What is it going to take to end Oregon’s dropout problem?

Just two-thirds of the students in Oregon’s high school Class of 2010 graduated on time, according to a recent report from the state Department of Education.

And in state's largest district, Portland, the news was even worse: Barely half of Portland’s students graduated on time. Meanwhile, statewide, nearly 11,600 students dropped out altogether.

This is a vexing and perplexing problem for education leaders in Oregon, and particularly in Portland, where — despite a decade and a half of reforms in a city with a wealth of demographic and economic advantages that other cities don’t enjoy — students still drop out of school at rates comparable to cities with far fewer resources and far more problems. Oregon’s largest city graduates students on par with places like Philadelphia, Louisville and El Paso — districts with much higher concentrations of poverty.

"We have got to do better," State Superintendent Susan Castillo told The Oregonian.

We agree.

So what is it going to take for Oregon to finally turn around its dropout problem? Comment here or e-mail us at editor@nodropouts.org