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Section A

A soaring dropout rate is causing the United States to lose ground educationally to rivals and is trapping millions of young Americans at the very margins of the economy.【76】The Obama administration acknowledges the problem in its new budget, which includes a $50 million prevention programme , but solving this problem will require a lot more money and a comprehensive national strategy.

The alarming scope of dropout crisis is laid out by the Centre for Labour Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston and Alternative Schools Network in Chicago .【77】Their study, which examines data from the 12 largest states, finds that 16 percent of people from the ages of 16 to 24 have dropped out.

【78】The problem is especially pronounced among men, who make up more than 60 percent of those who change school nationally. The dropout problem hits minorities really hard.

【79】Many of this country’s large urban high schools are rightly called " dropout factories" because more students leave school than graduate. According to the study, state dropout rates are highest in the South, where Georgia (22.1 percent), Florida (20.1 percent) and Texas (18. 5 percent)lead the way.

【80】The dropout crisis presents a clear danger to national prosperity , but at the moment states and localities are struggling to contain it with little help or guidance from the federal government. Congress, which is just waking up to this issue, can improve the situation by putting its money and muscle behind proven programmes that have been shown to re-engage young people who have dropped out, and that keep at-risk children on track to complete their educations.

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