High School dropouts?

Question

What should be done to reduce the number of high school drop outs?

Answer 1

I think as the guy above me stated, that the parent/caregiver(s) play a major role in things. Not even so much as broken families, because I have seen some broken families that operate much better than the ones that stay together.

We are a bit strict on our guidelines, but as long as our children try; that's all we ask for. My son is in 2nd grade this year, but last year he was reading at a high 3rd grade level and doing math at about the same rate as a 2nd grader in the middle of the year. (tests)

My parents did not give a rip snortin crap about what happened, and my siblings both ended up dropping out of school. My bro got his GED, but my sister is still talking about getting hers and she is in her mid 20's. My point is that atmosphere, discipline, and other factors play into whether a youth will drop out of school or not. The more support (don't read pressure here) and participation the caregiver offers, the better student they will be.
If no caregiver is around, anyone willing to lend some sort of support shows them that someone actually cares about their future.

Answer 2

What the first gentleman says is true. Children of single parent households account for over 80% of dropouts, regardless of economic level. I do think that high schools stressing only going to college is a contributing factor. Ones who simply do not think, or cannot make the grade to go to college, become frustrated and leave. Blue collar fields, such as electricians, have starting incomes $10,000 higher after just six months of training, than a person who has a four year Master's Degree in Business. And, by the time the person graduates from college, the electrician will have had four raises, with choice of jobs all over the country.

I think that counselors could be putting a better spin on blue collar fields that would encourage many of these students to remain in school.

Answer 3

A complete overhaul in the system needs made. From parents being more involved, early learning reading programs being implemented in 2 or 3rd grades to half day work/half day school mandatory before you can drop out for at least 4 months. Show what the real world is like before they make a decision that will affect the rest of their lives. Or how about senior citizens working with youth that are having academic problems so that they both are engaged in meaningful activities and maybe learn to respect their elders and vice versa.

Answer 4

I'm not an expert on education, but it seems to me that many high school dropouts (and correct me if I'm wrong, somebody) tend to come from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Maybe they have no desire or hope of entering into college, and see no value of staying in school. Perhaps their parents don't have a college education, and this influences the kids. I think it would be cool if the teachers or administrators brought in professionals of all kinds to talk about their jobs and what kinds of education they needed to get their. Don't just bring in the extravagant, glamorous jobs either (eg - doctors, lawyers, etc.). Bring in professionals that perhaps the students can relate to. Bring in a person who owns their own auto body shop or perhaps police or firefighters, and have them talk about what their degrees did for them. Maybe even consider bringing in local military recruiters (with stipulations on how much they can pitch the service) and have them talk about educational opportunities existing in the military for people who at least have a H.S. diploma. Anything to give the kids a context for how an education will effect them directly. Just some thoughts.

Answer 5

I think it has alot to do with broken families. So many people are getting divorced nowadays, which I think has alot to do with kids dropping out. So to help reduce the number of drop outs try this. When you get married and plan on having kids, make sure you do it for the long run.

Answer 6

Not a lot can be done to reduce the drop out rate. When a kid reaches a certain age, they pretty much decide for themselves whether or not they want to be in school. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. Same way with a kid, if they don't want to learn then it is impossible to keep them.

Answer 7

Get the Parents more involved.

Answer 8

make available an alternative way of learning or getting skills for after HS.

Answer 9

getting the parents more involved is the most important thing