Anne Barth: Graduation is key to state's future

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- In his book, "The Coming Jobs War," Gallup Chairman Jim Clifton addresses the future of job creation, and reports that Gallup's recent world poll (yes, a poll of the world) found that what people all over the globe want most of all is a good job. The poll supports Clifton's premise that countries must make creating good jobs their number one mission and primary purpose.

One of the 12 chapters of this short, insightful book is "K-12 Schools -- Where Entrepreneurs Are Created." In it, Clifton observes that student graduation rates are one of the most definitive predictors of a city's future innovation, entrepreneurship, and subsequent job growth and GDP. He argues the more that fifth- and 12th-graders have a positive image of entrepreneurship, the better off a region will be.