Sample Essay

Research has shown that high rates of high school dropout affect the economy both at state and national levels. The consequences of this include lower local, state, and national tax revenues. When school dropouts get employed, they earn significantly lower wages than those earned by graduates.  Additionally, these economies spend significantly on social programs when their populations have lower educational levels. The United States is ranked at 18^th position in high school graduation rates and 14th in college graduation rates among developed nations. School dropouts represent a tremendous loss of human productivity and potential. This also significantly reduces the nation’s ability to compete in an increasingly global economy (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2009).