The purpose of this research is to discover factors that lead to a decision of dropping out of school, and how the

decision can be prevented.

Sara Grimm

Module 5

“Dropping out is more of a process than an event—a process that, for somestudents, begins in early elementary school.”- President Obama

Top reasons why some consider dropping out of school

• Dislike of school

• Instruction pace

• Pregnancy• Bullying• Retention

In the early Elementary years:

• School work becomes very challenging• Acceptance by peers begin to become more

defined, and others begin to notice who needs more “time” to finish assignments

• Teasing and bullying often using the word “stupid” or “retarded” by peers

• The play time fades and work begins• Parental support is needed tremendously,

through homework, programs, academics, or just signing a folder

• One teacher who either loves or hates them in their opinion

The Junior High years:• State testing becomes more accountable• Bullying and teasing increases• Extra curricular activities begin to set grade

requirements• Advance classes, and the “smart group” forms• Self esteem declines• Several teachers• Success felt in physical education or elective

class or not at all

High school years:

• Retained, how do they know? Am I really the only 9th grader with a drivers license?

• Ranking and GPA • More social groups and extra curricular

activities• Influence of older friends who also hate school• They become one in a 100+ and teachers

barely know anything about them• Employment begins

Employment in High School

• Students who feel more success from their boss than their teacher realize they would rather work all day even if it means they will make minimum wage for several years

Veronica who was set to graduate in 2000 from CISD, said she dropped out to join the work force until she realized, “school was cooler than punching a time clock in restaurant industries.”

Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, a member of the Senate Education Committee

“This is the time bomb. This is the tsunami that started already. If you look at our demographics, we have go to solve this problem. “ Van de Putte, was referring to what others are now nicknaming as dropout factories. HISD is one of the dropout factories with 22 high school on the list. Once the dropouts start it has a ripple effect, prevention is key.

From the National Center of Education Statistics Reports: 1972-2008

Region

Even Drop

out Rate

%

Number of

Event dropout

s (thousa

nds)

Population

enrolled (thousa

nds)

Percent of

all dropo

uts

Northeast 2.3 46 1,998 11.8

Midwest 2.7 71 2,640 18.1

South 4.3 167 3,847 42.8

West 4.1 106 2,574 27.3

12%

18%

43%

27%

Number of dropouts in thousands

NorthwestMidwestSouthWest

http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2011/dropout08/

Which groups have the highest percent?

15–16 yrs

19%

17 yr30%

18 yr27%

1910%

20-24 yr

13%

Dropout percent by Age

• In 2007 the Chronicle reported that the highest dropout rate was amongst the Hispanic population. Hispanics represent 45% of the dropouts, but they also make up the largest population in the state with 4.6 million students.

Dropping out, how long are the effects?

Short Term Long Term

Sense of relief from education pressures

Feeling of freedom

Limits your career

4x more likely to be unemployed

earn $143 less per week than a high school graduate

According to the National Dropout Prevention Center

Governor Rick Perry’s approach

“The fact is, a single drop out is too many, so we’ve got to continue pursuing sensible, proven options and give every Texan an option at a better life.”

Video from Ch 11 KHOU “No school, No license”

Every child has a choice to build their education. The size of their knowledge is unlimited, some pieces are easy, others are hard to see or fit, but together they produce one complete product.

The pieces that make up the puzzle?• Through laws (the border/frame):

– President– State government– Local government

• Through support and guidance (the inside pieces):– Educators– Parents/Family– Peers, social groups– Mentors

Drop out

• Alternative Programs • Support from peers and teachers• Family communication• Improve access for struggling students• Identify warnings in the early stages• Be proactive before reactive

The best prevention is through early interventions.

Example Interventions at Conroe ISD:

• CHOOSE: allows students to earn credits for courses online or after school while enrolled in regular classes

• Hawke Alternative: high school program for students with pregnancy, academic issues, and social concerns among a variety of other challenges

• Jr High mentoring: community members mentor students all the way through their graduation from high school

Bibliography• Bier, Charles. (2010, April 12). Dropout Prevention,

recovery programs assist CISD students. Your Houston News. Retrieved from http://www.yourhoustonnews.com

• Chapman, C. (2010, December, 10). Trends in High School Dropout and completion rates in the United States from 1972-2008. NCES 2011012. Retrieved from http://www.nces.ed/gov

• Scharrer, Gary. (2007, November 7). Report points to ‘dropout factories’. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved from http://www.chron.com

• Zubwoski, Courtney. (2010, July 15). Texas governor to teen dropouts: No school, no driver’s license. KHOU News. Retrieved from http://khou.com