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Dropout Prevention

A Strategic Approach
A Graduate Course

Course Description
 The dropout rate for public schools is often used as an indicator of the success or failure of public educators. One circumstance that reinforces this source of criticism is that no indisputable theory or explanation is accessible to understand the problem of school dropouts. For example, few critics are aware the dropout rates quoted differ significantly over time. It is important for teachers and administrators to know how dropout rates are calculated to confront unmerited criticism. Presently there are three types of dropout rates reported:
  • Event dropout rates measure the proportion of students who drop out in a single year without completing high school;
  • Status dropout rates measure the proportion of the population that has not completed high school and is not enrolled at one point in time, regardless of when they dropped out; and
  • Cohort dropout rates measure what happens to a single group (or cohort) of students over a period of time.

Each type results in different dropout statistics. For example:

  • Event Rate grades 10-12 4.4 percent
  • Status Rate ages 16-24 11.1 percent
  • Cohort Rate grades 8-12 ranges between 6.8 percent grades 8-10 and 9 percent for grades 10 and 12

Though the rates compiled by each type of dropout rate appear low, the actual numbers are substantial. For example, the status dropout rate represents approximately 3.4 million students. In a society embracing technology, rapid change, and increasing complexity, the accumulation of school dropouts is a problem that must be resolved. Although no theory is in place to explain why a student drops out, there is abundant information about who drops out. We know, for example, dropout rates are related to a variety of individual and family demographics and socioeconomic characteristics. We know rates are higher for minority students and for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Dropout rates are higher for blacks and Hispanics than for whites. Rates for males and females are similar. Dropout rates are higher for students from low socioeconomics backgrounds, single-parent families, and non-English speaking family backgrounds. Students whose parents or siblings were dropouts are themselves more likely to dropout. Students who marry and have children before graduation from high school are at risk for dropping out.

Discrete facts and information are useful, but an explanation that relates what we know into a workable approach to diminish the dropout rates is needed and meeting that need is the purpose of this course. The explanation systematically presented during the ten modules is based on both current research (Preuss, 2003; Clapper, Leha, Thurlow, 2005; Wayman, 2002; Lawrence, Joydeep, 2006; Cassel, 2003; Klein, 2003) and historical research (Cloward, Ohlin, 1978; Elliot, Voss, 1974; Merton, 1938; Rogers, 1961). Participants will develop and apply an explanation of school dropouts to both problems and program construction. Participants will exit this course with a “back home” strategy to implement a dropout prevention approach based on the explanation. Participants will achieve the following objectives:

Objectives
Participants will:
  • Review three methods for calculating dropout rates
  • Review research bullets related to school dropouts and determine if the method of calculating dropout influences the research on dropouts
  • Be able to answer “Who is a dropout” and why dropping out is a national problem
  • Identify antecedents to end behaviors associated with dropping out
  • Develop generalizations from both current and historical research, and be introduced to the concept of theory
  • Initiate developing an explanation of school dropout, and delineate cause and effect among derived generalizations
  • Define end behavior, antecedent, ripple effect and cause
  • Develop criteria for identifying potential dropouts
  • Determine school’s role in students dropping out
  • Assess existing dropout prevention programs using the “explanation”
  • Identify and relate a pedagogy and curriculum to accommodate dropouts
  • Develop and present a dropout prevention strategy based on the “explanation”

Curriculum Design
The pedagogical emphasis is to translate research on school dropouts to prevention strategies teachers may implement in their classrooms. Most activities are experimental in design.  The primary teaching tool is the student manual which contains readings, problems, case studies, glossary, important sources to obtain current information, and samples of the mid-term and final exam. This course is a forty-five hour three credit graduate level course taught in the classroom.

Course Materials
The required text for this course is, Strategies to Help Solve Our School Dropout Problem, by Franklin P. Schargel and Jay Smink. In addition, participants will be provided a student guide.

Session Outline
Module 1: Identifying and Documenting School Dropouts
Contents:

  1. Introductions
  2. Dropout Overview
  3. Defining who is a dropout
  4. Use three methods for calculating school dropouts
  5. Why dropout is a national problem
  6. Essential terms related to dropout
  7. No theory to explain dropping out as a primary source of criticism
  8. Grading, long-term assignments, and assignments
Module 2: Review of Related Research
Contents:
  1. Review current research on school dropouts
  2. Review historical research on school dropouts
  3. Derived generalizations from current and historical research
  4. String together the generalization
  5. Review the concept of theory
  6. Assignments

Module 3: Initiate an Explanation of School Dropout
Contents:
  1. Define theory
  2. Review what dropouts say about dropping out
  3. Relate and compare student explanation with generalizations
  4. What determines how a student will experience school
  5. The relationship between cause and effect
  6. Expand the Evolving Explanation of School Dropout
  7. Assignments

Module 4: Introduce and Define: End behavior, Antecedent, Ripple Effect, and Cause
Contents:
  1. Relationships among major ideas (Continuation of Session Three Objectives)
  2. Revisit research
  3. Connecting end behaviors and ripple effect
  4. Antecedents to cause
  5. Propensity to experience school
  6. Assignments

Module 5: Identifying the Potential Dropout
Contents:
  1. Dyads sharing
  2. Delineate a dropout profile
  3. Relate the explanation to identification
  4. Use of surveys, questionairs, and interviews based on the explanation
  5. Dialogue
  6. School transition
  7. Testing
  8. Mid-Term
  9. Assignments
Module 6: Examine the Role of the School in Dropouts
Contents:
  1. Identifying school cultures
  2. Indentify a rejection/acceptance continuum
  3. Assimilate peer relations into the explanation
  4. Four reasons for dropping out as related to in the explanation
  5. The means/aspirations connection
  6. Critical point analysis
  7. Grade retention
  8. Assignments
Module 7: Program/Interventions Overview
Contents:
  1. Review dropout prevention programs
  2. Assess dropout prevention programs using the explanation
  3. Attribution and internal/external blame
  4. Self-Esteem issues
  5. Program/Intervention assessment checklist
  6. Inventory of program/interventions by title and area
  7. Assignments
Module 8: Implementation Action Plan
Contents:
  1. Outline a pedagogy to accommodate dropouts
  2. Embedded lessons
  3. Instructional system components
  4. Critical point experience
  5. The social context
  6. Assignments
Module 9: The Explanation
Contents:
  1. Identify the functional relationships of components used in explaining school dropout
  2. Compare the "explanation" to the status of a theory
  3. Use the explanation to construct a dropout prevention strategy
  4. Assignments
Module 10: Model Uses-Implementation
Contents:
  1. Present participant dropout prevention strategies
  2. Review uses of the explanation to explain dropout
  3. Develop a "back home" strategy
  4. Course Evaluation
  5. Final Exam
Grading
  Assignment Points   Grading Scale  
  Attendance and Classroom Participation 10      100 – 93 A
  Eight Session Reflection Assignments (5 points per reflection) 40       92 – 85 B
Dropout prevention strategy 35     84 – 77 C
  Mid-Term 5      
  Final Exam 10    
  Total Points 100    

Student Requirements
1. Attend all class sessions for the requisite number of hours (45) and actively participate in all class activities.
2. Complete all reflection assignments. 
3. Complete the dropout prevention strategy
4. Pass a mid-term and final exam.

Student Academic Integrity
Participants guarantee that all academic class work is original. Any academic dishonesty or plagiarism (to take ideas, writings, etc. from another and offer them as one's own), is a violation of student academic behavior standards as outlined by our partnering colleges and universities and is subject to academic disciplinary action.

Register
To register to take TEI's Dropout Prevention classroom graduate course, go to the Course Registration page.

 

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