Discuss why youth drop out of school. Would you agree or disagree with the authors' reasons? Explain

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

• When surveyed, most dropouts say they left either because they did not like school or because they wanted to get a job.
• Other risk factors include low academic achievement, poor problem-solving ability, low self-esteem, difficulty getting along with teachers, dissatisfaction with school, substance abuse, and being too old for their grade level.
• Some dropouts could not get along with teachers, had been expelled, or were under suspension. Almost half of all female dropouts left school because they were pregnant or had already given birth.
• Poverty and family dysfunction increase the chances of dropping out among all racial and ethnic groups. Dropouts are more likely than graduates to have lived in single-parent families headed by parents who were educational underachievers themselves.
• Wealthier kids residing with high-income parents have a much greater chance of completing high school than their indigent peers.
• Each year, students living in low-income families are more than 4 times more likely to drop out than their peers from high-income families.
• Some youths have no choice but to drop out. They are pushed out of school because they lack attention or have poor attendance records.
• Teachers label them troublemakers, and school administrators use suspensions, transfers, and other means to "convince" them that leaving school is their only option.
• Because minority students often come from circumstances that interfere with their attendance, they are more likely to be labeled "disobedient.". Race-based disciplinary practices may help sustain high minority dropout rates.
• Student answers will vary.