Alabama State Department of Education

The following is a recording of the March 19, 2012, Alabama Department of Education staff meeting during which Dr. Thomas R. Bice, State Superintendent of Education, outlined the Plan 2020 and summarized his vision to prepare all students for college, work, and adulthood in the 21st Century.

The dropout rate is a silent epidemic that is undermining the economic and social stability of our nation, state, and local community. More than 1.2 million students dropout annually leaving them with far fewer employment opportunities and options to support themselves and their families. In Alabama, citizens pay a high price for dropouts. Had Alabama's high school dropout Class of 2008 graduated with their class, they would earn more than $6.4 billion in lifetime income. This amount does not include the cost of Medicare, incarceration, welfare, and other tax-based programs and services that dropouts will likely need. Dropouts face the harsh reality that they are unequipped with the skills required of the 21st century workforce, thus leaving them with increasingly fewer employment opportunities than past decades. However, promise lies in the fact that most of the reasons why students drop out are school related factors which provides an opportunity for educators to impact the problem by improving upon their current practice. This video brings awareness to Alabama's economic imperative to ensure that EVERY student graduates college and/or career ready, and it provides the platform for discourse about dropout prevention.