Panelists
Phillip Lovell, Vice President of Federal Advocacy, Alliance for Excellent Education
Russell W. Rumberger, PhD, Vice Provost for Education Partnerships, University of California Office of the President;
Director, California Dropout Research Project
Bob Wise, President, Alliance for Excellent Education

Based on February 2012 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, high school dropouts are over three times more likely to be unemployed than are college graduates, and they earn $8,000 less annually, compared to high school graduates. Given the financial incentives to stay in school, why do approximately 7,000 students drop out of high school every school day? What are the financial and social consequences of their decisions, for both themselves and the nation? What solutions exist at the federal, state, district, and school levels to keep kids in school and help them graduate with a diploma that prepares them for college and a career?

The Alliance for Excellent Education held a webinar on April 9 featuring Dr. Russell W. Rumberger, who has conducted research on school dropouts for the past twenty-five years and is the author of Dropping Out: Why Students Drop Out of High School and What Can Be Done About It. The webinar also featured Alliance Vice President of Federal Advocacy Phillip Lovell spoke about actions that the federal government can take to help quell the high school dropout crisis. Alliance President Bob Wise moderated the panel and helped address questions submitted by webinar viewers from across the country.