High School Dropouts Outline

Thesis Statement: More and more students drop out each year. Those who dropped out have various reasons. The alarming rates of drop outs have led them to a bleak future wherein such incident requires the attention and immediate action of various school authorities.

a. Major factors for leaving school
• Was not motivated or inspired
• Classes were not interesting
• Missed too many days and could not catch up
• Spent time with people who were not interested in school
• Had too much freedom and not enough rules in life
• Was Failing in School

b. Characteristics of students who dropped out
• Socio-economic background
• Disabilities
• Race-ethnicities
• Academic factors
• Absenteeism
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One way to prevent dropout is for school to grant students with superior quality school experiences to tackle on with the primary forerunners to dropout, low achievement, retention in grade, dislike of school and other various associated outcomes (Fashola and Slavin, 1998). Enhancing the performance of students is without a doubt a value in its own right. However, increasing school success is significant as a prevention strategy for dropout. Maximizing the quality and value of the high school curriculum is another obvious mechanism. Secondary whole-school reforms intended to improve the achievement and social development of adolescents would be expected to affect dropout rates as well. Middle transition also contributes to the problem of dropout. This call for school administrators especially teachers to be made aware on the importance of middle school transition which is carried out through participation and cooperation in various transition programs to students (Mizelle, 1999). Additionally, the National Dropout Prevention Center has classified effective strategies that will help lessen the rate on dropouts (www.dropoutprevention.org). The preventions strategies are as follows:
• Systemic renewal
• Professional development
• Early childhood education
• Alternative schooling
• Instructional technologies
• Service learning
• Conflict resolution
• Out-of-school experiences
• Community collaboration
• Family involvement
• Reading and writing programs
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