Dropout Risk Factors and Exemplary Programs: A Technical Report (original) (raw)

High school dropouts: A review of issues and evidence

Review of educational research, 1987

The problem of high school dropouts has generated increased interest among researchers, policymakers, and educators in recent years. This paper examines the many issues involved in trying to understand and solve this complex social and educational problem. The issues are grouped into four areas covering the incidence, causes, consequences, and solutions to the problem. Within each area, the discussion identifies the important issues involved, the current state of research on the issues, and considerations for future research.

School Dropouts in the United States

Students who drop out of high school before graduating are of concern to families, educators, and policymakers. To obtain information on the scope of the dropout problem, three sources of national data were reviewed: (1) the Bureau of the Census' Current Population Survey; (2) the Center for Statistics' Common Core of Data; and (3) the Center for Statistics' High School and Beyond study. The results of the review revealed that calculation of dropout rates is difficult because of definitional and data problems. National data over time on the incidence of dropping out do not exist. Poor academic performance was found to be the best predictor of who drops out of school. Many young women cite marriage or pregnancy as reasons for dropping out, and students who are rebellious, delinquent, or chronically truant drop out at higher rates than do other students. Dropouts have more difficulty finding and holding jobs and earn less money than do high school graduates. An estimated 40% of high school dropouts return to the educational system and an estimated 30% of dropouts eventually receive a high school diploma or an alternative credential. These findings have implications for educational policy and research, especially in the area of dropout prevention/intervention programs and programs offering alternative high school credentials. (Data sources are described in detail in the appendix.) (NB)

Dropouts from school: Issues, dilemmas, and solutions

1989

Numerous people provided assistance as this volume took shape. Sharon Hladczuk and Sandra Mitchell copyedited the manuscripts, and Carol Norris and Marilyn Faulise provided much-needed secretarial assistance. Our sincere thanks to all those who encouraged and enabled us to bring this volume to press. vii n s 0 *Some of the ideas for this introduction were drawn from a working document on atrisk students prepared by Jeanne Weiler and Eleanor Farrar. SUNY Buffalo. June 1987. ix 9 educational mortalities (those who fail), capable dropouts (those whose background socialization does not agree with school demands), and stopouts (those who drop out and return to school within the same year)8Because the term is so ill-defined and potentially includes any or all of the above, it is difficult to monitor the population v:e now call dropouts and conduct systematic research on the subject. Not only does the imprecise use of the term tend to impede systematic research and comparison across states and districts, but, perhaps even more importantly, it tends to keep the debate about dropouts on definition and measurement rather than on other more important issues. that certain background and school-based variables are related to dropout rates, we know very little about the way in which background characteristics interact with school variables to produce dropouts. In other words, do certain groups of students in combination with certain Pr, that only complex solutions will be able to address the complexity of dropping out. He suggests that schools need, first and foremost, to ameliorate school failure and lack of basic skills. Teachers must care, and coalitions must be built between 'ensiness and schools, to provide jobs for youth upon high school completion. Early school leaving and the causes of such leaviiig involve everyoneschools, youth employment agencies, parents, community organiiations, business and industry, and, of course, youth themselves. Despite a clear lack of research on what works, certain programs do appear to exert positive effects on the dropout rate. It has been suggested that programs aimed specifically at clearly defined categories of 12: v iiiri d carefully. The ways in which the ! t cultures are constructed and 1. for h' .. Hispanics, and whites, b lth male and female, also .;:ct tc vr ;sed. There is also a sense in which th.:... dropout probwin is beir4, ,': cussed only in terms of inner-city you: . In addition, the literature te..Js to assume that when girls drop out, they do so largely because of pregnr :cy This volume addresses these issues head on. Alan DeYoung points out that the dropout problem is not confined to urban youth at all, but that there is a comparable problem arao.:g rural youth. R. Patrick Solomon suggests that man; ninorities do, in fact, stay in school, particularly when social class is controlled for in the analysis. He also suggests, however, that another form of dropping out occurs among minority youth, even among those who do stay in school. Many black youth, particularly males, drop out Into a sports subculture, thus not doing very well in school in strictly academic terms, even though they stay. Michelle '''ine and Nancie Zane provide the first sustained look at 1 a-. He offers an alternative way of understanding the problem of :ow academic performance which tends to characterize a relatively high proportiol of involuntary minority youth. Michael Apple argues that the issue of school dropouts must be seen as originating in the structure of the American economy, which denies so much to so many. This means that, in the long run, school-based solutions to the problem will fail to address in a major way the issue of .:hool dropouts.

A critical review of the literature on school dropout

Educational Research Review, 2013

This paper reviews the growing literature on early school leaving. We clarify what is at stake with early school leaving, and touch upon underlying problems and methodological issues raised in the literature. The paper investigates the levels, the methods and models with which the topic has been studied, and discusses potential (dis)advantages of each of those.