COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Hundreds of educators from across South
Carolina will gather in Columbia to discuss ways to keep students
in school and increase the state's graduation rate.

The Tuesday meeting is part of a nationwide effort to find
solutions for the nation's dropout problem and prepare students for
college. It is among 100 summits to be held across the country by
2010. More than 700 people have registered to attend the event at
the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. It kicks off the
state's "Graduation Matters" campaign.

Various reports have ranked South Carolina's on-time graduation
rate as the nation's lowest.

Topics include identifying potential dropouts early, mentoring
and graduation coaches.