Data Incarnated

"US urban public high school drop-out rates are 50% and nation-wide almost one third cannot graduate from high school within 4 years. " I was trying to get some insights from the National Center of Education and the Economy about building up a competitive workforce. The data hit me again, although I had read about it many times. I know the statistical descriptions about individual and school characteristics of those drop-outs, low social economic status, minority background, problematic community, low parental education, new immigrants, etc.

However I want to hear some personal stories to give myself a vivid image about this group. Driven by curiosity, I turned to my fellow intern, a junior from GWU. He was so astonished when I told him the data, "Sorry, I couldn't think any one that I know dropped out from high school. High school? You sure it is high school?". "I know those drop-outs are from low SES, maybe they are still attending schools somewhere, say, juvenile rehab maybe?", I tried to get something out of his "common sense" at least. "Ohh, rehab, I don't know, maybe it is like a school, but, I have no idea who gonna be there and how is the life in there." I couldn't bother him with more questions. This boy went to private schools all the way up. Problematic adolescents are really not part of his "common sense".

Then I checked similar data of other countries. Japan, high school enrollment rate is over 120%, seems very compulsory; college enrollment, 60%. China, high school enrollment 60%, and college level 25%; US, high school enrollment 83% but you see the drop-out rate, college attendance, 80%, but half are in community colleges and half of which will never get the degree.

Who gonna have the most competitive workforce in the global economy and how? Each country have to figure out the question for themselves.