Fixing the Dropout Problem

The high school dropout rate has soared in the last few years. Only 60% of high school students even graduate high school. Legally, a child cannot drop out until he or she is 16 years old. Many states are fighting to raise this age, hoping that perhaps this would decrease the dropout rate even more. Research shows that this can be helped, but the time to intervene is in early elementary school- not once the child has reached high school. Most students interviewed about dropping out admit that it was not that they could not do the work- the classes were just too boring for them. With this being established as the most common problem, it is evident that it is very easy to fix. Requirements for a diploma are the same, regardless of where the information is learned in a classroom or not. Many other things also contribute to the dropout rate- many students drop out due to pregnancy, family issues, dating trouble, or even academic trouble. Whatever the solution may be, it needs to be tailored to each child because each child operates in a different way. Placing better teachers into schools is a very simple fix to the problem. Curriculum can be very boring, but with the right teacher, a child has the ability to learn things that he or she never would have found interesting before. Teachers really make all the difference in the world when it comes to school. Students are more motivated to go to school and pay attention in class when they like their teacher, more likely to obey and follow the rules, and even more likely to stay in school and go to college. Having students feel as though they are a part of the community is another thing that is being tried to help with the dropout rate. Some researchers think that if children feel like they are a part of things, they are less likely to drop out. One of the most important things a school system can do is set up an early warning system; those students who are frequently absent, behavior problems and grade retention are those that are likely to drop out later, and assigning an adult to help these children should help them greatly. Ultimately, high school dropouts have already unconsciously decided they want to drop out when they are very young. Great teachers and heavy encouragement are two of the most important things to help lower the dropout rate around the country.