According to many studies, almost one third of all public high school students and nearly one half of all blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans, fail to graduate from public high school each year. Many of these students abandon school with less than two years to complete their high school education. The decision to drop out is a serious one for students. Dropouts are much more likely than their peers who graduate to be unemployed, live in poverty, receive public assistance, end up in prison, live an unhealthy lifestyle, become divorced and become single parents with children who drop out from high school themselves. Dropping out of high school is not a sudden act, but a gradual process of disengagement. Lack of attendance, lack of parental involvement and lack of motivation to succeed are all patterns and signs that a student is having difficulty at school and considering dropping out. Subjects Covered Include: The Drop Out Epidemic, Why do students drop out of school?, High Schools and Funding, Parental Involvement, What are the dangers of dropping out of school, What are the benefits to a high school education, The importance of Graduation to future employers, Lack of opportunities for high school dropouts, Finishing high school - the road to college, Going back to school and finishing your education.