NCJ Number
123261
Date Published
1986
Length
42 pages
Annotation
Findings from recent literature covering empirical research, opinions of experts, and program descriptions form the basis of this analysis of the sources of the problem of dropping out of high school, methods for addressing the problem, and current programs.
Abstract
Although far more students graduate from high school than in 1930, the overall dropout rate has remained at about 25 percent since 1965. Males, Native Americans, poor academic performers, and youths of lower socioeconomic status are more likely than others to drop out of school. The consequences include lower income or unemployability for the dropout and the societal costs of lost tax revenues, welfare and unemployment insurance, and criminal justice expenditures. School dropout programs include programs to prevent students from dropping out of school and programs to encourage the employment prospects or further education of dropouts. Some programs are provided by schools; others, by community agencies. Effective dropout prevention programs have small class sizes, committed teachers, an individualized nontraditional curriculum, experiential education or work experience, and a positive family atmosphere. Despite the many programs, the continuing high dropout rate suggests that the most effective combination of interventions is not yet known. 88 references.