Vocabulary Preview
Match each word or phrase with the correct definition.
1. convince
a. to abandon an attempt or activity
2. diploma
b. a report that examines and analyzes a topic
3. drop out
c. a document
certifying graduation
4. economy
d. the condition of economic life
5. philanthropic
e. to persuade
6. study
f. characterized by acts of goodwill
Pre-Reading Questions
Think about the following questions.
1. What is the high school dropout rate in your city?
2. What are some reasons why a student may drop out of high school?
3. What are some ways to decrease the number of high school
dropouts?
High School
Dropout Rates
on the Rise
S o c i a l I s s u e s 1
U N
I
T
4
42
High School Dropout Rates
on the Rise
5
10
15
20
25
H
ow many students drop out of high school in the United States?
Nobody seems to know with certainty, but statistics indicate it might
be a lot more than most people think. Recent
studies have found that
only about 75 percent of all high school
freshmen receive a high school diploma
and that
in the fifty largest US cities, the number falls to 52 percent–barely more
than half. Previous studies had shown that 85 percent of all high school students
graduated. The US now has the highest dropout rate of all industrialized
countries. It is estimated that more than 1 million
students drop out of high
school every year, or 7,000 each school day. According to one study,
America is
the only
industrialized nation in which children are less likely to graduate
from high school than their parents.
The rising dropout rate has alarmed both
educators and
economists. In
this
age of advanced technology, education is more important than ever. To get a
good job, workers need to know how to read. They must be able to quickly
