Reforming "dropout factories"

Epidemic. Crisis. Educators use these words to describe the dropout problem. But no one really knows how big the problem is because states can make up their own criteria for deciding which students are considered dropouts. A recent study shows the problem is far worse in the nation's cities than in the suburbs.

Guests

• Meria Carstarphen: Superintendent of St. Paul public schools.
• John Bridgeland: CEO of Civic Enterprises. He's one of the authors of a new study on the impact of service learning on the dropout problem. He also authored a study in 2006 that surveyed dropouts.

More from MPR

• Minneapolis school district dispute graduation rate report
  April 1, 2008

Resources

• Service-Learning as a Tool for High School Dropout Prevention
• Cities in Crisis: A Report on High School Graduation
• St. Paul Public Schools
• Civic Enterprises