Why is our high school graduation rate so low? Why do nearly three out of 10 college students need remedial classes? These are complex questions, but one way to get at the answers is to ask young people themselves.
A recent survey, The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives on High School Dropouts, asked 16- to 25-year-olds why they left high school before graduating. Whether they had gone to an inner-city or suburban school, the former students had some common reasons for dropping out.
The most common explanation? They were bored.
Forty-one percent of dropouts polled said a major reason they quit school was that their classes weren't interesting. Even those who said they earned good grades and wanted to work hard found school too boring to continue.
Other reasons for leaving school included:
- Almost half the students said they didn't feel their early schooling prepared them for high school, and more than a third said failing their classes was a major reason for leaving
- More than four in 10 said they had missed too many days of class and couldn't catch up
- Between a quarter and a third said they left school for a personal reason, such as having a baby, caring for a relative, or needing to make money right away
According to a 2006 study, more kids drop out of high school because they’re bored than because of major life changes.
Adding to the reasons for dropping out was the students’ feelings that they had no connection to their schools or the adults in them. Two-thirds said they knew a teacher or a staff member who cared about their success, but only about half said they knew someone they could contact if they were having a problem in school. Just 40 percent said they had someone to talk to about personal problems.
Next: The Solution: Quality Schools, High Expectations, and Strong Support