Reports say one-third of U.S. high school students don't graduate on time and Latino and African-American boys are twice as likely to become high school dropouts.

These numbers are staggering and it's a growing issue.

In an effort to examine this problem, public radio and television have partnered to create The American Graduate project, an initiative that will examine the extent of the problem, as well as its consequences.

Among the solutions is community involvement and high-profile celebrity attention.

Oscar-winning film director Ron Howard joined basketball star LeBron James, singer Ashanti and actor Denzel Washington were in Washington to unveil a new public service announcement for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

Washington sat down with NewsHour correspondent Gwen Ifill to discuss the dropout crisis.

The well-known actor is a longtime national spokesman for the Boys and Girls Club of America and is a believer that the organization is a part of the drop out solution.

"The work we do at the Boys and Girls Clubs are helping to do that," he said. "In the last 10 years, we have doubled the number of children we reach."

Denzel also believes that parents and family life play a pivotal role.

"So it starts in the home. I mean, the fundamental responsibility, or problem, if we want to call it that, is the breakdown of the family, and that obviously directly affects the child," he said.

"Fundamentally, we are failing our kids. It is not their fault. It is the -- if there is fault to be -- it's the fault of the adults." - Denzel Washington, actor.

"I'm a great believer and lover of the country, believer in the dream and what the country aspires to, or sometimes I feel what it purports to aspire to. And it's up to us to act on that." -Ron Howard, director/producer.

"It starts in the home. I'm about solutions. You know, if three out of 10 drop out, that means seven out of 10 don't. I'm trying to turn that seven into an eight or into a nine."
-Denzel Washington, actor.

1. What does the word 'drop out' mean?

2. What is a dropout rate?

3. What is the dropout rate in your school?

1. Why do students typically drop out of school?

2. What is your school doing to keep students engaged in school?

3. In what ways can public radio and television help with the dropout problem?

4. How can celebrity involvement affect the dropout problem?