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In last week’s State of the Union address, President Obama proposed something radical, that dropping out of high school no longer be allowed. But that might be complicated. Every school district has tried numerous solutions to the dropout dilemma without success. The problem prompted Russell Rumberger to write a book called Dropping Out: Why Students Drop Out of High School and What Can Be Done About It.

Rumberger is director of the California Dropout Research Project, and he currently serves as provost in the Office of the President at the University of California. He recently talked about his theory that high schools need to promote alternatives to college – and that some people might be better served not getting a higher education at all. KALW's Ben Trefny sat down with Youth Radio’s Robyn Gee to discuss this idea of education.

This story was produced by Youth Radio with support from the New Options Project and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

This story was originally published on L.A. Youth. 

Author's name not given to protect their identity. 

I’ve always worked hard in school because I want to go to college and be successful. But because I’m not a citizen, my hard work could be for nothing. My parents don’t have the money to pay for college and I can’t get federal financial aid because I don’t have a Social Security number. In October, Governor Jerry Brown signed the California Dream Act, which will allow undocumented students like me to get financial help to attend public colleges in California. This made me feel hopeful for my future. However, the state Dream Act doesn’t provide a path to citizenship. Even if I graduate from college, would I have to work in a low-wage job? Will my status prevent me from obtaining my dream job as a journalist?

The following originally aired on KCBS

By: Lanaya Lewis 

 I applied for early admissions to six colleges and was accepted to all of them. But not many of my classmates are in the same situation.

“Do you know what a Historically Black College is,” my tutor asked. I had never heard that phrase before, but from that day on, I knew exactly what type of school I wanted to go to. I’ll be the first person in my family to go to college, and advice like this from the college prep program Upward Bound has really helped me.

Even my mom has been a great support. Every day when I come home from school she asks: “Did you do your homework, because I don’t want to hear any excuses when report cards come?” But not everyone has parents who push like this.

Many of my friends have been struggling on their path to college. I was lucky that I qualified for Upward Bound, but luck shouldn’t matter in trying to further your education. There should be more programs that reach out to students who want to be helped regardless of grades, GPA, and family background.

College is intimidating enough, and programs with a lot of qualification requirements are an unnecessary hurdle.

Robyn Gee, Turnstyle News

Russell Rumberger is an expert on high school dropouts. He recently published a book called, Dropping Out: Why Students Drop Out of High School and What Can be Done About It, and he currently serves as provost in the Office of the President at the University of California. Rumberger is also director of the California Dropout Research Project. According to Rumberger, roughly 25 percent of U.S. high school students do not graduate.  And he says that our country is only making the problem worse by trying to prepare everyone for college.

Turnstyle spoke with Rumberger about how to re-define success in high school by creating multiple pathways for students to find success inside and outside of school.

Turnstyle: In a nutshell, tell us about your argument that when academia focuses solely on getting kids to college, it can lead to more high school dropouts?

Rumberger: I do believe everybody who wants to go to college, has the inclination to go to college, should be able to. Even if they may not have the initial ability, they should still be encouraged and supported to go. It may be harder for them, it may take them longer to finish, but that’s okay. But for students who don’t want to [go to college], they should have an option as well; the opportunity to develop skills that are valued in the job market and take that pathway. What would serve students better in the long run is if we had a broader definition of success in high school to include more things that people can master that we know are important.  Some of those things can be best acquired in the classroom, but many can be acquired outside the classroom.

Underlying my assertion is that we want to try to make every kid successful in something. If we define success narrowly by saying how well can you do on an AP test, or a math test, or some other kind of academic test, and that’s the only way we judge success, then the students that have the ability to work with others, the ones that can design things, the ones that know how to cook or fix cars, none of those skills are valued. But if we say, everyone should have something that they can master, and demonstrate mastery of, then there’s this notion that students will develop a sense of competence.

Sayre Quevedo, Turnstyle News

Kwame Brown, Chairman of Washington DC’s City Council, is the youngest chairman in the history of the city. As a result, Brown says he’s constantly surrounded by young people. And it shows. Brown has spearheaded the development of multiple vocational high schools in D.C. and even leads college tours for young people. But this last week, Brown proposed a law that has the power to make him either wildly popular or unpopular among that same crowd. The College Preparatory Plan Act would require public high school seniors in Wash., D.C. to take the SAT or ACT and apply to at least one post-secondary school.

The following originally aired on KQED-FM.

By: Sayre Quevedo

Around this time last year I was busy applying to college. Clicking that ‘submit’ button on my online applications, I imagined myself in New York City, going to poetry readings and cramming for various exams. I listened to Patti Smith and Lou Reed over and over in anticipation of receiving acceptance letters. But my acceptance letters were followed by even more important pieces of mail, my federal financial aid statements, or FAFSA.

The minute I saw the amount of financial aid I qualified for, I knew that the price tag of my dream was way out of my budget. My mom is still paying off her college loans, and I had already spent more than I could afford paying for official transcripts, applications, and the ACT test. Tuition at my top school was 30,000 dollars a year and I was going to be on the hook for 2/3 of it.

The following originally aired on KCBS

By: Sayre Quevedo 

The fact that I didn’t go away to college used to make me feel like an underachieving, ugly duckling among my friends.

When my friends left for college, it was bittersweet. It meant they’d disappeared for a bit, but so had the question, “So what are you doing now?” Those words were practically the soundtrack of my summer. No, I’d say, I’m not going to a university. No, I’m not moving away. No, I haven’t chosen a major. I’m just working and going to community college.

Honestly, I felt insecure. I was missing out on a milestone simply because I couldn’t afford to pay for it. But one morning as I sat on the bus going to work from my new place I realized: I’m doing plenty. Moving out and working to take care of myself are milestones too; ones my friends at school might not reach until after they graduate.

So if my friends’ college migration has taught me one thing, it’s this: I may not be walking the same path as everyone else but that doesn’t mean I’m not on one.

This story originally aired on 12/31/12, WABE-FM, Atlanta.

By Alexander Mead

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Most students get nervous before taking a big test. But my jitters are for a different reason than you might think: I have Cerebral Palsy. 

It’s hard for me to use my hands to do tasks that require fine motor skills – like tying a shoelace. So I was afraid of taking the SAT, worried I would have to handwrite my essay or fill in the answer bubbles.

Luckily, since I was born after the Americans with Disabilities Act passed, the College Board allowed me to type my essay and to simply mark my answers in the test booklet. I took the same test as everyone else – I just took it in a different way. Without those accommodations, I'm sure my score on the SAT would have been too low to get into college. I frequently hear in political debates: get government out of our lives. But while some people might criticize the ADA as “big government” interference, I am very grateful that the act passed because it helps me to lead a normal life.

Previously on WABE:

* Figuring Out the Job Market Without A College Degree
* Advice From A Baseball Fan

* Occupy Election Booths, Not Streets

This story originally aired on 12/17/11, on WABE-FM, Atlanta.

By Barbara Dougherty

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In a few months, most of my friends will be graduating from college - without me. I dropped out last fall, half way through my junior year. But I still hope to finish my degree someday. I’ve heard the statistics that people with college diplomas will earn more money than those who don’t have degrees.

I also know the unemployment rate isn't good for people who don't finish college. On top of all that, the thought of so many people my age soon entering the job market, competing with me, is intimidating. But my mother has helped me calm my feelings of inadequacy. She always reminds me that I have been successful at getting jobs: from busing tables to managing a frozen yogurt shop.

And now, I have a totally awesome position at a successful startup business - making all natural bath and body products by hand! I sell them at weekend festivals and markets. It’s an intensely fun outlet for my creativity and I’m getting some really great retail experience.

Though I'm disappointed that I didn’t finish college, I’m proud of myself for effectively selling myself to employers in this tight market. When my friends begin looking for jobs next summer, I’ll be able to give them advice on resumes, impressing potential employers, and being a responsible employee.

Previously on WABE:

President Barack Obama’s dream of making the United States the number one developed country in the world by 2025 might take some time to be realized, based on an article in The New York Times.

A country’s rank depends on multiple variables, including the number of people with college degrees. According to the Times‘ article, the rate in which the United States is gaining college graduates gives little chance for Mr. Obama’s goal to be realized, at least not by 2025. The United States current rank is 12th in the world, with a rate of 41.6% of people ages 25 to 34 with Associate Degrees or higher. According to the article:

“From 2000 to 2009, the report noted, the percentage of adults with associate degrees or higher increased by just 3 percent. If that pace holds steady, by 2025 the United States will fall nine percentage points below the president’s goal, with 46 percent of adults holding college degrees.”

North Korea  is number one on the list with a rate of 57.9%.

The report does offer solutions in the form of a 10-step plan you can read below: