Black Male Dropouts Lead Nation in Incarceration

New report released by national coalition demonstrates need for national
dropout re-enrollment strategy

CHICAGO, Oct. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- On any given day, nearly 23 percent of all
young Black men ages 16 to 24 who have dropped out of high school are in jail,
prison, or a juvenile justice institution in America, according to a
disturbing new national report released today on the dire economic and social
consequences of not graduating from high school.

Dropouts become incarcerated at a shocking rate: 23 of every 100 young Black
male dropouts were in jail on any given day in 2006-07 compared to only 6 to 7
of every 100 Asian, Hispanic or White dropouts. While young Black men are
disproportionately affected, the report found that this crisis cuts across
racial and ethnic lines. Male dropouts of all races were 47 times more likely
to be incarcerated than their peers of a similar age who had graduated from a
four-year college or university.

"For too long, and in too many ways, young people across the country have been
let down by the education system and by the adults responsible for their care
and development. Now is the time to increase the investments we make in young
people, enhance the content, opportunities and supports we provide, and
empower them to make better choices about both their individual future and the
future of our nation. This report is another important step towards those
ends," said Marc Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League.

Released today by a coalition of leading national and regional education,
advocacy, and social service groups, the report, Consequences of Dropping Out
of High School: Joblessness and Jailing for High School Dropouts and the High
Cost for Taxpayers - 22% Daily Jailing Rate for Young Black Men Who Drop Out
of High School is available online at http://www.clms.neu.edu.

Professor Andrew Sum, Center for Labor Market Studies (CLMS), Northeastern
University in Boston was commissioned by the Alternative Schools Network (ASN)
in Chicago, to provide a detailed portrait of the employment, earnings and
family income, incarceration and parenting experiences of dropouts, ages 16 to
24, compared to their better-educated peers. The report is based on an
analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau data from national Current Population
Surveys and American Community Surveys in 2006-08.

"This timely and insightful report offers a critical account of the impact of
dropouts on America's present and future. As America begins to consider the
re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (NCLB) and
shapes the unprecedented investment in education by the Obama administration,
we must remember to take careful and thoughtful account of what is at stake,"
said Jack Wuest, Executive Director, the ASN. "These statistics
overwhelmingly make the case for a national education strategy that focuses on
re-enrolling these young adults back into school and training programs that
can lead to well-paying careers."

This new report builds upon the groundbreaking findings of Left Behind in
America: The Nation's Dropout Crisis, released earlier this year, which
disclosed that nearly 6.2 million largely black and Hispanic youth have
dropped out of high school and are living in America. This report, also
released by the ASN in conjunction with other national education and civil
rights organizations, documented the magnitude of America's dropout crisis.

Consequences of Dropping Out of High School: Joblessness and Jailing outlines
the extremely difficult circumstances that these young people ages 16 to 24
face after dropping out of high school, and demonstrates the high price paid
by both these young adults, American taxpayers and our society as a whole. In
addition to their sharply higher rates of incarceration, the report showed
that these young adults face very bleak economic prospects, which will make it
difficult for them to change course and finance future schooling and training.

"This new report from the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern
University presents a vivid portrait of the growing economic peril the nation
faces if it fails to reverse the rising tide of high school dropouts. The
Chicago Urban League strongly endorses this report, and its call to action.
High school dropouts face daunting obstacles that will bar them from entry
into the labor market. The problem is most severe among African American
males, who earn less and have an incarceration rate three times that of Asians
and nearly four times that of Hispanics. The study also makes clear that young
people who return to school can reverse these trends. The study clearly
illustrates the case for quick federal action, and the need for increased
capacity on the part of state agencies, non-profits and social service outlets
to stave off this crisis," said Herman Brewer, Acting President and CEO, The
Chicago Urban League.

DROPOUTS EXPERIENCE HIGH LEVELS OF JOBLESSNESS AND LOW WEEKLY EARNINGS
-- More than half - 54 percent - of the nation's dropouts ages 16 to 24
were jobless on an average month during 2008.
-- Black dropouts experienced the highest jobless rate at 69 percent
followed by Asians at 57 percent and Whites at 54 percent. Hispanic
dropouts had the lowest jobless rates at 47 percent, reflecting the
higher employment rate of young Hispanic immigrants. In sharp
contrast,
only about 13 percent of young adults with a college degree were
jobless
on average in the same time period.
-- 40 percent of all young dropouts in the country were jobless for the
entire year.
-- Without a high school diploma, you cannot earn enough money to make
ends
meet and certainly not enough to reach the American dream of raising a
family and buying a home. The mean annual earnings of the nation's
young people with a bachelor's or advanced degree were $24,797 in
2007,
three times higher than the mean earnings for dropouts of $8,358.
These
figures include workers with zero earnings.
-- The limited earnings potential of dropouts mean many never leave their
parents' or relatives' homes to form independent households. Nearly
37
of every 100 dropouts live in poor or near-poor families.

-- Over $292,000 is the cost incurred by taxpayers for each dropout over
their lifetime in terms of lost earnings and therefore lower taxes
paid
and higher spending for social costs including incarceration,
healthcare, and welfare.

DROPOUTS MORE LIKELY TO BE SINGLE MOTHERS
-- Nearly 38 percent of young female dropouts ages 16 to 24 were mothers,
the highest percentage compared to their peers still enrolled in high
school or college or with high school or college degrees. Young high
school dropouts were nearly 9 times as likely to have become single
mothers as their counterparts with undergraduate college degrees.

Wuest and other national leaders point out that such programs can be cost
effective because the personal and public fiscal benefit more than outweighs
the estimated cost of re-enrolling a student who has dropped out. Due to
their low lifetime earnings, dropouts will contribute less in taxes than they
will receive in cash benefits, in-kind transfers and correctional costs. By
contrast, adults with high school diplomas and additional education contribute
major fiscal benefits to the country over their lifetime.

Such programs also would help improve high school graduation rates, especially
in the cities, which is a major goal outlined by U.S. Secretary of Education
Arne Duncan.

WHAT'S NEEDED: A FEDERAL & STATE RE-ENROLLMENT PROGRAM
Create a national re-enrollment strategy that becomes a fundamental element of
America's national education agenda in the U.S. Department of Education Race
to the Top program and reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind program.

To address this crisis, the proposed Hope & Opportunity Pathways through
Education (HOPE USA) initiative seeks to re-enroll 480,000 dropouts every
year.

As jointly proposed by the National Urban League, National Council of La Raza,
Youth Build, the Corps Network, Los Angeles Conservation Corps, Soledad
Enrichment Action, Los Angeles, Chicago Department of Family and Support
Services, Illinois State Council on Re-Enrolling Students Who Dropped Out of
School, the Chicago Urban League and the Alternative Schools Network, HOPE USA
would become a $2 billion federal matching incentive grant program to spur
state and local school districts to establish programs to re-enroll dropouts
in comprehensive programs that would assist them in earning a high school
diploma. The initiatives would be small schools (80-150 students) and led by
experienced principals and teachers. They would focus on real-world learning
and include summer and after-school components and year-round employment
programs.

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS
-- Emphasize and provide significant funding for re-enrollment of
students
who have dropped out of school as part of the Obama administration's
Race to the Top initiative and the revised No Child Left Behind
legislation.

-- Expand year round and summer employment for jobless youth with a $5
billion initiative.

SUMMARY OF COALITION RELEASING REPORT
This report was released nationally in conjunction with the National Urban
League, the National Education Association, Youth Build, The Corps Network,
Chicago Department of Family and Support Services, City of Los Angeles
Workforce Investment Board, Chicago Urban League, Illinois Council on
Re-Enrolling Students Who Dropped Out of School, Los Angeles Conservation
Corps, Soledad Enrichment Action, Los Angeles, and the Alternative Schools
Network.

To view a full copy of the report please visit:
http://www.clms.neu.edu/publication/documents/The_Consequences_of_Dropping_Out_of_High_School.pdf

SOURCE Alternative Schools Network

Laurie R. Glenn, +1-773-252-8672, ext. 301, Cell, +1-773-704-7246,
lrglenn@thinkincstrategy.com