Students at Risk for School Dropout: Supporting Their Persistence

Abstract

A critical need exists for research on high school dropout that goes beyond individual student characteristics to include the influence of school factors on students' educational decisions. In this article, the author summarizes the findings of a qualitative case study of a group of high school students at risk for dropping out but still attending school. Analysis focused on understanding the students' persistence within the context of their school. Four factors emerged as critical to supporting student persistence: (a) listening to students, (b) communicating caring, (c) the school's role in dropout prevention, and (d) students' role in dropout prevention.

Keywords:

• dropout
• high school
• intervention
• motivation