Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

What Can High Schools Do to Lower the Number of Dropouts?

Good Essays
372 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
What Can High Schools Do to Lower the Number of Dropouts?
What Can High Schools Do to Lower the Number of Dropouts?
It is clear that dropping out of high school has very serious consequences for the individuals, the society and the nation. People who drop out of high school earn half as much annual income as those who graduate. High school dropouts are more likely to be welfare recipients than high school graduates. This does not mean that high school diploma is an absolute solution or dropping out of high school results to negative outcomes but it implies that students who drop out of high school are a high-risk-population and require programmatic interventions to increase the likelihood of high school success (PSEA).
For high schools to lower the number of dropouts, they should ensure that all students have good relationships with adults at school. It has been found out that students drop out of school because they feel alienated from others. Therefore, high schools should encourage and build environments in which all students can gain from sustained relationships with school administration. Another way that high schools can lower the number of dropouts is supporting a strong individualized curriculum. They should ensure that the curriculum has a career-learning component for all learners. Some of the successful programs for preventing dropout focus on providing academic curricula of high level and connected to the real world though experiences such as hands-on learning in industry and business settings. Unfortunately, many high schools have scripted curricula that do not support the kind of learning that is effective at engaging the youth who are at risk (PSEA).
High schools should also build student transition programs for the middle school. For many students, the transition into and out of middle school can be very difficult and many are retained in the ninth-grade. This retention results to high rate of high school drop-out. By high schools lowering the number of dropouts, cases such as unemployment, poor health and crime will be reduced and this will be of great benefit to the society and the nation.

Work Cited
PSEA. The Power of a Great Education: PSEA’s 20/20 Vision for the Future, Retrieved from http://www.psea.org/uploadedFiles/LegislationAndPolitics/Vision/Vision_ReduceDropoutRate.pdf, on 11 July, 2012

Cited: PSEA. The Power of a Great Education: PSEA’s 20/20 Vision for the Future, Retrieved from http://www.psea.org/uploadedFiles/LegislationAndPolitics/Vision/Vision_ReduceDropoutRate.pdf, on 11 July, 2012

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Dropout rates across America are outrages. Dropout factories are when two thirds of the student body fails to graduate High School. Having more than two thousand dropout factories in America, where can the people receive their education? Students at Lock High School, located in Los Angeles, lose students between freshman and sophomore…

    • 379 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dropout Nation Summary

    • 270 Words
    • 2 Pages

    This article shows just how many students are dropping out of schools all across the nation, from small rural schools to big suburban schools. They focus on a town called Shelbyville, IN to show us about students who dropout and why it happens. They also talk about how America is very oblivious to the dropout rates because many schools cover up the actual dropout rate using the GED trick. They talk about how at this high school in Shelbyville they had what they call “push-out” students rather than dropout students, as they do in many other schools. They say how the school used to have the tendency to focus more on the needs of the rich kids, even though the poor students were the ones who really needed the attention and help. They say how the…

    • 270 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    According to the U.S. department of education an estimated 1.2 million U.S. high school students drop out annually, left with no degree, no qualifications and no work experience. The American education system is based on the idea that no child should be left behind -opportunity for all. However, encouraging everyone to attend university regardless of how impractical it may be for the individual, is part of the problem.…

    • 426 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Scenario Solution

    • 1979 Words
    • 8 Pages

    References: Ashford, E. (2011, November 11). Helping high school dropouts get on a college, career track. Retrieved 11 16, 2011, from Community College Times: http://www.communitycollegetimes.com/Pages/Campus-Issues/Community-colleges-play-a-key-role-in-dropout-recovery.aspx…

    • 1979 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the last fifty years a high school diploma is basically a necessity to get a job. Before, lots of people dropped out of high school because you didn’t need a high school diploma to get a good job. Numerous studies have been taken place recently and have shown that less people are completing their four years of high school. Only about seventy percent of people graduate high school, which means that about a third of people that enter high school as a freshman don’t graduate from high school. People that dropout of high school face lots of challenges to finding a good paying job, costing them a lot of money in lack of income and the United States in negative impacts to our economy. High school graduates are also more likely to raise healthier, better educated children who are less likely to be a teen parent. High school graduates are also less likely to commit crimes. They also made CTE classes which encourage students to graduate by showing them certain pathways to success. The author pointed out some strategies you can use to positively impact the dropout rate including: systematic renewal, safe learning environments, family engagement, early childhood education, early literacy development, tutoring, service-learning, alternative schools, after-school opportunities, professional development,…

    • 925 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Students’ dropping out of high school has become an ongoing phenomenon throughout the nation. High school dropouts will face many challenges throughout their lives. The attainment of various skills and higher levels of education are very important in today’s competitive world and economy. High school dropouts, on average earn less money, are more likely to end up in jail, are less likely to be married, and are most likely to be unhappier than high school graduates. Even though education gaps hav,e soared to new heights, dropout rates throughout the past three decades have been mostly unchanged. This problem highly affects minorities and low-income students. The primary goal of this paper is to provide a plan to lower the high school dropout…

    • 233 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Some people drop out of high school because they want to help their families, but when those people grow up and try to get a better job, they will get rejected. This is because it is required to have a high school diploma or a college degree to get certain jobs. Also, according to Missy Remiss, “Those without a high school diploma have lower earnings, higher unemployment, lower job satisfaction-they even have a higher likelihood of ending up in jail or on public assistance.” To conclude, students need to stay in school until they are…

    • 481 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Malcolm X

    • 947 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The implications of dropping out of high school are enormous, including a higher risk of poverty and a shortened lifespan. The person who has dropped out of school has a tendency to be employed in a low income job. These are the people who look forward to government resources. A person’s future is more guaranteed when he or she is educated. They can be anything in life if they are educated. Without education a person’s aspirations in life could be limited. According to research, a high school graduate will earn an average of $7,480 more a year than a high school dropout (Pou).…

    • 947 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts,” this is an inspirational quote by Winston Churchill, which can lead as an example to all the students in the United States that have dropped out of high school. According to dosomething.org, the U.S, which had some of the highest graduation rates of any developed country, now ranks 22nd out of 27 developed countries. Stress, low self-esteem, and poor support from family members are all responsible for leading students to dropping out of high school. However, the United States have been improving in that area and they’ve been efficiently, increasing the number of students that earn a high school diploma. Ultimately, the amount of students that have dropped…

    • 1105 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Statistics shows total number of high school drop outs annually is 3,030,000. The numbers increase every year, especially for male students. Education is the future for today’s students, yet little take so seriously. For Edwin Rebollar, a 16 year old senior at Aldine high school, works very hard to make his education his first priority as well. He talks highly about going to college and goes out his way to make good grades. He also speaks highly about his parents pushing to go further with his education. “I feel like college can open so many opportunities for me, and I want to be something in life.” Rebollar said “my…

    • 694 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    dropout research paper

    • 905 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Over thirty percent of high school students drop out of high school. Dropping out of high school can lead to a poor career. Having a poor career can lead to poor pay and bad situations. About sixty-five percent of careers require a high school education. Not having a education and poor pay can cause stress. Students are dropping out of high school due to poor home life situations such as poor parenting, drugs, and poverty.…

    • 905 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    American Dropout Rates

    • 1651 Words
    • 7 Pages

    10. Simmons, Laura. "Preventing High School Dropouts: What Really Works? | UNC Charlotte Urban Institute." Preventing High School Dropouts: What Really Works? | UNC Charlotte Urban Institute. UNC Charlotte Urban Institute, 19 July 2012. Web. 09 Apr.…

    • 1651 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    While there are many problems college students’ face while attempting to obtain a degree, the largest hindrance from completion is that of financial ability. One of the largest contributors to college dropout rates is the lack of financial support. Many college students must work either full or part time to support themselves or their families. With the declining economy and increasing costs of college tuition, funds are being scarcely distributed and many college students find that they are unable to continue their education due of this.…

    • 1106 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Teenagers dropping out of high school is a growing problem for citizens in the United States. High school dropout rates have progressively gotten worse because of a student’s lack of work and problems at home. Although the United States’ teen dropout rate is slowly declining as a whole, it is still leading to many other problems. I recently watched a report on the news, which mentioned that the U.S. is still towards the bottom of the education count throughout many countries. This report makes me wonder what the future will bring us. Will the unemployed over power the employed? Will our taxes continue to increase to pay for unemployment policies? How do kids that drop out of school early prosper in our society? I’ve also learned about teen…

    • 1536 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Thinking about many issues in today’s society, there are many reasons an individual would drop out of school such as pregnancy, family concerns, and individual reasons. Most people know that education is important however, there can be many circumstances and/or situations that could prevent a person to drop out of school. One reason that came to mind was pregnancy. With me being a mother, I know the hardships and the problems that came come about after having a child. If a parent does not have a good support system as well as some financial help, then this could cause a parent to drop out of school to take care of their child. Another reason for a person to drop out of school would be family concerns. Meaning, if a person’s relative becomes sick and there is no other person to take care of them then one may drop out of school in order to take care of that relative. Another reason I feel that could cause a person to drop out of school is that the school is not addressing their needs or if the person feel being in school is not helping their situation. Some people have to have special attention or needs in school and if the school is not addressing them, then it could cause the person to fall behind in their studies. From all of these reasons, there are many effects that are created from a person dropping out of school. One effect is that it increases their chance of not being able to find a good job. Another effect for not attending school could be isolation. In other words, if a person does not graduate with their peers they may begin to think negative of themselves and then may isolate themselves from friends and family because they do not feel that they are “good enough.” Overall, there could be many more causes and effects of dropping out of school. I just chose to discuss the…

    • 343 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays