Grade Level Attainment Among Migrant Farm Workers in South Texas

Abstract

An investigation into the extent and causes of dropping out of school among Mexican-American migrant farm workers in south Texas was conducted. The correlations between the criterion of highest grade level attained and academic performance, attendance, liking of various aspects of school, attitudes about the importance of school, participation in school activities, family and peer pressures, family problems, migration patterns, and demographic factors were examined. Data from school records and responses to a questionnaire were obtained from a sample of 120 migrant students in three small school districts in the Coastal Bend region of Texas. Analysis of the information revealed that 76% of the sample failed to complete high school. While a number of variables were found to be significantly correlated with staying in school, a multiple regression analysis suggested that only five factors had a direct relationship. Students who were involved in school groups, who attended extracurricular events, who had low absenteeism, whose migratory trips were of short duration, and who did not feel poorer than other students were likely to stay in school longer than other migrant students. These five variables had a multiple correlation of R = .69 with grade level attainment. It was suggested that intervention strategies might focus on increasing the involvement of the migrant student in school activities, perhaps through paying them for participation.