Acknowledgments

Many individuals made substantial contributions to the preparation of this report. This report was prepared under the direction of Val Plisko, Associate Commissioner for the Early Childhood, International and Crosscutting Studies Division, NCES.

This report builds on the early reports developed by Mary Frase and then Marilyn McMillen and reflects their dedication to producing accurate and useful information on high school dropouts and completers.

Without the efforts of Beth Young and other staff who work on the Common Core of Data (CCD) collection at NCES, the CCD dropout data collection would not continue to expand; we thank them for their hard work. We would also like to extend our gratitude to Lisa Richards Hone and the American Council on Education for supplying data on General Educational Development (GED) test-takers and certificates issued, and to Jennifer Sable at the Education Statistics Services Institute (ESSI) without whom the timely release of this report would not have been possible. Amie Jamieson from the U.S. Census Bureau also deserves special mention for her efforts to assure the timely release of the Current Population Survey (CPS).

Without the assistance of Barbara Kridl and Francesca Tussing of MPR Associates, this report could not have been prepared. They provided invaluable editorial, graphic, and production assistance.

The report was reviewed by Shelley Burns, John Wirt, Beth Young, Kathryn Chandler, Val Plisko, and Bruce Taylor from NCES; and Mary Frase from the National Science Foundation. Their efforts and contributions are greatly appreciated. Any remaining flaws are the sole responsibility of the authors.