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\President Obama called for every state to take steps to keep students stay in school until they turn 18 in his State of the Union address. Washington is the first state to get involved in this issue, where many governors and state legislators found it difficult to achieve.

Though State legislative efforts to increase the dropout age have spread in recent years, many have faced troubles in getting results. Alaska, Illinois, Maryland, Kentucky and Rhode Island were the states that considered such legislation. However, only Rhode Island has changed its law.

Sunny Deye, a senior policy analyst at the National Conference of State Legislatures said that the efforts to increase dropout age would conflict with the measures of the schools to send out students who are disruptive to other students and are unfair to the teachers. Home school groups oppose the efforts to increase compulsory attendance age, especially in today’s tight economic scenario, rising dropout age may create fiscal problems.

In 1934, the drop out age was 16 in Kentucky. State legislation tried to move the age to 18, but failed in its attempts twice. Governor Steven. L. Beshear’s message had forced another time.
The drop out age was 16 in many parts of the country. It has been ending up. Now, 21 states and the District of Columbia have made it compulsory for students to go to schools until 18. 11 other states require compulsory attendance until 17.

Washington offers only 10% of education financing, so the federal government’s initiatives to dictate policy in the education area that has always been in the hands of the states may cause problems.

Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education said that taking this federal government order will stick hard with some people. However, one third of our students drop out of high school. We have an economic crisis and we are in need of telling them the importance of education strongly.

It would not be tough for the federal government to motivate the higher age requirement. It can make it a condition for the states that get “Race to the Top grants and other federal education funds.

Over the two decades, many economists have found that increased dropout age not only affect the graduation rates, but also create problems in higher education and career results. Increasing school age can help increase educational attainment.  However, there are some problems in achieving this goal. Philip Oreopoulos, an economics professor at the University of Toronto said that exceptions to the law and lenience in enforcement could interfere with the efforts to increase dropout age. He added that using a carrot and stick approach would be beneficial. If the students need to remain in school longer, they should be given wider curriculum option that might interest them.

Many experts feel that preventing dropouts is possible, only if the schools get a broad range of supports to help struggling students. Financial problems, teen pregnancy, boredom and a feeling that the curriculum is irrelevant in the real world are the most important reasons for students’ drop out. Schools need to take immediate steps, if they observe any warning signs to reduce dropouts.