How many of us grew up hearing our parents say some version of, “If you don’t finish high school, you’ll be working at McDonald’s for the rest of your life?” Seems perhaps not enough students in California are getting that message. Almost one-fourth of the state’s students drop out of school before graduating, according to data released by the State Department of Education. (Read Kimberly S. Wetzel and Katy Murphy’s story in the Times.) (To see the dropout rate for your child’s school, search the state’s database.)

The numbers are truly staggering. An estimated 24.2 percent of students in California dropped out in the 2006-2007 school year, based on a four-year derived dropout rate. West Contra Costa leads the East Bay with 39.6 percent dropping out. Oakland is close behind at 37.4 percent, followed by Pittsburg at 28.9 percent and Mt. Diablo at 22 percent. Combined Contra Costa has a dropout rate of 21.5 percent and Alameda County 18.7 percent. Before this study, the state had difficulty tracking how many students actually remained in school. Now officials realize the number is lower than initially thought. But even more alarming: it could be worse.

The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research compiled public school graduation rates for the United States in 2000 and found that the national average for graduation was only 69 percent. Florida had a whopping droput rate of 45 percent. Georgia, Washington, D.C. and Arizona weren’t much better. Still, even if California’s rate is better than the national average, state leaders appear to recognize a need to find a way to keep students engaged — so they are more likely to keep students in school.