Dropping out of school has reached a crisis stage in the United States. Nearly 6.2 million students in between the ages of 16 and 24 in 2007 dropped out of high school. The total represents 16 percent of all people in the United States in that age range in 2007. Most of the dropouts were Latino or black, according to a report by the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, and the Alternative Schools Network in Chicago, Illinois. The report surveyed analyzed Census Bureau data for the 12 largest states.

Other states or school districts could have a larger or smaller drop-out rate. Any drop rate drastically affects both the students and country from a financial standpoint. Students who drop out of high school earn hundreds of thousand less in their lifetime than those who graduate from high school and college. The country loses billions of dollars is non-productive citizens.

A person who goes to college usually earns more than a person who doesn't. According to the Census Bureau, a person with a high school degree on average earns $27,995 while a person with a college degree earns  $51,206 annually. A person who attends college for at least two years earns $250,000 more than one who does not.  A four-year degree can mean one million dollars. This is over a lifetime of earnings.

Dropping out of school is a problem that can be corrected. Here are some tips for what you can do.

Show respect to adults and peers.

Develop good study habits and listening skills.

Take notes in class; review them before the next class.

Study at least 3 hours each night with no distractions.

Stay organized,.

Develop a reading habit

Read and study on the weekend

Be responsible fo choices and decisions.

Assets needed to accomplish those tasks

A commitment to learning

Social Competencies

Positive Identity

Personal values