Jr. During the past three decades, more national and state attention has been directed toward dropout prevention than at any point in our history. The problem has always plagued us in America during this century, but its intensity was highlighted with major shifts in the workplace, a new social order, the advent of technology, and globalization of the economy. Today, there is some evidence of marginal progress in our quest to arrest the dropout problem. The central lesson we have had reinforced is that young people are the sum total of the experiences they bring to the school.
Teachers can change, reinforce, and get maximum potential from young people.
The challenge is to ensure that every student is taught by a competent and caring teacher. In the new millennium, all young people will have access to quality instructional programs and qualified competent teachers at every level. The transition for young people will be smooth as they move from one level to next. There will be a culture created in schools where learning and achieving is celebrated. This culture will be embraced in communities and homes and reinforced in schools.