Relationship between High School Drop Out Rate and Family Income - Essay Example

Youngsters, who have not been able to procure appropriate formal education, are posing a threat to their nation. Research has shown that, these children are more likely to get into dangerous criminal activities either due to want of money or by peer group effect. There is also danger of drugs, alcohol, smoking and teenage pregnancy. Hence it is important to know why these children drop out of school and what you can do to help them successfully complete their graduation and a lead a happy life.

A study by the U.S. Department of Commerce has revealed that this dropout rate is related to race, sex, region of residence, age and family income (NCES1 1972-2001). Other factors include health and disability, peer group effect, family disputes, parental awareness, real life events, academic challenges, lack of motivation and boring teaching (The silent killer). In our discussion, we shall concentrate on the relationship of high school dropout rate and low family income, because, of all the factors, which influence high school drop out rate, family income is the most vulnerable.

According to the Current Population Survey (CPS), Oct 2004, ‘High School Dropout’ is defined as the proportion of young people, aged 16 through 24, who are out of school and who have not earned a high school credential (NCES 2004). However, the California Basic Educational Data System, 2006, defines ‘High School Dropout’ rate as estimated percentage of public high school students who drop out of high school, based on the four-year derived dropout rate, which is an estimate of the percentage of students who would drop out in a four-year period based on data collected for a single year (CBEDS2, 2006).

According to the CPS, the school dropout rate for the year 2003-2004 was about 5 per 100 students enrolled. Also, the previous years’ statistics prompted there has been a decline in the high school dropout rates from the year 1972 through 1990 but after that there