Dropout plan tardy

What's the point, in the waning days of the Bush administration, of establishing laws to curb high school dropout rates?

Make no mistake. High school completion should be the goal of every student, their parents, the public school system, their respective states and, yes, the nation. Given that, why didn't a two-term president make this a cornerstone of his No Child Left Behind Act?

Unlike their parents, today's students will compete for jobs on a global basis. A student who does not complete high school can count on a lifetime of working paycheck to paycheck in low-wage jobs, few of which have benefits. High school graduates who have no other job training or post-secondary education fare only slightly better. A high school diploma can no longer be viewed as a destination. It should be considered a launching point.

The Bush administration is correct in that the goal of high school graduation eludes far too many American students. Even in a state like Utah, which historically has had one the nation's best high-school graduation rates, only 72 percent of Hispanic students complete high school. Considering that Hispanics are the state's largest ethnic group and one of the fastest growing, this trend must change.

The dropout reporting requirement announced by U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spelling does have one compelling feature — a single reporting system to track high-school completion, dropouts and transfers. States — even school districts within a single state — use different reporting methods that can make it impossible to accurately compare figures.

According to the Utah State Office of Education, the state's high school graduation rate was 88 percent in 2007, rendering it one of the highest in the nation. Yet a state that values children should fare better. A state that values diversity must ensure that all students earn their high school diplomas. Once students reach that milestone, the state needs to do more to ensure that job training or post-secondary education is affordable and accessible to the future work force.