America is suffering from a silent dropout epidemic. One of the most extensive surveys ever of American high school dropouts gives a new perspective on the epidemic at a time when education is at the forefront of state and national policy debates, and increasingly vital to the nation's future success. The alarming statistics are a national disgrace because we know this problem is largely solvable.

About one million students drop out every year, including nearly half of all African American, Hispanic and Native American students. Dropouts are more likely than high school graduates to be unemployed, in poor health, living in poverty, in prison or on public assistance, and to have children who also drop out of high school. On average, a high school dropout earns $9,200 less per year than a high school graduate, and about $1 million less over a lifetime than a college graduate.

The report, The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of High School Dropouts, surveyed 470 dropouts from across the country. Nearly 50 percent said they left school because their classes were boring and not relevant to their lives or career aspirations. A majority said schools did not motivate them to work hard, and more than half dropped out with just two years or less to complete their high school education.

Students who leave school early exhibit clear warning signs, but school or parental intervention is rare:

- Up to two-thirds of dropouts surveyed say they missed class often in the year before quitting high school.

- Less than half of all those surveyed knew a teacher or counselor with whom they felt comfortable discussing their personal problems.

- Only 20 percent say their parents were "very involved" in their schooling.

- Nearly 70 percent of dropouts said their parents became involved in their education only when they were on the verge of leaving school.

- Less than half said their school contacted their parents or themselves when they were absent or when they dropped out.

While these former students accept some responsibility for not completing high school, they say that there are "supports" that can be provided at school and at home. More than 70 percent believe that the problem could be addressed through better teachers, real world learning opportunities, smaller classes, increased supervision, and improved communication between parents and schools.

We need a national effort at all levels of government and at the community level to educate Americans on the severity of the this problem - and to identify the most promising ways to address it. Specifically, Civic Enterprises recommends that communities offer students a variety of school options to meet their needs, engage parents, create "early warning systems" for at-risk students, and make sure that all students have an adult advocate who can get them the necessary help. We also need more accurate tracking of dropouts, consideration of raising the state compulsory school age to 18, better incentives under federal law to provide additional support for low-performing students, and replication of innovative dropout prevention efforts.

Read the report, and let us know what you think.