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Teens, Education Experts and Political Leaders Discuss Dropout Crisis
at National Teen Town Hall Meeting in Atlanta
New Survey Reveals the #1 Obstacle Teens Face in Graduating From High School

ATLANTA, April 2, 2009 — A new survey released today by Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and Taco Bell Foundation for Teens (TBFT) shows that 31% of teens say getting a job to support themselves or their family is the biggest obstacle they face in graduating from high school; a majority (54%) say the election of President Obama makes them much more hopeful about their future education.

Every 26 seconds, another teen drops out of high school, and 30% fail to graduate annually. BGCA and TBFT are bringing together teens from across the country, along with education and political experts, to participate in a Teen Town Hall meeting today in Atlanta to discuss the survey findings, the escalating graduation crisis, and possible solutions.

“Boys & Girls Clubs of America is committed to making a significant impact on high school teen dropout rates,” said Roxanne Spillett, president and CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “BGCA’s efforts will promote the importance of a high school education, build school-parent partnerships, identify and retain high-risk youth, and implement comprehensive programs.”

Town Hall panelists include Andrew Young, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N.; Bob Wise, former Governor of West Virginia and president of the Alliance for Excellent Education; Ron Clark, founder, The Ron Clark Academy; Ron Fairchild, executive director, National Center for Summer Learning, Johns Hopkins University, and Roxanne Spillett, president/CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Panelists and teens will discuss the teen graduation crisis and develop suggestions for change that will be delivered to political leaders in DC.

“The dropout crisis is a responsibility we all share and one that seriously threatens the future of our country,” said Bob Fulmer, executive director of the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens. “We are committed to bring money, awareness and volunteers to this cause so more teens have the foundation they need to succeed.”
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The Teen Graduation Crisis Survey was conducted in March 2009 and completed by nearly 1,000 respondents, ages 13-18 years old and living in the United States. The survey was conducted by Survey Monkey, an objective, third-party online survey tool. The margin of error for the survey is +/- 2 %.

Survey Highlights

• More than half (54%) of teens report that the election of President Obama has made them much more hopeful about their future education; 27% say Obama’s election to office has made them somewhat more hopeful.

• Seventy-four percent of teens know someone who has dropped out of high school. When asked what those dropouts were doing now, 48% said they were unemployed; 54% said raising a child; 39% said working in a low-paying job; 29% said involved in a gang; and only 12% said the dropouts they knew were in a successful career.

• Parents/guardians are the authority figures that have the strongest influence on teens to stay in school and graduate (62%); followed by grandparents (8%); and coaches and teachers/school officials (8% and 7% respectively).

• Getting a job to support themselves or their family is the biggest obstacle in graduating from high school, according to nearly one third of respondents (31%); followed by not being able to keep up with school work (17%); boredom (15%); negative peer pressure (11%); lack of support/motivation (9%); safety (4%) and bullying (3%).

• Training for real life jobs was the #1 response (32%) to the question: What does your school need more of? Followed by state-of-the-art technology (14%); better library/more books and resources (10%); and more language offerings (7%).

• The #1 issue that teens would like the current White House Administration to address is the cost of college (24%); followed by drugs/alcohol abuse (15%), crime/violence (14%), teen pregnancy (14%) and high school dropouts (8%).

• Ten years from now, 32% of teens expect to earn $100,000 or more annually in their careers; 42% expect to earn between $50,000 and $100,000.

By the Numbers
(According to National Statistics)*

• Nearly one-third of all public high school students—and nearly one half of all African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans—fail to graduate with their class.

• 88% of youth had passing grades when they dropped out of school; 91% of those dropouts said they knew that graduating was vital to their future success.

• If the students who dropped out of the class of 2008 had graduated, the U.S. economy would have benefited from an additional $319 billion in income over their lifetimes.

(*Bridgeland, John; DiIulio, John, Jr.; Morison, Karen Burke (2006). The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of High School Dropouts. Washington DC: Civic Enterprises.)

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (www.bgca.org) has been changing and saving young lives, providing hope and opportunity for kids who need them most. Today, some 4,300 Clubs serve some 4.8 million young people through Club membership and community outreach.

Known as The Positive Place for Kids, Boys & Girls Clubs can be found all across the country and on U.S. military bases throughout the world. Clubs provide young people 6-18 years old with guidance-oriented character development programs conducted by trained, professional staff. In communities large and small, Clubs positively impact lives and help young people reach their full potential as productive, caring citizens. Key Boys & Girls Club programs emphasize leadership development; education and career exploration; community service; financial literacy; health and life skills; the arts; sports, fitness and recreation; and family outreach. In a recent Harris Survey of Club alumni, 57 % said the Club saved their life. National headquarters are located in Atlanta.

About the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens
The Taco Bell Foundation, Inc., dba Taco Bell Foundation for Teens (TBFT), a non-profit 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation, is committed to addressing the growing number of high school dropouts in the U.S. by providing at-risk youth with mentors and real-world experiences that will motivate them to stay in school and achieve more in life. Since 1995, TBFT has donated more than $23 million to support teen programs at Boys & Girls Clubs of America with the help of on-going customer, franchisee and employee donations. For more information about TBFT, visit www.tacobellfoundationforteens.org.

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