According to the National Center for Education Statistics 2009 report on the condition of education, the most recent statistics estimate 8.7 percent of students drop out of school before finishing their high school education. Although this number is lower than past years, efforts must still be made to ensure that all students have the necessary support and resources to make it through to graduation.
Step 1
Reach out to at-risk student populations. According to the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences, school dropout rates can be as much as 28 percent in certain populations groups within American high schools. According to the institute, these populations tend to include racial and ethnic minorities, students in high poverty families, students who are low educational achievers, and those whose language is not the primary language spoken at their school. Dropout rates may be lowered provided there are programs that are specifically targeted at these population groups.
Step 2
Provide a more personal learning environment. Dropout rates may also be reduced by providing a classroom environment with more personal attention to each student. This may be achieved by lowering classroom sizes or providing more accessible one-on-one opportunities for students to receive educational attention from teachers.
Step 3
Combine education with occupational programs. According to the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition, providing programs in which students can experience both classroom and vocational work-related training can also help lower dropout rates. These programs provide students with the opportunity to learn hands-on skills that will help foster and further their career goals once they graduate from high school. Vocational programs allow students to see how their education helps further their future.
Step 4
Provide helping tools for academic success. Another way to help reduce student dropout rates is to provide tools to help academically struggling students succeed. When a student falls behind in the classroom, it can sometimes be difficult for teachers to stop and help specific students keep up with the rest of the class. Providing programs, such as after-school tutoring, can help students keep up with their classmates and more easily pass class subjects that may be difficult for them. This is especially important for higher-need students, such as those with learning disabilities.
Step 5
Expand help into personal and family struggles. Programs must also be put in place to help address non-academic struggles that may be secondary causes to problems with school. These programs can include ways to address health issues, psychological issues and family issues that may contribute to the need or desire to drop out of school.
