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A total of 23,550 students - or 5.24 percent of the students in grades nine through 12 - dropped out of school in the 2006-07 school year, according to the "Annual Dropout Event Report for School Year 2006-07" presented to the State Board of Education. The dropout rate in 2005-06 was 5.04 percent or 22,180 students.
Forty-three percent of North Carolina's 115 school districts reported a decrease in dropout events with Washington, Clay and Camden counties showing the largest rate decreases - approximately 50 percent decreases in each case. Large increases in a handful of school districts pushed up the state average. State Board of Education Chairman Howard Lee said he was deeply concerned about the number of students dropping out of school. "Students drop out of school for many reasons, including excessive absences, family concerns, academic problems or the belief that they can finish a high school credential more quickly through a GED program, but North Carolinians need to make sure these young people realize how tough it can be for them once they bypass their high school diploma. High school graduation today is a bare minimum for economic survival, and we need to support all students so that they graduate from high school." State Board of Education members have set as their guiding mission that every public school student will graduate from high school, globally competitive for work and postsecondary education and prepared for life in the 21st century. State Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson said that the dropout rate is an indicator that a number of strategies must be explored to solve the dropout problem. "Washington, Clay and Camden County school leaders have shown us you can make a positive difference in keeping students in school," she said. "It's imperative that we look closely at what these and other districts are doing to see if those efforts can be duplicated in other parts of the state." Atkinson reiterated the value of timely academic support for struggling students and close attention to student needs during transition years. "It's easy to lose hope when you feel you will never catch up. We must ensure that our students never lose hope," she said. The issue of high school dropouts has prompted significant work recently to improve middle and high schools so that students are better engaged and supported in their learning. The complete dropout report and district level numbers are available online at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/research/dropout/reports. For more information, please contact the NCDPI's Communications division at 919.807.3450. (Images provided by Henderson County Public Schools.)
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