Home  About  Chapters  Policy  Publications  Join  Jobs  Donate  Blog  FDR Distinguished Public Service Award in Washington DC, April 9th, 2008. Photos by Nick Bradley. News from the National Office Post-Election Center TI Launched Roosevelt LiveBlogs the Presidential Debate On Campus Midwest Regional Fall Policy Workshop Blum speaks at Vermont Campus Compact conference Coverage of the Johns Hopkins Chapter Launch > More "It isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it." — Eleanor Roosevelt    Increasing high school graduation rates > Roosevelt Home > Roosevelt Challenges > Increasing high school graduation rates By Rosie P Bingham, Ph.D. Vice President of Student Affairs, University of Memphis. Categories: Education The Challenge: Increase the number of students, especially among Native Americans, Latina/os, and African Americans, graduating from high school in the United States. How the proposed Challenge meets the challenge criteria: Applicable throughout the geographic United States Approachable at local, state, and national levels of government Approachable from a variety of academic disciplines and specialties The national rates were 76.2% for white students, 55.6% for Hispanic students and 51.6% for African-American students. These high school graduation statistics are appalling by themselves, yet as one drills down into the numbers, gender and class differences begin to appear such that the graduation rates in some states and districts for African American males can dip to under 30%. High school drop outs are more often unemployed, use public assistance, land in jail and on death row and generally have poorer health. We lose productive workers and generate dangers to society. At every level of the economy and in every segment of society the sting from the high school dropout can be felt. This problem is a represents a disaster at the local, regional, state and national level. It affects national security and financial stability. It challenges the sociologists, the physician, the economist, the psychologist, the police the prosecutors, defense attorneys, the rap artists and the local opera house. Why Roosevelt should take on this Challenge over others: The Roosevelt Institution can bring fresh ideas, fresh minds and fresh perspectives to a problem that has baffled this country for the last several decades and amazingly we do not have any solutions even with "No Child Left Behind." Comments Andrew Cox, Wed 28 Jun 4:18 pm PST: This is an excellent example of the challenges format. Students can tackle the issue from all leves of government and all issue backgrounds. Do you think we'd be able to make a difference in a year, though?   The Roosevelt Institution is a nonpartisan, nonprofit national think tank devoted to bringing students' policy ideas to the policy process. The opinions expressed on this site are exclusively those of its members. DC Headquarters: Roosevelt Institution / 2100 M St NW Suite 610 / Washington, DC 20037 || (202) 833-1359