America's Promise Alliance released the 2014 Building a Grad Nation report highlighting that "for the first time in U.S. history, high school graduation rates the nation's on-time performance has risen above 80%." While this is a huge achievement for the organization and its partners who are committed to creating the conditions for educational success for all young people, there is still a remaining 20% ​​of students who do not complete high school. In 2013, nearly 4.1 million students enrolled in ninth grade; following this statistic as a guide, it is estimated that 820,000 students will not complete high school with their peers. History has shown that, while it may not be the primary cause, dropping out of high school has been correlated with a high number of negative outcomes. Research has shown increased chances of unemployment or dropping out of the workforce entirely, lower rates of marriage, a higher incidence of divorce and out-of-wedlock births, greater involvement with welfare and legal systems, and even poor conditions of health among high school dropouts. There are numerous programs that work with disengaged youth and non-high school adults to help them obtain their General Educational Development (GED) credentials and transition into the workforce, however, research shows that income limitations and the potential for additional educational opportunities do not increase substantially In a U.S. Census Bureau report, their research found that GED recipients, while earning $800 dollars more per month than non-diploma or certificate holders, still lagged high school diploma holders top for $1600 per month. Even though they doubled their earning potential in obtaining the credential, the value placed on the GED remains... middle of paper... 14, from http://landing.k12.com/lp1/sem/ef/desks_allhs .html?theme=brand&st=DC&leadsource=sem&product_type=va&product_interest=capcs&target_audience=gen&target_grade=hs&utm_campaign=Washington_DC_Local_-_Brand_Desktop&utm_med ium=sem&utm_source=google&utm_term=k12.edu_high_school&adgroup=Website_High_School&keyword_match =Largo&disorder age_class=direct_response&vendor=ef&provider=google&geo_distro=dc&ef_id=Uz2ZVgAAAPAjfRlV:20140518224646:sGED Testing Service (2012). 2011 Annual Statistical Report on the GED® Test. Retrieved from GED Testing Centers website: http://www.gedtestingservice.com/uploads/files/4176ab251366d3ccfb4e94a9a888e67a.pdfClymer, C. (2012). Preparing for the New GED®1 Test: What to Consider Before 2014. Retrieved from The Working Poor Families website: http://www.workingpoorfamilies.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/WPFP-fall-brief_2012 .pdf