Researchers found that there are multiple reasons that students drop out, and, typically, it is not just one reason. Contrary to some beliefs, it’s not that school is boring or that they are not motivated. The “cluster of factors” includes the following:
- Growing up in “toxic environments” with unstable families
- Living in violent neighborhoods
- Attending unsafe schools
- Being the caregivers for parents, siblings, or their own children
- Being homeless
- Being victims of abuse
The report’s authors urge that the significant adults in a student’s life can turn things around or decrease the chances that a student will drop out of high school. They specifically recommend the following actions:
- Listen to young people. Take time to understand their struggles and circumstances when figuring out how to respond.
- Surround the highest-need young people with extra supports. Early-warning systems can pinpoint problems based on attendance, grades, or behavior.
- Encourage leaders from faith-based organizations, schools, and the broader community to help students stay in school.
- Use proven and promising, evidence-based approaches to drop-out prevention, such as ones that look at the holistic needs of students. (The report contains a list of examples, such as Youth Opportunity Baltimore and Youth Build Providence.)
- Give young people a central role in designing programs and coming up with solutions to staying in school.
