Why are so many high school students dropping out before graduation - Essay Example

The organization aims at encouraging teenagers to explore their potential, through weekly national campaigns, to bring about social change (“11 Facts About Dropping Out”). In this competitive age spurred by globalization, there is a need to remain relevant. This implies that countries need to ensure they produce competent and productive workers for economic development thus moderated costs of health care and other social services (Monrad). According to Rumberger and Lim, causes of high school dropouts are categorized into individual and institutional perspectives; therefore, the student’s mindset and conduct are among what individual perspective highlights.

These factors relate to the individual, and others include school performance, disengagement, and recurrent residential and school mobility. Dropping out of school is viewed as a process instigated by detachment from school. This implies that the student slowly gets swayed away from the idea of school because of reasons such as undertaking adult duties that consist of taking care of siblings, having to get a job that involves long hours and becoming a parent early. The background of the student is the core foundation of the risk factors identified in the institutional perspectives; moreover, background refers to the environment surrounding a student, and it comprises socioeconomic status, dependable figures in his/her life that is single or step parent and the situation at school.

The nature of family a student is raised in is quite crucial and entails the structure i.e. who the breadwinner is practices i.e. values and norms, and resources (Rumberger and Lim). The situation at school entails the behavior and attitudes of teachers i.e. do they interact well with the students, nature of administration i.e. rules and regulations, school structure and resources available to students. Rules and regulations that bring about dropouts include Grade Point Average (GPA) minimums, zero-tolerance