April 27-April 30, 2009
Welcome to the Drop-Out Crisis: Challenges & Solutions Web Dialogue
The Youth Graduation Empowerment Project (YGEP) included 400 students, as well as community leaders and policy-makers, to discuss the challenges and potential solutions for California’s dropout crisis.
- The dropout rate for California is estimated to be between 25% and 33%. The estimates are up to 50% for African-American, Hispanic, Southeast Asian and Native American students.
- Dropouts are three times more likely to be unemployed; twice as likely to live in poverty; and are half as likely to be in good health.
- Dropouts are also eight times more likely to be in jail or prison and cost tax-payers about $2 million per dropout who turns to a life of crime.
Students are directly affected by this crisis, and yet rarely are they invited to help identify potential solutions. Our goal is to give California students an opportunity to share their ideas and insights into what can be done to increase graduation rates. This Dialogue will connect youth perspectives with research and best practices to develop recommendations that individuals, schools, districts, cities, counties and the state can use to increase student success.
This Dialogue will lead to ACTION! Together, student leaders and adult allies will develop policies and recommendations that will be presented to local and state leaders. Thanks to State Farm Insurance Youth Advisory Board for their grant to support this project.