U.S. Education By The Numbers...

7,000 students drop out of high school every school day, for a total of about 1.3 million students a year.

12% of U.S. public high schools (about 2,000 schools) produce nearly half of the nation's dropouts and 58% of African-American dropouts.

50% of incoming ninth graders in urban, high-poverty schools read 3 or more years below grade level.

39% of high school students reported spending one hour or less a week reading or studying for class in 2009.

23% of new American teachers come from the top third of their graduating class.

14% of new American teachers in high-poverty schools come from the top third of their college class.

100% of teachers in Singapore, South Korea and Finland come from the top third of their college class.

Sources: Alliance for Excellent Education, High School Survey of Student Engagement, McKinsey & Co.