Rural Students at Risk in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas
Why Students Drop Out: Perceptions of Educators, Parents, and Students
The factors discussed above are characteristics associated with students who are at higher risk of dropping out or of being ill-prepared for adult life. They are correlated with students being at greater risk. However, none of these factors should be considered "causes" of dropping out. Indeed, more students characterized by any one category discussed above complete school successfully than those who do not. To better understand the reasons for students dropping out, it is necessary to investigate other data.
Research efforts investigating why students do not graduate from high school have typically taken the form of surveys or interviews where participants are asked for explanations or perceptions. The High School and Beyond Survey and the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth suggest the major reasons students report for dropping out. These include the following responses:
- They did not like school.
- They had poor grades.
- They either were already working, were offered a job, or decided to seek
employment.
- They were getting married.
- They could not get along with teachers or other school personnel.
- They had to help support their families.
- They had other home responsibilities.
- They were pregnant.
- They were expelled or suspended.
According to Roderick (1993), the most common reasons for dropping out, cited by both young men and women, include not liking school and poor school performance. Males appear to be more likely than females to drop out of school because of conflicts with school personnel, expulsion/suspensions, and/or financial/home responsibilities. Females more frequently cite pregnancy (for obvious reasons) and marriage than their male counterparts.
Similar studies targeting the perceptions of rural educators and parents suggest that rural students are placed at risk by certain unique characteristics of the rural environment that may not be captured by broad-based school or demographic data. Although conclusive data are not available, two themes emerged from the literature reviewed: first, virtually all students in an isolated community may be at higher risk of not achieving their potential, and second, low self-esteem and lowered aspirations may be more pervasive among rural students (Bull et al., 1992; Helge, 1990; DeYoung, 1989; Elliot, 1988).
After interviewing teachers and principals in rural districts, Elliot (1988) concluded that students in isolated communities are at increased risk of not achieving their potential because of factors such as limited access to student services and programs, a lack of cultural amenities, lack of cultural diversity, student fears of the unknown, and lowered career aspirations and expectations because of lack of role models or knowledge of options. Low self-esteem among rural students was identified as an issue requiring priority attention in three survey studies of the perceptions of rural educators and parents (Bull et al., 1992; Helge, 1990; Bull et al., 1990).
