857 Students Drop Out of High School Every Hour, Every Day

The College Board is stepping into the world of politics with its first political campaign, “Don’t Forget Ed!”

The board set up 857 empty school desks on the National Mall in Washington D.C., representing the 857 students that drop out of school every hour, according to the College Board.

Its an effort to urge presidential candidates to make education reform a priority on the campaign trail.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan posted a picture of the display on Facebook.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan posted a picture on Facebook of himself on the National Mall during the College Board's display.

The College Board asked passersby to sign its petition.

It said: “If you want my support, I need to hear more from you about how you plan to fix the problems with education. And not just the same old platitudes. I want to know that you have real, tangible solutions, and that once in office, you’re ready to take serious action. I’ll be watching your acceptance speech at your party’s convention.”

The statistics come from a 2007 report by Education Week.

It reported 1.2 million students drop out every year.