[kuh-mit-muhnt]

commitment [kuh-mit-muhnt com·mit·ment <a noun 1. the act of committing. 2. the state of being committed. 3. the act of committing, pledging, or engaging oneself. 4. a pledge or promise; obligation: We have made a commitment to pay our bills on time. 5. engagement; involvement: They have a sincere commitment to religion.

Analyze Look briefly at the next four slides, all taken from internet news sources Although there are multiple factors and variables that effect these statistics, think about what role individual “commitment” plays in these. Is the current generation less “committed” than previous generations

U.S. bankruptcy filing rate near 5-year high Jonathan Stempel Pace of filings second-highest since 2005 Improved economy does not immediately reduce filings. The pace of U.S. bankruptcy filings edged up in May to the second-highest daily level since 2005, reflecting the difficulty Americans have in working off excess debt even as the economy improves. There were 133,459 U.S. bankruptcy petitions filed in May, 10 percent more than a year earlier, according to preliminary data released Thursday by Automated Access to Court Electronic Records, or AACER. While filings fell 9 percent from April's 146,209, this was because there were just 20 business days in May compared with 22 in April. Average filings per day edged up to 6,673 from 6,646.

As with all statistics, the numbers vary depending upon whom you ask. But, on average, about 40-50% of first marriages end in divorce. Meanwhile, 60-67% of second marriages and 73-74% of third marriages end in the same way. In short, the more marriages someone or their partner has had, the higher the couple's chances of one day getting a divorce. Article Source: Divorce Rates

High School Graduation Rates

America is falling behind in college graduation rates, James Kvaal, deputy undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Education, outlined Tuesday the challenges and strategies to increasing the number of students with college degrees in the U.S. The Obama administration plans for the United States to have the highest percentage rate of college graduates in the world by 2020—an honor that Canada held in 2010, hovering right below 60 percent. South Korea and Russia both had approximately 55 percent college graduation rates—compared to the U.S. rate of 38 percent, according to statistics from the College Board.

Example of Commitment Look at the next slide Who is this U.S. President Did his commitment become a reality?

Educational Commitment What is your career goal? Will it take education or training beyond high school? Do you plan on graduating from high school? Are you committed enough to these goals that you are currently practicing the academic behaviors that will lead you to them?

Finally