Dropping out of high school culminates a long-term process of disengagement from school and has profound social and economic consequences for students, their families, and their communities. Students who drop out of high school are more likely to be unemployed, to earn less than those who graduate, to be on public assistance, and to end up in…

Appalachian Kentucky's low rates of labor utilization were the result of underinvestment in human capital and unequal distribution of marketable skills. Large proportions of growth in employment have been absorbed by returned workers, young adults who otherwise would have left the region, and in-movers. Unbalanced labor utilization made the…

Policymakers are exploring whether schools should be allocated state funds as rewards for improving student achievement and other performance indicators. Team-based rewards specified in 14 states' statutes represent a limited form of performance-based school finance. This article examines financial rewards in four states and makes policy…