This document discusses strategies for preventing high school dropouts. It notes that almost half of all public high school students and Black, Hispanic, and Native American students do not graduate with their class. The top reasons for dropping out are lack of interest in classes, not feeling challenged, and personal reasons like parenting or work responsibilities. Warning signs include poor attendance, grades, and behavior starting in elementary school. To address the problem, the document recommends increasing engagement, implementing early warning systems, improving instruction, and changing policies at the school, state, and national levels.

1. Dropouts and Prevention
Strategies
Holly Baldwin
EDU 355

2. The Problem
• Every year almost one half of
all public high school students
do not graduate with their
class.
• Almost one half of all Blacks,
Hispanics, and Native
Americans do not graduate
with their class.

3. The Reason
• The number one reason why
students drop our of classes is
because they are not
interesting.
• Nearly 69% of previous
dropouts say that they were
not challenged enough.
• Some students had personal
reasons like becoming a parent
or having to work for the
family.
• Many others could not catch
up because they missed so
much school.

4. The Warning Signs
• For most students, dropping • Not going to school
out is not a spur of the • Skipping class
moment decision. • Taking very long lunch breaks
• Most students have been • Low grades
planning it for a long time. • Behavioral problems
• There are signs that can be • Lack of involvement in school
visible as early as elementary activities
school indicating that a
• Those who have been held
particular student is more
back a year
likely to drop out.
• Transfer students or those who
have trouble transitioning in
9th grade

5. Why We Care
• High school dropouts lessen our productive workers
in the community and decrease potential revenues
that could have been generated.
• Every student that drops out and falls into a life of
crime can cause a lifetime cost for a nation of up to
2.3 million dollars.
• Dropouts are more likely to live in poverty, be
unhealthy, receive public assistance, have children
that drop out, fall into a life of crime, or become
unemployed.

6. Bet you didn’t know that…
• 70% of dropouts believe they
could have graduated if they
had tried.
• 88% of them had passing
grades, with 62% having “C’s”
and above.
• 58% dropped out with less
than two years of school left.
• 81% recognized that
graduating from high school
was vital to their success.

7. What Can We Do in the Schools and
Communities?
• Include more real-world
instruction to make class more
relevant.
• Have smaller schools with
individual instruction.
• Offer different schools for
different people.
• Increase parent engagement
with the students and the
school.
• Develop early warning systems
to catch “at risk” students and
get them on the right path by
providing mentors or
increasing motivation.

8. What Can We Do in the States?
• Increase compulsory school
age requirements to 18 so that
students under that age cannot
drop out without special
permission.
• Develop a method to get
accurate data for the states.
• Find a way to track students
after graduation to obtain
more statistics.

9. What Can We Do in the Nation?
• Obtain accurate data at the
federal level.
• Create better incentives for
increased graduation rates.
• Increase research.

10. Conclusions
• The high school drop out problem is becoming
urgent and needs to be addressed for many
reasons.
• The students are very capable of graduating and
many of the reasons for leaving school can be
easily fixed.
• With changes at the community level, the state
level, and the federal level, we can increase the
number of high school graduates each year.

11. Bibliography
• Bridgeland, John M., John J. DiIulio, and Karen
B. Morison. "The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives
of High School Dropouts." Ignitelearning. Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mar. 2006.
Web. 26 Jan. 2012.
<http://www.ignitelearning.com/pdf/TheSilent
Epidemic3-06FINAL.pdf>.