The Silent Epidemic

“Every year, nearly a million kids fail to graduate high school with their peers.”

Margaret Spellings, Secretary of Education, May 9, 2007

• Every 29 seconds another student gives up on school.
• Nearly 1/3 of all public high school students fail to graduate from public high school with their class.
• Nearly ½ of all African Americans fail to graduate from public high school with their class.
• Nearly ½ of all Hispanics, fail to graduate from public high school with their class.
• Nearly ½ of all Native Americans fail to graduate from public high school with their class.
• There are nearly 2,000 high schools in the U.S. where the typical freshman class loses 40% of its members who drop out by their senior year.