The California High School Drop-Out:
With Focus on African American Student
Abstract
The reality is that the majority of American schools are places where the pieces simply do not fit together and there is very little that the teachers in those schools can do about it.
~Marc Tucker
California’s education system is the back bone of the future and for this reason it be seen as priority. California’s high school system in crisis, thousands of students drop out every year. The high school drop rate carries consequences for the student and society. Research has shown that the decision to stay in or leave school is affected by multiple contextual factors interacting in a cumulative way over the course of the student’s educational experience. This paper will discuss factors that contribute success of failure in California’s high school drop outs, particularly in African Americans. Significant findings include: emotional or behavioral disorders of the drop student, neighborhood effects, students’ reasoning for dropping out, school-caused risk factors, drugs involved with student dropout rates, and family background. The research also includes all subgroups.
Emotional or Behavioral Disorders
African American students with emotional or behavioral problems are over-identified within California’s educational system (Macciomei, Ruban, Douglas, 1999). It is the position of the National Association of School Psychologists to promote effective services to assess and intervene in a collaborative manner that recognizes the critical role of the family and school. Emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) are important in learning and development. This is an epidemic among African American youth. Many concerns have been expressed about minority children being misplaced in special education, especially in certain disability categories. Researchers have determined the level of risk for various subgroups associated with being identified as having EBD. Data from U.S....