Even One High School Dropout is too Many

High school seniors across Indiana are eagerly preparing to graduate this spring. With a diploma in hand, a world of opportunity awaits these graduates as they move on to college, additional training or directly into the workforce. Unfortunately, far too few students – here in Indiana and across the nation – feel that sense of anticipation and excitement. That’s because those students already dropped out of school.

Though the sad reality that not all students complete high school is by no means a new problem, the cost of dropping out – to both the individual and to society – has never been more serious than it is today. At one time, Hoosiers lacking a high school diploma could still find a well-paying job, support a family and lead productive lives. Today however, opportunities for high school dropouts are severely limited. Dropouts are far more likely to be unemployed, receive public assistance, be involved in criminal activity or go to prison. Simply put, the world has changed. A high school diploma is no longer an option for the future; it is an essential requirement for every student.

We know that many of the students who are most likely to drop out are already behind when they start school, a compelling reason for state lawmakers to pass full-day kindergarten legislation this session. National experts and Indiana educators agree that high-quality early learning experiences can be a highly effective dropout prevention tool by providing more opportunities to identify and address learning problems early on.

Statewide full-day kindergarten would support a number of other state and local efforts that are already underway. The Indiana General Assembly took an important step with legislation that raised the dropout age to 18, required reporting of early warning indicators linked to high school dropouts and established School Flex and Fast Track programs that provide students with more options for earning a diploma.

Our Department of Education’s work in this regard includes an ongoing dropout prevention taskforce that is identifying best practices and effective interventions, analyzing current rules and regulations that might help or hinder dropout prevention efforts and connecting similar schools so they can learn from one another. In June, we will hold our annual high school summit that brings together school leaders, educators, researchers, policymakers and others for frank and meaningful discussions about high school reform and dropout prevention issues.

Though state initiatives and policies play an important role, the degree to which Indiana succeeds in overcoming our dropout problem will largely depend on the engagement of local communities across the state. It takes the active participation – not only by schools – but also parents, businesses, community organizations, concerned citizens and other caring adults to truly make a difference.

Schools must use data to identify students at-risk of dropping out, provide targeted interventions to help these students and offer ongoing teacher development to ensure rigorous and relevant classroom instruction. Parents must be involved in their children’s education, get to know their teachers, ask questions and be prepared to offer extra help at home. Businesses and community groups must provide mentoring and internship opportunities to help students see how what they learn in school relates to the “real world.”