rate of change in numbers

Question

Question content area top

Part 1

In

1977​,

the number of high school dropouts in a country was

5212

thousand. By

2006​,

this number had decreased to

3118

thousand. Find and interpret the average rate of change per year in the number of high school dropouts.

Answer 1

in 1977 there were 5212 thousand high school dropouts

in 2006, that number had decreased to 3118 thousand

2006-1977 = 29 years

5212- 3118= 2094

2094K/29 = 72206.89655

= about 72,207 less HS dropouts per year

either students are learning better, or schools are lowering their standards, or both

but any real interpretation requires knowing the total number of students in high schools

and also the HS dropout numbers for each year between 1977 and 2006

2006 or 1977 might be atypical years