Can the lure of a driver’s license keep kids in school? Over 20 states have followed West Virginia’s lead in adopting “attend and drive” laws that link driver’s licenses with class attendance, and sometimes academic performance. It’s a way to curb the high school dropout crisis by incentivizing students: if you want to stay on the road, you must stay in school.  However, whether these policies are effective is anyone’s guess - even though it’s been two decades since West Virginia implemented the first attend and drive law.  “It’s a relatively low-cost prescription for keeping kids in school or bringing them back,” Matthew Lenard, who studied the issue, said. “Now the question is does the data support it, and as far as we can tell, it doesn’t.” Watch the video: (via newshouramgrad)

Can the lure of a driver’s license keep kids in school?

Over 20 states have followed West Virginia’s lead in adopting “attend and drive” laws that link driver’s licenses with class attendance, and sometimes academic performance. It’s a way to curb the high school dropout crisis by incentivizing students: if you want to stay on the road, you must stay in school. 

However, whether these policies are effective is anyone’s guess - even though it’s been two decades since West Virginia implemented the first attend and drive law. 

“It’s a relatively low-cost prescription for keeping kids in school or bringing them back,” Matthew Lenard, who studied the issue, said. “Now the question is does the data support it, and as far as we can tell, it doesn’t.”

Watch the video:

(via newshouramgrad)

Tags: driving West Virginia education high school