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How to Curtail School Dropouts

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, the high school dropout rate declined from 16 percent to 8 percent between 1972 and 2009. This drop by no means indicates that a kid's choosing to drop out of high school isn't a problem, so much so that President Obama has made it part of his strategy to budget money to troubled schools in an effort to keep kids from dropping out. As a parent or teacher, there are things you may be able to do to help encourage children to finish high school.

Instructions

    • 1

      Identify reasons children drop out of school. It isn't always because they are lazy and don't want to work. Identifying an underlying issue may give you better insight into keeping a child in school. Some of the reasons for dropping out include difficulty grasping educational concepts, or being bullied. Transitioning to a new school might be an issue. Pregnancy or family problems could factor into a child's decision to drop out. If you feel your child is thinking of dropping out of school, identify the underlying issue.

    • 2

      Encourage your children to stay in high school with rewards. Be careful to stress that a reward should not be the motivation for staying in school. Point to the difficulty of getting a good job as a primary reason to finish high school. Make a list of the pros and cons of dropping out of school. Do this with your child and discuss each point. If there is an outside factor affecting your child, focus on ways to alleviate or fix the issue.

    • 3

      Visit your child's high school and speak with teachers. Request the school's help. Speak to a school counselor and share any information with the counselor or your child's teachers that you learned from your child. Working with the school to alleviate potential issues with your child may help change your child's decision to drop out.

    • 4

      Encourage your child to participate in programs at school that are interesting. Become a part of your child's life at school, whether it is helping with homework, getting involved in outside school programs with your child or volunteering at the school. The more active you are in your child's educational process, the more likely it is your child will look at school in a positive light.

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