GAO moves ahead with probe into dropout problem

Terry Webster

Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2000 | 11:27 a.m.

The General Accounting Office is moving forward with a federal investigation into the causes of the high school dropout rate in Nevada and the nation, Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., said Tuesday.

"Having their commitment is significant," said Gibbons, who called for the study in September. "I think it shows they are very serious about this. I expect them to do nothing less than an extensive, in-depth review."

In a letter to Gibbons, the General Accounting Office states its study on high school dropout rates will cover four key areas: state and national trends, effective local and state efforts, federal programs and their effectiveness, and how federal dollars can be better used to reduce dropout rates.

"We have to find out what is working and what is not," Gibbons told the Sun. "This will benefit the students."

The GAO, the investigative arm of Congress, has set a deadline of March 30, 2001, for gathering information and finishing its preliminary research. At that point, a study completion date will be announced.

Clark County School District officials say the district's dropout rate is pushed up by the availability of jobs in Las Vegas that don't require high school diplomas.

The district also is gathering dropout data, as part of a study ordered by Superintendent Carlos Garcia.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation in its annual Kids Count survey in June ranked Nevada as having the highest dropout rate in the nation.

The school district reported a 70.1 percent graduation rate in 1998-99, and its dropout rate declined from 1997 to 1998 from 11.8 percent to 9 percent. However, part of that decline was attributed to a change in the way Nevada reports dropout rates.

A Census Bureau report released this week shows that 83 percent of Nevadans over 25 years old have a high school diploma, ranking the state 37th -- well above last. But district officials say that report is not an accurate reflection of state graduation rates.