The Facts
Achievement Academy of Durham directly addresses the problem of high school dropouts.
- Durham has a four-year graduation rate of only 52%
- North Carolina’s graduation rate, 63%, was ranked 42nd in the nation
- North Carolina’s graduation rate for African Americans was 55%
- North Carolina’s graduation rate for Latinos was 38%
- North Carolina’s graduation rate for Caucasians was 68%
| Education Level |
Median Annual Earnings |
| Below 9th Grade Education |
$18,868 |
| 9th – 12th Grade Education – Dropout |
$20,506 |
| HS or GED Graduate |
$27,384 |
| Some College |
$31,789 |
| Associate’s Degree |
$35,274 |
| Bachelor’s Degree and Above |
$50,929 |
Daniel's Success Story
My name is Daniel. I’m 17 and from Durham N.C. I have four younger siblings that I will be responsible for in the near future. My big brother was shot and killed two years ago. In order for me to get a job to make enough money to care for my younger siblings, I have to stay in school. Without an education no-one gets very far in life.
Two years ago, I was headed down the wrong path on my way to being a high school drop out. I was hanging out with the wrong crowd, getting in trouble, skipping and leaving school, and fighting. Being in school all day can be a problem for some teens. As you can see I was one of them. I got kicked out of school for having weapons on school campus, knowing that things like that shouldn’t be on school grounds. But I learned from my mistakes.
I was going through Teen Court after this happened to me. I got assigned to a probation officer, and he helped me get back into school. He informed me about the Yes program where they help students who drop-out get their G.E.D. I had a friend who was in the Achievement Academy, finishing up his G.E.D. I asked my case manager in the Yes program to put me in the same school. This was a good turning point for me in my life, because I really needed my education.
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