Every day, an estimated 2,500 students across the nation drop out of high school. In the last decade, approximately 30 percent of students who enrolled in high school have failed to graduate four years later. The situation is even more dismal for youth of color. In 2003, only 55 percent of African Americans and 53 percent of Hispanics graduated from high school--compared with 78 percent of white students. Communities are losing the battle to successfully educate huge numbers of youth. While the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has succeeded in bringing to light the disparities that exist in the education system, it has failed to shine a light and provide solutions to the pressing problem of high school dropouts. The reauthorization of NCLB is a prime opportunity to rethink how educators can strengthen the systems of services to reconnect with youth who have left school without receiving their diploma or are at significant risk of this grim fate. By opening the door for flexible education options, partnerships with other youth-serving systems, and replication of successful models for serving struggling students and dropouts, NCLB can empower communities to give their youth the education and skills they need to be successful. The authors' comments focus on how the resources in NCLB can be used to ensure that these youth have access to systems, support, and funding to attain a viable education that prepares them for future learning opportunities and the world of work. (Contains 16 endnotes.)