(Jefferson City, MO) --  The dropout rate across Missouri has been steadily climbing the past five years.

Officials are trying to find ways to keep at-risk kids in school.
The Ddepartment of Elementary and Secondary Education is leading a statewide videoconference today that will be telecast from Columbia.

More than 600 educators and community leaders in 21 locations are expected to participate.

The dropout rate for the 2007 to 2008 school year was about 4.2-percent.   That's about 12,000 high school students.