The High Cost of High School Dropouts: What the Nation Pays for Inadequate High Schools
The U.S. economy could have gained almost $330 billion more in purchasing power and taxable income if the high school class of 2007 had graduated on time, concludes a report by the Alliance for Excellent Education, a Washington-based policy and research organization.
The high school graduates surveyed for the study listed the lack relevant or interesting lessons in their classes and the lack of individual attention from their instructors as a reason for dropping out of high school.
The study used enrollment data from those entering high school in 2003 and multiplied the 2007 high school graduation rate by the lifetime earnings difference that is expected to accrue between high school dropouts and graduates.
