Quinn Wants Dropout Age Raised To 18

By Jamey Dunn, Illinois Issues
Following a call to action in President Barack Obama"s State of the Union Address, Gov. Pat Quinn Friday proposed raising the dropout age for Illinois high school students from 17 to 18. “Every child in Illinois deserves a quality education that will serve them throughout their lives,” Quinn said in a prepared statement. “The best way to ensure that our children have the chance to achieve and succeed is to make sure they stay in school long enough to earn their diploma.”

Illinois high school students could drop out at age 16 until lawmakers increased it to 17 in 2005. According to the Illinois State Board of Education, the statewide dropout rate in 2004 was 4 percent, and the rate today is 2.7 percent. “I would anticipate if it was raised to 18, we would see another decrease in the dropout rate,” said Matt Vanover, spokesperson for the ISBE.

Charles McBarron, spokesperson for the Illinois Education Association, said that the teachers union supports the concept of raising the dropout age. However, he said that may not be enough to ensure that students get a solid education. “It probably requires more than just keeping them in the building. We have to find way of engaging them.”

Rep. Roger Eddy, a Hutsonville Republican said that vocational courses or workplace readiness programs might connect with students who are not succeeding in a traditional academic setting. “To serve the needs of all students, we do have to understand that some students aren’t going to college.”

You can read Jamey's full report at: http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/quinn-wants-high-school-dropout-age.html