"The message that the Legislature and governor are trying to send by raising the dropout age to 18 from 16 is on target: Students need to get a full education to have a chance at meeting the demands of the 21st-century work force. Unfortunately, the educational cart has been put before the horse.
When students want to drop out, they usually are indicating that traditional schools aren't engaging them. To make an increase in the dropout age work, the state and local school districts need to help at-risk students by developing a solid network of alternative education in the middle and high schools.
Without enough alternative schools, early dropouts will continue to be a problem. After all, raising the dropout age gets short-circuited by the lame-brained legislative loophole of allowing a parent to write an excuse note that lets a child drop out of school before 18.
Historically, a significant portion of the dropout population comes from problem-ridden homes, yet"