In the United States, high school students are expected to graduate, prepare for the workforce, decide on education or the military, in some cases both, and then be productive members of society who vote, pay taxes, and abide by the law.
Approximately 25% of American students don’t finish high school on time. The dropout rate is much higher than the national average for teens in low-income or urban communities.
At Elevate New England, we believe all children deserve the tools to succeed. Preventing students from dropping out requires understanding why they leave school and implementing comprehensive, long-term approaches that address their needs.
Understanding the Dropout Crisis
One of the more staggering stats suggests that more than two million children leave school without a diploma every year. In 2022, the dropout rate decreased from 7.0% in 2012 to 5.3%,
Studies show that high school graduates are healthier and more successful than those without one. Those with a high school diploma also have better employment opportunities, higher earning potential, and a longer life expectancy.
The first step to preventing at-risk youth from dropping out is understanding why they feel compelled to leave.
Key Factors Contributing to Dropping Out
Family Issues & Responsibilities
Family problems and responsibilities can contribute to students dropping out. Issues can include emotional distress or lack of proper support.
Stress at home or traumatic events such as the death of a family member or domestic violence at home can lead a child to become unfocused in school and drop out.
Lack of support at home or negative attitudes towards education by parents impacts dropout rates among high schoolers. Successful students must feel support at home and school to remain engaged and healthy.
Substance Abuse Problems
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), around 31% of students who leave school were using illicit substances, while only around 18% of those still in school engaged in the same behavior.
Addressing substance abuse through education and support can help keep students in school.
Financial Troubles
Children from low-income families are likelier to drop out of school than those from higher-income families.
Financial struggles within a family sometimes put a child in a position of having to leave school to support their family.
Mental Health Issues
Untreated mental health issues can hinder a student’s ability to graduate high school. Some estimates suggest that 20% of children don’t complete school because of early on-onset psychiatric disorders, most commonly mood disorders.
Poor mental health can affect a child’s energy, concentration, dependability, and optimism, which are all barriers to success. Anxiety is sometimes a key risk factor because it leads to poor school attention, contributing to dropping out.
Social Issues
Social issues impact students in a few ways, including family and social dynamics, peer pressure, and poverty.
Associating with anti-social peers, negative peer pressure, and bullying harm a young person’s well-being and can up the odds of a student leaving school.
Some signs of social stress include decreased self-confidence and self-worth and distancing themselves from family members and friends.
Students who attend schools with inadequate infrastructure, poorly trained educators, and lack of resources may lose motivation or interest, which causes disengagement and dropping out of school.
Academic Challenges
The curriculum demands of high school and the pressure to perform can overwhelm a student. Failure to meet those goals can lead to discouragement and leaving school.
In some cases, a learning disability may explain why a student has difficulty grasping specific concepts or maintaining good grades. One of the many reasons parent and teacher involvement is vital to a young person’s staying in school is to identify and address learning difficulties early.
The Impact of Dropping Out
Dropping out of school has long-term adverse effects on the student, their present and future family, the economy, community, and even politics.
Children who drop out of school are more likely to be unemployed and earn $200,000 less than high school graduates in their lifetime. In some cases, withdrawing from school without a diploma leads to extreme poverty and even incarceration.
Receiving less of an education is associated with poor physical and mental health, including being overweight, sedentary, stressed, and anxious.
The economy is even affected by a student dropping out of school. It’s estimated it costs the economy around $250,000 over their lifetime due to lower tax contributions, welfare, and Medicaid.
Strategies for Dropout Prevention
Early Intervention Programs
Dropout prevention programs, or high school completion programs, give at-risk students additional support to decrease the risk of dropping out.
Early intervention programs include mentoring, counseling, vocational skills training, social-emotional education, college prep, and supplemental academic services.
Importance of Supportive Relationships
Parental involvement in education benefits the child, teachers, and their family. Students with involved and engaged families are more likely to graduate, get higher grades, and attend school more.
Regardless of age, a supportive teacher-student relationship makes a life-long impact on a child. Positive relationships built on mutual respect encourage and motivate students to learn and grow.
Engaging Curriculum and Extracurricular Activities
Student engagement refers to the level of interest, curiosity, attention, and motivation a student shows while learning.
An exciting curriculum and extracurricular activities, such as music, clubs, and sports, keep students interested and motivated at school.
Extracurricular activities are especially important because they often reinforce lessons learned in the classroom, allowing students to apply academic skills in the real world.
Successful participation at school helps with attendance, academic achievement, and aspirations to continue education after graduation.
Elevate New England’s Approach to Dropout Prevention
At Elevate New England, we’ve witnessed firsthand the benefits of one-on-one support and social-emotional learning. Our accredited classes in leadership skills and social-emotional learning are integral to our students’ success. Our dedicated, salaried teacher-mentors are available 24/7, building long-term, life-changing relationships with at-risk youth.
Family Issues & Responsibilities
- We have a dedicated Family Pathways Coordinator
- We have Teacher Mentors who can speak directly to parents in Spanish, Khmer and Haitian Creole
- We can connect families with different resources and coach students on how to understand and connect with their parents
- Home visits, family events and teen parenting workshops
Substance Abuse Problems
- Aware of all the resources
- We have a dedicated school counselor (in house) that can provide additional support
Financial Troubles
- Connect students to additional resources, have dropped off pantry boxes directly to students
- Support in finding part time jobs – from application to interview and even transportation to the job
- To and through the job application process
Mental Health Issues
- We have a dedicated school counselor that can provide additional support
- Provide social emotional learning education in the classroom with active role playing on how to communicate and support one another
Social Issues
- Have a dedicated school counselor that can provide additional support
- Provide social emotional learning education in the classroom with active role playing on how to communicate and support one another
- Have mediated situations between students
- Provide a safe space/listening
Join Us in Making a Difference
Your gift helps at-risk teens stay in school today and flourish tomorrow. Together, we can build resilient, connected communities where every young person is equipped to excel and make a lasting positive impact.