Dropouts pose economic hurdle for Mississippi

"Boring" sums up Josh Bullock's entire high school experience. The 17-year-old got in trouble and recalls spending time in in-school suspension, a practice he said confined him to a small room with no windows where he was supposed to do his schoolwork without any interaction.

He eventually dropped out.

"I'm intelligent," he said, leaning forward then slumping back again, tapping his foot and moving his hand. He can't sit still. Neither can state officials who want to find a way to keep kids in school.

Mississippi's dropout rate is 24.1%—similar to the rest of the nation. On average, only 70% of American students will graduate from high school. In Mississippi, only 63% will. State officials are determined to reduce the rate by 50% in five years. Read this article and several related articles in The Hattiesburg American online.