DROPOUT AWARENESS
Dropout Rates
More than half of parents say that they personally know high school drop outs- usually family members or friends.
Q. Do you know any high school dropouts (select all that apply)?
Dropout Relationships by Region
Parents in the South are most likely to know a dropout and to cite family members and their own children as dropouts. Parents in the West are least likely to know a drop out.
Q. Do you know any high school dropouts (select all that apply)?
Dropout Relationships by Household Income
Likelihood of knowing high school dropouts decreases as household income increases.
Q. Do you know any high school dropouts (select all that apply)?
Dropout Relationships by Race/Ethnicity
Hispanic parents are the most likely to know someone who is a high school dropout, but Black parents are more likely to have a friend or family member who dropped out.
Q. Do you know any high school dropouts (select all that apply)?
Estimation of National Dropout Rate
Parents estimate the national dropout rate to be significantly higher than it actually is.
Q. What do you think the high school dropout rate is nationally?
Dropout Estimation by Region, Household Income & Race/Ethnicity
The national dropout rate estimates of parents are similar across all regions of the US, but parents in lower income households estimate a higher national dropout rate than those from higher income households. Estimates by Hispanic parents are significantly higher than estimates from White parents.
Q. What do you think the high school dropout rate is nationally?
School Comparison
Most parents think their local high school dropout rates are about the same or slightly better than the national average.
Q. In your estimation, are the dropout rates and quality of education in your area better or worse than average nationally?
Parents from the Northeast and Midwest are more likely to believe that their local high school dropout rates are much better than average.
Q. In your estimation, are the dropout rates and quality of education in your area better or worse than average nationally?
Overall, estimated dropout rate responses, in comparison to national averages, are directly proportional to the household income of respondents – parents from the highest income households tend to believe that the quality of education at their local schools is much better than the national average.
Q. In your estimation, are the dropout rates and quality of education in your area better or worse than average nationally?
White parents are more likely than Black and Hispanic parents to believe the dropout rates in their areas are better than average.
Q. In your estimation, are the dropout rates and quality of education in your area better or worse than average nationally?
Influences
Most parents believe that the primary reason students drop out is because they don’t have a parent or teacher who cares about their future. High school can be a challenging environment, especially the initial transition into ninth grade. Having someone who cares about them—whether it’s a parent, guardian, teacher, or mentor—makes all the difference. Without support and guidance, it is all too easy for students to fall behind and eventually drop out.
Q. What do you think are common reasons for a student to drop out of high school?
Dropout Reasons by Region
In comparison to other regions, parents from the Midwest are more likely to state that students drop out because they lack discipline, whereas parents from the West are more likely to say students drop out because they feel they don’t get enough support at school. Parents from the Northeast are least likely to say that students drop out because school coursework is too challenging. Parents from the South are least likely to say that students drop out because they lack discipline.
Q. What do you think are common reasons for a student to drop out of high school?
Parents from lower income households are more likely than those from higher income households to say students drop out to get a job to support themselves, to raise a child, because they feel like they don’t fit in, or because they don’t get enough support at school.
Q. What do you think are common reasons for a student to drop out of high school?
White and Black parents were significantly more likely than Hispanic parents to believe that children drop out because they don’t see value in a diploma or they lack discipline. Hispanic and Black parents were more likely than White parents to think that students drop out in order to raise a child or focus on family. Black parents were the most likely to believe that students drop out because school coursework is too challenging.
Q. What do you think are common reasons for a student to drop out of high school?
