Issues in Education

How schools can lower drop-out rates

There are a lot of reasons why students dropout but what about the consequences? People who dropout have a higher rate of going to prison. Dropouts earned 41 percent less then students who graduated high school or a GED. The average earnings for high school dropouts in 2009 were $19,540. The graduates earned around $27,380 with no college education. The students with a associate’s or college degree earned around $36,190. With a four-year degree, the students were raking in $46,930. Dropping out of school does not only affect the students themselves but the economy as well. People without diplomas reduce buying power, lower tax revenues, diminished worker productivity and more spending on social assistance programs. According to Alliance of Excellent Education, the high school dropouts in North Carolina cost the state $4.4 billion in lost income and taxes in a students’ lifetime. States struggling with money will let at least a third of their students drop out. That’s not all. Seventeen states create 70 percent of the United States dropouts. The dropout rates have lowered. In 1980, the dropout rate was 14% and in 2008, 8%. 

So now that we know the effects of dropouts, why do they leave? This can be broken down into four groups; families, schools, and communities. One set is associated with the institutional characteristics of their families, schools, self and communities. People who have sibling who have dropped out are also more likely to drop out themselves. Money and family problems also will cause a child to dropout. People who live in a high-poverty neighborhood does not make someone dropout but students are likely to than if they lived in a welcoming neighborhood. School itself and how the student is treated and views the school is a major way students leave. Students do not see their classes as interesting, they weren’t motivated, they were failing or missed too many days and couldn’t catch up. They had to work or became a parent. A family member needed to be taken care of or they felt that they couldn’t graduate even if they tried. 
So now that we know why and the effect, we can finally look at how to prevent dropouts. First we must, as the saying goes, nip this in the bud. Target the student early when they show the signs. Some of the signs are frequently missing attendance, behavior issues and course failure. These signs are known as the “ABC’s” of dropouts. When the signs are noticed, a warning should go to all the teachers so the teachers know to work with the students and encourage him or her to attend. One of the ways to encourage students to come to school is to have comfortable learning environment. Teachers should offer extra support for students who are struggling and assign adult advocates to students at risk of dropping out. The states also have the power to help. New Hampshire raised the legal age to drop out of school to eighteen. Texas is committing money and changing many of its regulations such as reimbursing districts for students to the age of twenty-six. 

    

    There is also alternate education. This offers classes to dropouts at cheaper prices and easier access. It also helps people who are noticeably older than their grade level. 31 states have worked with alternative education for children at-risk of dropping out. There are also program such as the Youth Connection Charter School or YCCS in Chicago. The YCCS has 4,00 seats all together in 23 neighborhoods, making 150 seats per neighborhood. This place is so good, students wait to at least ten months for a spot. The YCCS helps all kinds of people from people who flunked out of high school to homeless to drug abuse. The YCCS takes in about 20,000 drop outs or at-risk students. This program is so good, at least half of them graduated. In 2010, 1,200 did. 75% of the graduates have obtained jobs or went on to get more education. So, how is YCCS different from alternative schools? YCCS focuses on “skill mastery” instead of course credits. YCCS students gain more learning experience then “feeder schools”, according to Venson. South Carolina was a school in crisis with less than 66% graduating. Luckily, it raised from 65% to 95% in fourteen years with the help of families, helping students think about the future beyond graduating, changing their reading curriculum to a more friendly one and giving out rewards such as students who pass their state exam get to go to the front of the line at lunch.

The students our our future and we do not give them the knowledge to grow and succeed, our future will not be one we can gladly send them into. We must prepare them for life and school is one of the ways to do so. To lower the dropout rates, putting time and effort into our education is a necessary factor. We must be their for the children and help them in any way we can. Help your child’s future be a bright one and assist in helping children get a diploma and off the streets.

Bibliography

Editorial Projects in Education Research Center. (2011, June 16). Issues A-Z: Dropouts. Education Week. Retrieved Month Day, Year from http://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/dropouts/

"United States Census Bureau." Education. United States Census Bureau, n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2014. <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/education.html>.

Derringer, Pamela H. "Dropouts." Administerators. Scholastics, n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2014. <http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3756747>.

Simmons, Laura. "Preventing High School Dropouts: What Really Works?"Welcome to the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute. UNC Charlotte Institute, 19 July 2012. Web. 29 Sept. 2014. <http://ui.uncc.edu/story/high-school-dropout-research-collective-impact>.