America's Teacher-Student Dropout Problem

Frymier, A. B., & Houser, M. L. (2000). The teacher student relationship as an interpersonal

There are other factors associated with early school leaving. Researchers have focused on three different topics. First topic, student and family factors identified as contributing to dropouts is gender, racial, and ethnic minority status, low socioeconomic status, poor school performance, low self-esteem, delinquency, substance abuse, and pregnancy. In addition to this research has also gathered the impact of certain family characteristics, such as single-families,

Dropout factories are a serious problem with high schools. A dropout factory is a school with a high number of dropouts. Middle schools feed poorly educated kids into high school. These kids are not ready for high school, so they drop out. There are more then 60 percent of kids who do not make it from freshman to sophomore year. There are over 1000-documented drop out factories in the United States. In one school, there were 1,2000 freshmen, and the next year there were under 300 sophomores. Most of the kids have at these schools had a third grade reading level. In one case,

High school dropout rate is a significant indicator of future success in life. For high school dropouts, it is harder to find jobs and earn as much money as their graduated peers. On the outside looking in, not being able to graduate is usually associated with school performance, socioeconomic status, parents’ education level and/or lack of motivation. Moreover, there are also underlying factors of race and gender and they both affect performance in high school immensely. In order to study dropout rates, focus should be put on the group of students at risk of dropping out.

The researcher determines that having stronger teacher-student relationships can lead to greater social-emotional developments because students feel more comfortable to take risks both socially and academically. Small schools have smaller

Department of Education, 2015). One study by Alspaugh looked at the relationship between schools and community characteristics and how those affected high school dropout rates (Alspaugh, 1998). This study looked at 428 Missouri school districts and their average dropout rates over the past five years. Alspaugh examined previous research and concluded that socioeconomic status was the most important factor in student dropout rates. Other related factors that were found to be important factors in student dropout rates were “family background, personal problems, and school-related factors” (Alspaugh), but found that all of these would be difficult to address directly.

In North Carolina a student can legally stop going to school at the age of 16. However, this is not a decision that students hastily make, rather it is a “gradual process of disengagement” (Bridgeland, DiLulio Jr. & Morison, 2006). There are many reasons as to why these students choose to dropout, including extenuating circumstances they may not be able to control. North Carolina requires a majority of their districts to have school social workers or counselors document the reasons students provide for dropping out of school. These reasons vary from school attendance having the highest percentage of 40.3, community college enrollment, conflicts with work, unstable home environment, change of location, need to care for children, and incarceration (Public Schools of North Carolina, 2015).

Regardless of the ascending trend in students completing school in America, about 5 percent of the enrolled high school students quit from various learning institutions yearly, (Kaufman, Kwon, Klein, and Chapman, 1999). For instance, in 1998 out of America’s total population there were about 37 million high school dropouts, (US Bureau of census, 1999). Dropout proportions in the America show a wide discrepancy among major indigenous groups. In the year 1998, according to, (U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2000), the dropout rates among 16 to 24 years old learners were 7.7 percent for Whites, non-Hispanics, 13.8 for Black, non-Hispanics and 29.5 for Hispanics respectively (as shown in table 1). However,

In North Carolina, from 2013-2014 to 2014-2015 there was a 6.6 percent increase in crime rates within schools for high schools, also during this time there was a 4.8 percent increase in dropouts (Hinchcliffe, 2016). For the school year of 2014-2015 the dropout rate was 2.39 percent, which was a increase compared to the previous year that had a rate of 2.28 percent (The Progressive Pulse, 2016). High school dropouts are known to face issues in their future in regards to their socioeconomic status, job attainment, and other risk factors that may influence their lives in the long-term. It has been found that high school dropouts earn an estimated $9,000 less per year on average compared to individuals that graduate. They are also more likely to live in poverty, it was also found that dropouts are three times more likely to be unemployed compared to graduates which puts them at a further disadvantage (Burrus & Roberts, 2012). The consequences of dropping out not only affects the individuals but also our society, due to its contributions to governmental costs; in 2001 there were 40% of high school dropouts (16-24 years old) receiving government assistance (Burrus & Roberts, 2012).. This portrays how high school dropouts leads to further problems and affect others.

A particularly stand-out concept of this semester was the noted correlation between a positive teacher—student relationship and improved classroom results. I volunteer as a classroom assistant at a low socioeconomic school and frequently witness breakdowns in teacher—student relationships first-hand. Classes at this school are often disproportionately filled with students whose educations are at-risk due to learning disabilities or dysfunctional home or social

Another problem that can also be tied to low teacher attrition rates is the lack of parental involvement. Many middle school and high school teachers report that not all parents get involve with their student’s education. Most teachers disprove of this for the fact that students are more successful when their parents are involve in

Thousands of students drop out of high school every year. This change in student’s academic career path can affect not only the lives of youth who drop out, but can have a ripple effect on the lives of others as well. A student who drops out is more likely to be unemployed, become dependent on government assistance, or being convicted of serious crimes. Clearly, a student who drops out has barriers that prevent them from meeting their full potential. Some adolescents are more vulnerable to dropping out than others. This information is not new and the education system does not accurately identify the root causes behind individual drop outs. This has caused schools to provide support to students that is misdirected and allows for some students to slip through the cracks of the education system. Therefore, the current system for preventing school dropouts is not effective because current attendance and truancy interventions do not target the root causes in the best manner. This can only mean that there are more effective ways to support

High-school dropouts face many hardships and challenges. Skills and educational achievement are increasingly important in today’s economy, and individuals with the least education are not doing so well. Dropouts are ineligible for 90% of modern jobs in society today. Among recent dropouts, 16% are unemployed and 32% live below the poverty line. Dropouts

Extensive research has found that the socioeconomic status (SES), of a school’s student body, is associated with student dropout rates. The SES of individual families is connected to dropping out of school (Neild, 2009).

In one sentence a relationship can be established that creates a feeling among students that their teacher is here to help and support each of them as individuals and that they belong to a bigger school community and even wider outside community and country that desperately needs more critical thinkers and compassionate individuals unafraid to stand up for their and others’ rights. Most secondary students have some