20with%20a%20dropout%20rate%20of%203%20percent%2C%20had%20the%20lowest%20dropout%20rate%20among%20all%20racial%20and%20ethnic%20groups%20in%202005.%26nbsp%3B%26rdquo%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20Schargel%20Consulting%20Group%20--In%20order%20to%20combat%20the%20staggering%20rate%20of%20high%20school%20dropouts%2C%20this%20article%20suggests%20a%20few%20different%20solutions.%20Among%20them%20are%20service%20learning%2C%20alternative%20schools%2C%20and%20an%20early%20intervention.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26%23147%3B%26nbsp%3BService%20learning%20connects%20meaningful%20community%20service%20experiences%20with%20academic%20learning.%20This%20teaching%2Flearning%20method%20promotes%20personal%20and%20social%20growth%2C%20career%20development%2C%20and%20civic%20responsibility%20and%20can%20be%20a%20powerful%20vehicle%20for%20effective%20school%20reform%20at%20all%20grade%20levels.%26nbsp%3B%26%23148%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20Montgomery%20Adviser%20--Several%20schools%20around%20the%20country%20should%20follow%20the%20lead%20of%20public%20schools%20in%20Montgomery%20that%20are%20addressing%20the%20high%20school%20dropout%20problem%20by%20instilling%20mentor%20programs.%20Students%20are%20assignment%20mentors%20in%20a%20process%20that%20gives%20both%20the%20students%20and%20the%20adults%20the%20chance%20to%20learn.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26%23147%3B%26nbsp%3B%22Mentors%20give%20children%20a%20positive%20role%20model%20to%20look%20up%20to%20and%20encourage%20them%20through%20challenges%20that%20oc%26shy%3Bcur%20at%20a%20critical%20age%2C%22%20she%20said.%20%22We%20are%20finding%20that%20in%20junior%20high%20and%20middle%20school%20is%20where%20students%20tend%20to%20drop%20out.%20We%20want%20to%20get%20in%20front%20of%20the%20problem.%22%26nbsp%3B%26%23148%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20ABC%20News%20--%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3BAn%20examination%20of%20just%20why%20our%20nation%26rsquo%3Bs%20schools%20are%20experiencing%20dropout%20rates%20that%20are%20going%20through%20the%20roof.%26nbsp%3B%20Once%20thought%20to%20be%20a%20problem%20only%20in%20more%20urban%20settings%2C%20rural%20America%20is%20now%20being%20hit%20hard%20too.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26%23147%3B%26nbsp%3BA%20recent%20study%20by%20the%20Department%20of%20Education%20found%20that%2031%20percent%20of%20American%20students%20were%20dropping%20out%20or%20failing%20to%20graduate%20in%20the%20nation%27s%20largest%20100%20public%20school%20districts.%26nbsp%3B%26%23148%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20Wall%20Street%20Journal%20--%20%20Although%20the%20biggest%20problem%20in%20the%20US%20seems%20to%20be%20the%20economic%20crisis%2C%20a%20persistently%20high%20dropout%20rate%20also%20increases%20the%20threat%20to%20the%20country%27s%20strength%20and%20prosperity.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26ldquo%3B%26nbsp%3BThe%20longstanding%20American%20dropout%20problem%20may%20be%20especially%20thorny%20now%2C%20with%20a%20looming%20recession.%20Cutting%20the%20number%20of%20dropouts%20in%20half%20would%20generate%20%2445%20billion%20annually%20in%20new%20tax%20revenue%2C%20according%20to%20America%27s%20Promise%20--%20assuming%20there%20are%20ultimately%20enough%20jobs%20to%20accommodate%20the%20graduates.%26nbsp%3B%26rdquo%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20Los%20Angeles%20Times%20--%26nbsp%3BThis%20is%20photo%20gallery%20of%20the%20students%20of%20Hollywood%20Alternative%20Education%20and%20Work%20Center.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3EThe%20center%20specializes%20in%20getting%20high%20school%20dropouts%20to%20return%20and%20earn%20their%20diplomas.%20The%20school%20is%20on%20the%20second%20floor%20of%20a%20Hollywood%20strip%20mall%2C%20but%20commencement%20will%20take%20place%20Thursday%20at%20Hollywood%20High%20School.%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A