Who are the five hundred thousand teens who drop out each year? For the most part, they are students who are not succeeding in school. They often feel out of place, that they don’t belong. They may come from troubled families. They rarely participate in school sports or activities. They may cut classes or not come to school at all, but they do not necessarily misbehave in class. Only a small percentage drop out because they are suspended or expelled. One guidance counselor sees them as troubled students who are easily overlooked:

They’re the kids that are just kind of like a ghost. They’re never really recognized as being an outstanding student nor a non-achiever. They’re the ones who are just kind of in the middle. And I think one of the...