Notes

WRITING SAMPLE


It has been known for many years that young people who don't complete high school face many more problems in later life than do people who graduate. While national leaders have demanded that schools, communities, and families make a major effort to retain students, the dropout rate remains high. As a matter of fact , the number of students who leave school before graduating is rising at an alarming rate and very little is being done to stem rising dropout rates and their economic costs.
Students drop out for many reasons, some which may even seem like good ones at the time — to help out their families or to start new ones, for example — and their decisions may be supported by the people closest to them in the belief that they have no choice. But the consequences of leaving can be great, and there are many concrete things that schools and families can do to help students stay in school, or get an alternative education, and also meet their personal responsibilities.