State's Eighth Graders Pose Dropout Risk

Massachusetts eighth graders who live in cities are in a precarious position.

More than a third of urban urban eighth graders in Massachusetts -- approximately 7,700 -- are at risk of dropping out of high school, according to new data compiled by the state.

The data are based on a combination of factors, including MCAS scores, attendance and disciplinary records. The high school drop-out risk in urban schools is striking compared to suburban and rural schools, where the drop-out risk rate is only 8 percent.

In Boston, the statistic is even more startling: a full 40 percent of Boston eighth graders are at risk of not finishing high school.

We'll examine Boston's potential dropout crisis with a representative from Boston Plan for Excellence, an educational nonprofit that tracks students' educational growth to gauge if they're on target to graduate.

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