Indicator: High School Drop-outs

Outcome (s): Children and youth succeeding in school and schools succeeding for children and youth.

Why This is Important

High school drop-outs have lower earnings, experience more unemployment, and are more likely to require income assistance and/or experience incarceration than their peers who complete high school. The completion of high school is required for accessing post-secondary education and is a minimum requirement for most jobs.

Where We Stand

For the 2004-2005 school year, slightly under 3% (2.72) of all public school students enrolled in grades 9-12 dropped out of school before graduation or completion of a program of studies. Maine consistently ranks among the top ten states in the country in high school completion and low drop-out rates. For the previous school year, 2003–04, the dropout rates for public high school students in the reporting states ranged from a low of 1.8 percent in Connecticut and New Jersey to a high of 7.9 percent in Louisiana.

Data Source and Context

The sources for these data are the Maine Department of Education and U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Washington, DC.; figures are available on-line for the state, counties and individual schools at: http://www.maine.gov/education/enroll/dropouts/historical/dropunit.htm. A high school drop-out is defined as any person who has withdrawn or been expelled from high school before graduation or completion of a program of studies, and who has not enrolled in another educational institution or program. Each local educational unit submits drop-out reports to the Department of Education as of the last day of school, counting all students who dropped out during the previous calendar year. The rate is calculated as a percent of all students enrolled in grades 9-12 during the school year.