--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Heckman discovered that when you consider…" description: "\"“Heckman discovered that when you consider all kinds of important future outcomes—annual income, unemployment rate, divorce rate, use of illegal drugs—..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f0/paul-tough-17766_school-dropout_heckman-discovered-that-when-you-conside_1717559.png" --- # Heckman discovered that when you consider all kinds of… ![“Heckman discovered that when you consider all kinds of important future outcomes—annual income, unemployment rate, divorce rate, use of illegal drugs—GED recipients look exactly like high-school dropouts, despite the fact that they have earned this supposedly valuable extra credential, and despite…” quote by Paul Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f0/paul-tough-17766_school-dropout_heckman-discovered-that-when-you-conside_1717559.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f0/paul-tough-17766_school-dropout_heckman-discovered-that-when-you-conside_1717559.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f0/paul-tough-17766_school-dropout_heckman-discovered-that-when-you-conside_1717559.png) > ““Heckman discovered that when you consider all kinds of important future outcomes—annual income, unemployment rate, divorce rate, use of illegal drugs—GED recipients look exactly like high-school dropouts, despite the fact that they have earned this supposedly valuable extra credential, and despite the fact that they are, on average, considerably more intelligent than high-school dropouts.”” [Paul Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tough/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. GED recipients, despite higher intelligence, achieve similar poor outcomes as dropouts, questioning the credential’s real value. **In simple terms:** GED doesn’t guarantee better life results. Key Takeaway Focus on skills and support beyond formal credentials. Themes education outcome inequality policy credentialing Mood critical thoughtful Type analytical policy‑focused When to use this quote - policy making - career counseling - social programs Key Concepts social mobility economic disparity education effectiveness Questions to Reflect On - What additional support could improve GED outcomes? - How can we better measure education success? A Different Perspective Credentials alone may not address systemic barriers to success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Drugs Ged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drugs-ged-1306016/) [Ged Recipients](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ged-recipients-1306014/) [Heckman Discovered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heckman-discovered-1306015/) [Intelligent High](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligent-high-1306017/) [School dropout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school-dropout/) [School Dropouts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school-dropouts-898169/) ## Related quotes > [“Govt to help dropouts study further’ 98 words Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani Saturday said the government will roll out a programme by this year-end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/govt-to-help-dropouts-study-further-98-words-union-hrd-minister/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“only 1 of every 3 young black male high school dropouts was able to obtain any type of employment during the average month in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-alexander/only-1-of-every-3-young-black-male-high-school-dropouts-was-able-to/) [Karl Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-alexander/) > [“Expansion Leads To Fewer High School Dropouts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/expansion-leads-to-fewer-high-school-dropouts/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [High school dropouts are forfeiting their opportunity to pursue the American Dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/high-school-dropouts-are-forfeiting-their-opportunity-to-pursue-the/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [Right now, in every big city ghetto, tens of thousands of yesterday's and today's school dropouts are keeping body and soul together by some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/right-now-in-every-big-city-ghetto-tens-of-thousands-of-yesterday-s/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [“Children deprived of words become school dropouts; dropouts deprived of hope behave delinquently. Amateur censors blame delinquency on reading immoral books and magazines, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-s-jennison/children-deprived-of-words-become-school-dropouts-dropouts-deprived/) [Peter S. Jennison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-s-jennison/) > [Eighty-two percent of prisoners in the United States are high-school dropouts. A high-school dropout between the ages of 30 and 34 is two-thirds more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamala-harris/eighty-two-percent-of-prisoners-in-the-united-states-are-high-school/) [Kamala Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamala-harris/) > [Some of the best projects to ever come out of Atari or Chuck E. Cheese's were from high school dropouts, college dropouts. One guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/some-of-the-best-projects-to-ever-come-out-of-atari-or-chuck-e-cheese/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [High school dropout rates nationally - Not enough is being done on this issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-richmond/high-school-dropout-rates-nationally-not-enough-is-being-done-on-this/) [Cedric Richmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-richmond/) > [I ended up dropping out of high school. I'm a high school dropout, which I'm not proud to say, ... I had some teachers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-swank/i-ended-up-dropping-out-of-high-school-i-m-a-high-school-dropout/) [Hilary Swank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-swank/) > [As a high school dropout, I understand the value of education: A second chance at obtaining my high school diploma through the G.I. Bill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-b-rangel/as-a-high-school-dropout-i-understand-the-value-of-education-a-second/) [Charles B. Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-b-rangel/) > [I was 19 years old, pumping gas and going nowhere. I was kind of a high school dropout at that point because I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-oates/i-was-19-years-old-pumping-gas-and-going-nowhere-i-was-kind-of-a-high/) [Adam Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-oates/) > [“by the year 2000, the lifetime risk of incarceration for black high school dropouts was ten times higher than it was for African Americans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr-2/by-the-year-2000-the-lifetime-risk-of-incarceration-for-black-high/) [James Forman Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr-2/) > [The University of North Carolina-Greensboro has ordered a Christian club to allow non-Christians as leaders. While we're at it, let's put high school dropouts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/the-university-of-north-carolina-greensboro-has-ordered-a-christian/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) > [My mother grew up in abject poverty in Mississippi, an elementary school dropout. Yet, with the support of women around her, she returned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-abrams/my-mother-grew-up-in-abject-poverty-in-mississippi-an-elementary/) [Stacey Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-abrams/) ## More by Paul Tough > [“Most broadly, they refer to the ability to deal with confusing and unpredictable situations and information. One”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tough/most-broadly-they-refer-to-the-ability-to-deal-with-confusing-and/) [Paul Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tough/) > [“What matters, instead, is whether we are able to help her develop a very different set of qualities, a list that includes persistence, self-control,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tough/what-matters-instead-is-whether-we-are-able-to-help-her-develop-a/) [Paul Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tough/) > [“the child of a supermom who gets lots of extra tutoring and one-on-one support is going to do way better than an average well-loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tough/the-child-of-a-supermom-who-gets-lots-of-extra-tutoring-and-one-on/) [Paul Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tough/) > [“the best way for a young person to build character is for him to attempt something where there is a real and serious possibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tough/the-best-way-for-a-young-person-to-build-character-is-for-him-to/) [Paul Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tough/) > [“The idea of building grit and building self-control is that you get that through failure,” Randolph told me. “And in most highly academic environments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tough/the-idea-of-building-grit-and-building-self-control-is-that-you-get/) [Paul Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tough/) > [“Tools of the Mind, by contrast, doesn’t focus much on reading and math abilities. Instead, all of its interventions are intended to help children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tough/tools-of-the-mind-by-contrast-doesn-t-focus-much-on-reading-and-math/) [Paul Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tough/) > [Optimists, by contrast, look for specific, limited, short-term explanations for bad events, and as a result, in the face of a setback, they’re more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tough/optimists-by-contrast-look-for-specific-limited-short-term/) [Paul Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tough/) > [And in most highly academic environments in the United States, no one fails anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tough/and-in-most-highly-academic-environments-in-the-united-states-no-one/) [Paul Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tough/) > [“a passionate commitment to a single mission and an unswerving dedication to achieve that mission. She decided she needed to name this quality, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tough/a-passionate-commitment-to-a-single-mission-and-an-unswerving/) [Paul Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tough/) > [“children were no longer receiving enough cognitive stimulation in the first three years of life, in part because of the increasing number of single-parent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tough/children-were-no-longer-receiving-enough-cognitive-stimulation-in-the/) [Paul Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tough/) > [“We “activate a physiological system that has evolved for responding to acute physical emergencies,” Sapolsky writes, “but we turn it on for months on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tough/we-activate-a-physiological-system-that-has-evolved-for-responding-to/) [Paul Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tough/) > [What if the Secret to Success is Failure?,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tough/what-if-the-secret-to-success-is-failure/) [Paul Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tough/) > [“Chemistry is not destiny, certainly. But these scientists have demonstrated that the most reliable way to produce an adult who is brave and curious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tough/chemistry-is-not-destiny-certainly-but-these-scientists-have/) [Paul Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tough/) > [“Researchers, including Michael Meaney and Clancy Blair, have demonstrated that for infants to develop qualities like perseverance and focus, they need a high level…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tough/researchers-including-michael-meaney-and-clancy-blair-have/) [Paul Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tough/) > [“Think about it,” Spiegel said. “Remember, when I ask you a question, you don’t have to answer right away. But you do have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tough/think-about-it-spiegel-said-remember-when-i-ask-you-a-question-you/) [Paul Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tough/) [Explore all 36 Paul Tough quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tough/) ## More School dropout quotes > [My mother grew up in abject poverty in Mississippi, an elementary school dropout. Yet, with the support of women around her, she returned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-abrams/my-mother-grew-up-in-abject-poverty-in-mississippi-an-elementary/) [Stacey Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-abrams/) > [Some of the best projects to ever come out of Atari or Chuck E. Cheese's were from high school dropouts, college dropouts. One guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/some-of-the-best-projects-to-ever-come-out-of-atari-or-chuck-e-cheese/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [The University of North Carolina-Greensboro has ordered a Christian club to allow non-Christians as leaders. While we're at it, let's put high school dropouts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/the-university-of-north-carolina-greensboro-has-ordered-a-christian/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) > [I was 19 years old, pumping gas and going nowhere. I was kind of a high school dropout at that point because I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-oates/i-was-19-years-old-pumping-gas-and-going-nowhere-i-was-kind-of-a-high/) [Adam Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-oates/) > [As a high school dropout, I understand the value of education: A second chance at obtaining my high school diploma through the G.I. Bill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-b-rangel/as-a-high-school-dropout-i-understand-the-value-of-education-a-second/) [Charles B. Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-b-rangel/) > [High school dropout rates nationally - Not enough is being done on this issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-richmond/high-school-dropout-rates-nationally-not-enough-is-being-done-on-this/) [Cedric Richmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-richmond/) > [Eighty-two percent of prisoners in the United States are high-school dropouts. A high-school dropout between the ages of 30 and 34 is two-thirds more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamala-harris/eighty-two-percent-of-prisoners-in-the-united-states-are-high-school/) [Kamala Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamala-harris/) > [“Children deprived of words become school dropouts; dropouts deprived of hope behave delinquently. Amateur censors blame delinquency on reading immoral books and magazines, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-s-jennison/children-deprived-of-words-become-school-dropouts-dropouts-deprived/) [Peter S. Jennison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-s-jennison/) > [I ended up dropping out of high school. I'm a high school dropout, which I'm not proud to say, ... I had some teachers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-swank/i-ended-up-dropping-out-of-high-school-i-m-a-high-school-dropout/) [Hilary Swank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-swank/) > [Right now, in every big city ghetto, tens of thousands of yesterday's and today's school dropouts are keeping body and soul together by some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/right-now-in-every-big-city-ghetto-tens-of-thousands-of-yesterday-s/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [High school dropouts are forfeiting their opportunity to pursue the American Dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/high-school-dropouts-are-forfeiting-their-opportunity-to-pursue-the/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [“by the year 2000, the lifetime risk of incarceration for black high school dropouts was ten times higher than it was for African Americans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr-2/by-the-year-2000-the-lifetime-risk-of-incarceration-for-black-high/) [James Forman Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr-2/) > [In 1971, Bossier City, Louisiana, there was a teenage girl who was pregnant with her second child. She was a high school dropout and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-leto/in-1971-bossier-city-louisiana-there-was-a-teenage-girl-who-was/) [Jared Leto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-leto/) > [I'm a school dropout. So, at the age of 16, I moved to Mumbai to try my luck on some business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautam-adani/i-m-a-school-dropout-so-at-the-age-of-16-i-moved-to-mumbai-to-try-my/) [Gautam Adani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautam-adani/) > [I'm a skinny, geeky, high school dropout - it works, kids! Sensitive guys always get the girl. You'll get laid 10 times as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/i-m-a-skinny-geeky-high-school-dropout-it-works-kids-sensitive-guys/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) [Browse all 36 School dropout quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school-dropout/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Heckman discovered that when you consider all kinds of important future outcomes—annual income, unemployment rate, divorce rate, use of illegal drugs—GED recipients look exactly like high-school dropouts, despite the fact that they have earned this supposedly valuable extra credential, and despite the fact that they are, on average, considerably more intelligent than high-school dropouts.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul Tough" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tough/heckman-discovered-that-when-you-consider-all-kinds-of-important/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "School dropout" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tough/heckman-discovered-that-when-you-consider-all-kinds-of-important/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f0/paul-tough-17766_school-dropout_heckman-discovered-that-when-you-conside_1717559.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f0/paul-tough-17766_school-dropout_heckman-discovered-that-when-you-conside_1717559.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f0/paul-tough-17766_school-dropout_heckman-discovered-that-when-you-conside_1717559.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Heckman discovered that when you consider all kinds of important future outcomes—annual income, unemployment…” — Paul Tough", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Paul Tough", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tough/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Heckman discovered that when you consider...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tough/heckman-discovered-that-when-you-consider-all-kinds-of-important/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tough/heckman-discovered-that-when-you-consider-all-kinds-of-important/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```