Chronic absenteeism is a critical national problem that puts more than 6.5 million schoolchildren at risk for falling behind academically, dropping out of school, and serious long-term health, employment, and financial consequences. There is a growing movement among schools, states, and the federal government to address the underlying causes of…

Increasingly, college-student populations in all types of institutions have higher proportions of women, while young men are tending toward lucrative early employment and economic independence. The process begins in high school, where girls are concentrating on college preparation and boys are being recruited by high-technology companies. The…