ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the school dropout problem in the context of American society. It describes legislative measures and outlines demographic and societal trends that influence the educational arena in the 21st century. The chapter identifies the need for a concerted effort to address the school dropout problem and set forth the fundamental components of a successful reform initiative. Students who completed high school with some credential other than a regular diploma can account for a sizable proportion of the high school completers. The success/failure rate of local schools helps determine the resale value of homes and is used to influence businesses to move into an area. The Business Roundtable suggests that a more accurate way of counting high school graduation rates is to compare the annual number of diplomas awarded by public and private high schools to the number of 17- and 18- year-olds in America.
