The State of Education in Nebraska

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More than 2,300 Nebraska youths
dropped out of school in 2010.
That's 17 students each school day.

Nationally, the number is 1.3 million students a year,
one every 26 seconds,
or 7,000 every day.

The high school dropout rate is one of the biggest challenges facing the United States today.  That's why NET Learning Services and a statewide education coalition have initiated a series of broadcast, online, and community engagement activities to raise awareness and share creative solutions. Initially funded as part of American Graduate: Let's Make It Happen, a national public media initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), NET has made its own two-year commitment to the State of Education in Nebraska project.

“The goal of this unique series is to help Nebraska address the high school dropout crisis by focusing on the important role that innovative school-community partnerships can have on improving student achievement — from the earliest years through graduation, both in school and through high quality expanded learning opportunities.”

        — Gary Targoff, NET’s Assistant
             General Manager of Education

Prioritizing prevention and helping kids advance on grade level and in school makes economic sense. The Alliance for Excellent Education estimates that high school dropouts cost the U.S. $329 billion in lost wages, taxes, and productivity each year. States, on average, spend three times more per prisoner than per public school student, according to the Children's Defense Fund. It's time to focus on dropout prevention and early intervention. Children need quality early childhood experiences and stimulating out-of-school time (OST) programs to grow into resilient, successful adults.

NET is one of more than 60 public media and television stations around the country that are working directly with their communities to address the dropout crisis.

"Education has always been at the center of public broadcasting. That's why we are proud to be a part of this important, national initiative and are honored to work with Nebraska communities to make sure Nebraska students stay in school and graduate. We cannot allow a generation of our young people to fall through the cracks."

        — Martha Florence, Director of NET
             Community Engagement and Educational Outreach

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