States Reviewing Mandatory-Attendance Age

By John Gehring

For many teenagers, turning 16 brings the first tastes of independence—like getting a driver's license or enjoying later curfews. In many states, it's also the first year thousands of students can legally call it quits and drop out of school.

That would change, however, under proposals brewing in several states to raise the mandatory school attendance age to 18.

Proponents of the idea, who include state schools superintendents and key lawmakers in some states, argue that the move would help slash dropout rates, and keep more students in the classroom at a time when having at least a high school diploma is...