School choice and Hispanic dropouts

In 2005, more than one-fifth (22.4 per cent) of Hispanics 16 through 24 years of age were dropouts, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). This means they were not enrolled in school, and had not graduated from high school or passed General Educational Development (GED) tests. These dropout numbers do not accurately measure the performance of [United States] US schools in educating Hispanic students because they include immigrants educated abroad. However, even after adjusting for the portion of Hispanic dropouts who never attended US schools, the dropout rate for Hispanic students is higher than for other major ethnic groups in America. The failure of such a large proportion of Hispanics to complete a basic level of education is a serious concern, particularly considering the positive economic benefits of earning a high school diploma. While most of the benefits of a high school education accrue to the individual, dropouts impose significant lifetime costs on society. High school dropouts cost the US more than $260 billion in lost wages, lost taxes and lost productivity over their lifetimes, according to US Department of Education Secretary Margaret Spellings. They are also 3.5 times more likely than high school graduates to be incarcerated. Fortunately, there is a proven way to increase the success rate for Hispanic students: school choice.

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