Researchers at UNLV's Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) have been awarded a grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation to study the reasons behind the high dropout rate of youth in Clark County.

The $10,000 grant was matched by contributions of $5,000 each from James E. Rogers, chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education, and the Latin Chamber of Commerce. The project will be managed through Nevada KIDS COUNT, a program based out of the CBER, and will involve researchers from CBER, the UNLV College of Education's Department of Educational Leadership, the William S. Boyd School of Law, and officials from the Clark County School District.

Using census data and focus groups, researchers will develop a set of characteristics common among dropouts and work to increase public awareness about the challenges those students face. Ultimately, the researchers hope their work will help influence policies that will lead to higher retention of that student population.

"There is no existing research that addresses the unique factors leading to the high dropout rate of students in Clark County," said Keith Schwer, executive director of Nevada KIDS COUNT. "We need to better understand the challenges these students face so that we can work more efficiently toward improving their future."

The research is an extension of a previous study conducted by a multi-disciplinary team of UNLV researchers chaired by Professor Sylvia Lazos of the William S. Boyd School of Law. Completed in Fall 2005, the project examined Clark County's rapidly growing immigrant population and its impact on the educational, social, and economic systems of Southern Nevada.

The Nevada KIDS COUNT project is a statewide, collaborative effort that brings together a wide range of organizations and agencies involved with children and families in Nevada. By providing policymakers and citizens with the best available data on the educational, social, economic, and physical well-being of all children in our state, Nevada KIDS COUNT seeks to improve the lives and the futures of all our children.