Sept. 22, 1999
Contact: Teressa Tignor Gilbreth
Information Specialist
(573) 882-9144
[email protected]
MU EDUCATION PROFESSOR DEBUNKS COMMON BELIEFS ABOUT WHAT KEEPS KIDS IN SCHOOL
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- There are many theories about why kids drop out before finishing high school -- they lose interest; they need to earn money; they need more opportunities. One University of Missouri-Columbia education professor has been poring over schools' data for more than 30 years, searching for the truth about what really influences dropout rates.
As a statistician and educational researcher, John Alspaugh has found that many common beliefs about why students become dropouts are untrue. Some of his most recent work focuses on how the number of transitions between elementary school, middle school, junior high school and high school correspond to dropout rates.
He studied data from Missouri public school districts and classified three basic types of high schools, ones that included grades 10-12, 9-12 or 7-12. He found that the short grade span high schools are associated with more school-to-school transitions, and the more transitions students experience, the higher the dropout rate. He thinks that the changes in social order, as well as environment, teachers and schedule are hard on kids, making them less satisfied with their educational experience and more likely to call it quits.
While Alspaugh studied public schools in Missouri, he said the results apply nationwide because of the urban and rural mix, socioeconomic diversity and industry you find in Missouri. He also said Missouri represents the national norm with about 75 percent of ninth graders graduating from high school.
"Research also supports the conclusion that younger students adjust to transitions better. The lower the grade level of the transition to high school, the lower the high school dropout rate," Alspaugh said. "How schools are organized can influence the social structure and the environment within schools. Being part of a small long-term cohort group of students in a supportive social structure provides a number of incentives for students to remain in school."
Transitions in which students from several middle schools or junior high schools merge into a large high school are associated with increased dropout rates. Alspaugh also found that although boys consistently drop out more than girls, the disparity increases with more school transitions.
These results may impact the way schools are organized in the future, favoring the district organization that includes only one transition -- from a grade K-6 elementary school to a grade 7-12 high school.
Throughout several research studies, Alspaugh has identified and examined other school district characteristics that seem to affect dropout rates. "The lowest dropout rates tend to occur in small rural high schools with a grade span of 7-12," he said. "Those schools tend to have limited course offerings and a high percentage of their budgets devoted to extracurricular activities. The close interpersonal relationships among students and teachers may also be a factor in the low dropout rates in small schools."
His research suggests that big schools offering a large number of courses may be wasting their resources. While the common belief may be that students with more course choices will find something that interests them, the research indicates schools with many course offerings have higher dropout rates.
Participation in extracurricular activities is also key to keeping kids in school. "When spending on extracurricular activities is high, the dropout rate is low," he said. In smaller schools where a higher percentage of the budget is dedicated to team sports, band and other highly visible activities, more kids get a chance to participate and belong.
Countering the common belief that dropouts leave school to earn money, Alspaugh instead found that, "Communities that manage to have low dropout rates also have low unemployment, which indicates that the dropouts aren't joining the work force."
Alspaugh emphasizes that the data he uses are all public information, and anyone who is interested can look up the statistics for their school. Data are available for all public schools on the state department of education Web site. Missouri's data are at www.dese.state.mo.us.
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