November 3, 2006

In Urban America, Many Students Fail to Finish High School

By KARIN FISCHER

Faced with a deteriorating pipeline of students, colleges in cities like Compton, Calif., struggle to serve their local neighborhoods

Edith J. Negrete's big dreams defy her modest means. In those dreams, Ms. Negrete is an anesthesiologist, earning a comfortable salary that pays for a fancy car and a nice home for her 8-year-old son, Joshua.

Her reality is more complicated. Ms. Negrete, who dropped out of high school at age 15 to get married, recently lost her job as a clerk at a

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