TIME: STOPPING THE DROP OUT EXODUS

Kids who quit school don't just suddenly drop out; it's more of a slow fade. Typically it begins in the ninth grade, if not earlier, often when life hits a particularly nasty patch and racking up credits in class no longer seems especially compelling or plausible. Read Time's article on the drop-out exodus! On May 9, TIME is co-sponsoring a national summit in Washington on the dropout crisis. Learn more .