Support those at risk of dropping out

By Nathan Mains

Every school day in Pennsylvania, 82 high school students leave school after classes - and never return. That's more than 14,000 school dropouts last year across the commonwealth.

Fifty-four of Pennsylvania's 598 high schools are considered among the nation's lowest performers, meaning that fewer than 60 percent of freshmen progress to their senior year on time.

Dropping out of school isn't just a stigma - it's a life-changing disadvantage with wide-ranging implications and the issue is dogged by troubling questions around who's dropping out, the reasons for the exodus, and the societal and economic consequences.

High school dropouts are more likely to commit a crime - 75 percent of state inmates don't have a high school diploma - to rely on government health care, and to use other public services, such as food stamps or housing assistance.

The problem is particularly thorny because the numerous causes for dropping out - from poor performance in class to no family support system, from a lack of motivation to drug/alcohol abuse and pregnancy - have cultivated well-meaning grassroots programs, yet without enough results.

The increasing number of dropouts has stoked concern over rising costs for social programs and prisons, as well as lost tax revenue. It has been estimated that dropouts represent $320 billion in lost lifetime earnings potential, which hurts employers and is a drag on competitiveness.

Clearly a different approach is needed.

Communities in Schools of Pennsylvania (CISPA) goes directly into schools, working with administrators, principals, and school staffs. We assess needs and collaborate with nonprofits and service providers to connect resources and deliver services to the most at-risk students.

The organization's mission is simple and direct: Surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.

The "community of support," which includes tutors, food banks, family counselors, college visits, job shadowing, and health services, adheres to a structured model designed to remove barriers to learning and proactively meet the dropout crisis head on.

This evidence-based strategy creates the environment for healthy one-on-one relationships to form between adults and children - a critical component of curtailing the dropout rate - and delivers results. Graduation rates have increased as a result of a higher percentage of students reaching proficiency in fourth- and eighth-grade reading and math.

By serving more than 24,000 students - that is, potential dropouts - in 2011, CISPA is moving the needle, alleviating a costly burden on social programs and prisons.

A generation ago, dropouts were not viewed as society's problem. Today, we understand that everyone suffers because of this dropout epidemic. The more dropouts, the greater the social and economic challenges cities and states face, from lost earnings to welfare and medical costs. Ironically, it is today's graduates who will pay for those who drop out, who will never attain the education and skills needed to help fuel economic growth.

We're past the boiling point, with about one million students dropping out nationwide each year. Programs that stem that tide are worth the investment; they pay dividends that benefit us all.

We can't afford to do nothing.