Despite all the prevention programs, approximately half a million teens still drop out of school each year. Do they have to join the millions of dropouts locked into low-paying jobs, with a future of “dreams deferred”? Not according to U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley:

Alternative programs that give young people a second chance are a growing phenomena. . . . Young people at risk shouldn't just be left on their own to hang out on the street. New attention needs to be paid to finding ways to encourage many more dropouts to drop back in to school, so that they have a real chance of living a decent life. When young people drop out they do more than just give up their education, they are too often giving up on themselves.

Many school systems, government agencies, community colleges, and even private companies...