HIGH SCHOOL DROPO

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WHAT IS A HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT?Dropping out is defined as leaving school without a high

school diploma.

Each year, mare than a million kids will leave school without earning a high school diploma, that’s about 7,000 students every day of the academic year.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A DROP OUTDisabled StudentsA history of academic Failure Emotional and Behavioral Problems

CAUSES OF DROPPING OUTSocioeconomic Background. Students from low-income

families are 2.4 times more likely to drop out of school than are children from middle-income families,

Absenteeism. students who miss school fall behind their peers in the classroom. This, in turn, leads to low self-esteem and increases the likelihood that at-risk students will drop out of school

Race-ethnicity. Hispanics and African Americans are at greater risk of dropping out than whites.

BULLYING A MAJOR CAUSE OF DROPOUTS?Over 3.2 million students are victims of bullying each

year.When children don’t feel safe, they start to skip school

and eventually they drop out.Bullying can lead to fear of school, absenteeism, and

stunted academic progress, which in turn are signs to dropping out of school.

DISADVANTAGES OF BEING A DROPOUTIncome LossLack of Access to Higher EducationPoor Health outcomesIncreased likelihood of legal trouble

RIO GRANDE VALLEY DROP OUT STATISTICSMcAllen Memorial High school had 467 dropouts in the

last year, 51.6 percent of the dropouts were because of bullying, according to the Texas Education Agency.

The Texas drop out average is 41,813 students per year. PSJA High School had 500 dropouts the past year. PSJA is just one of the 57 high schools in the Valley. Meaning there is about 28,500 dropouts in the valley per year. It can be inferred that about 60% of Texas’ dropouts are from the Rio Grande Valley.

CONSEQUENCESOn average, dropouts are more likely to be unemployed

than high school graduates and to earn less money when they eventually secure work.

Dropping out, in turn, causes other secondary, indirect problems:

Single Parents. Due to the fact that young women who drop out of school are more likely to have children at younger ages and more likely to be single parents than high school graduates. Prisons. dropouts make up a high percentage of the nation’s prisons and death row inmates. One research study pointed out that 82% of America’s prisoners are high school dropouts.

POSSIBLE OUTLETSMany students drop out of high school because they are not aware of the benefits their school has. Most drop out today were not enrolled in any extracurricular activities, thus not having a reason to continue high school. Some possible outlets to prevent students from dropping out are:Participating in athleticsBecome part of a social group in school for example, UIL,

dance, or robotics.Find a mentorHelp the community by doing community service.

PREVENTIONEngage and Partner with ParentsParent involvement declines as students get older and become more independent.Pay Attention to Warning SignsIndicators among eighth graders were a failing final grade in English or math and being absent for more than 20 percent of school days. Among ninth graders, poor attendance, earning fewer than two credits during 9th grade, and/or not being promoted to 10th grade on time were all factors that put students at significantly higher risk of not graduating,

WORKS CITEDSchargel, Franklin. “The Real Reasons Children Dropout of School.”

Huffpost, 14 October 2013.Levin M. Henry, Rouse E. Cecilia. “The True Cost of High School Dropouts.”

NY Times, 25 January 2010