Why Students Drop Out Of High School Education Essay

Why Students Drop Out Of High School Education Essay High school dropouts have become a crisis in the United States that is continuously increasing. There are various reasons as to why students drop out of high school. These reasons range from simple factors having an impact upon why a student drops out to complex reasons as to why a student drops out of high school. On the contrary, there are various factors that keep students in high school. These factors include being involved in extracurricular activities in and out of school and interaction with the family. However, dropping out of high school not only affects the individual who has dropped out. The action will also affect those who surround the individual and as the number of high school dropouts increases, this rate will continue to have an effect on the United States economy. The negative impact of high school dropouts worsens the economy every time a student chooses to drop out of school. There is no typical person who dropouts of school. This epidemic that is increasing has become a vicious cycle that must be put to an end. Studies have shown that one must attain a high school degree in order to combat poverty. Moreover, studies have also shown that high school degree is not seen the same now as it was in the past. More often than not, a high school dropout will earn less in a lifetime than an individual who has graduated high school and continued to further their education. This paper will seek reason as why the rate of high school dropouts has increased with the research that has been conducted in the past and is currently being conducted now. This paper will also propose why the rate of high school dropouts increases with the policies and programs that have been implemented by the government. The findings in this paper will not discuss minorities or gender in regards to high school dropouts. This analysis will discuss high school dropouts in the United States in general. There will also be research showing the correlation between why a student drops out of school and what program can assist them getting back into school. This research is significant to the society because high school dropouts not only effect them personally and those surrounding them. High school dropouts affect the economy and the society as a whole. Research must continue to be conducted to decrease these rare and eventually stop students from dropping out of high school. If student continue to drop out and this rate increases, eventually there will be very few skilled workers in the United States. This will result in the shipping of jobs overseas, which will weaken the United States economy. Furthermore, this research is significant in academia. Scholars and researchers must continue to conduct research as to why youth continues to drop out of high school. With the continuation of this research, there is a probability that there will be an end to high school dropouts or the rate of dropouts will significantly decrease. In addition, this research will allow other researchers in academia to draw conclusions and make recommendations in regards to the kind of programs and policies that should be implemented into the law in the future. Then, the government will have the ability to analyze the data that has been collected by scholars in order to put these policies into place. Theoretical Framework During this research, there was a use of quantitative data in order to show a cause and effect relationship between the increasing rate of high school dropouts and what needs to be done to decrease this rate. The data will also show how the programs and policies can reformed in order to decrease the rate high school dropouts. A survey was constructed in order to better understand why the rate of high school dropouts continues to increase with the research that has been conducted in the past. In addition, the data came from fifty students on campus. The survey consisted of twenty questions that asked general question about personally knowing high school dropouts. The survey also asked questions that were complex in regards to opinions about what kind of policies and programs the government should implement in the future. Literature Review There were four main areas that were discussed by scholars in during the research process. Those areas included (a) the personal and public effects of dropping out of high school, (b) educational equity, (c) dropout prevention and recovery efforts, and (d) the effects of high school dropouts not taking the advantage of second chance opportunities such as attaining a GED. There were other areas that were discussed as well; however, there was not as much emphasis as the former. Those areas were adolescent employment, parent involvement, and the effects those components have on high school dropouts. There are several effects that results from dropping out of high school. These effects mount upon one another, which results in one problem turning into another. Dropping out of high school impacts an individual personally and effectively in several ways. Everyday, there are seven thousand high school dropouts. If a student does not complete high school, they will obtain a low income, therefore, contributing less to the society (Rouse, 2005). An individual who has not completed high school is classified as having an inadequate education. High school graduates earn thousands of dollars less than high school graduates and one million less than college graduates in a lifetime. High school dropouts are more liable to slip into poverty than high school graduates. In regards to personal issues, high school dropouts are more likely to have worse health, employment issues, become pregnant as a teen, and be incarcerated than high school graduates are. This cycle will continue from generation to generation if more programs are not reformed and created (Rouse, 2005). In regards to high school dropouts and the society as a whole, there will be less productive workers, which will result in less revenue that would have been made. More often than not, high school dropouts will need government assistance, which is not likely not a need of a high school graduate (Rouse, 2005). Another topic of discussion that was debated among scholars was educational equity. The United States education is not equivalent among public school systems. There is an achievement gap among students, therefore, creating more dropouts. Studies show that there needs to be more basic work taught in schools and there needs to be tougher academic and attendance standards. These same studies go on to say that higher expectations produce higher achievement. There also needs to be more schools competing to get the best students. According to McLaughlin, this will create a rise in American education. (McLaughlin, 1990). There needs to be a higher standard held by the administrators and the students themselves. Dropout prevention and recovery efforts need reforming if there is going to be a decrease in the rate of high school dropouts. Some of the programs are not preventing high school dropouts efficiently. There are some programs that have had good results, but not good enough for what needs to be accomplished in the long run (McLaughlin, 1990). According to Christenson and Thurlow, there should be five factors taken into consideration when creating dropout prevention programs. Those five considerations towards completion and engagement, and the importance of empirical evidence.  [1]   Moreover, there were two areas of discussion during the research process that also impact high school dropouts. Adolescent employment and parent involvement have a major influence on how a student performs in school. According to McNeal, there is a possibility that students are being pulled out of school. McNeal discusses the effects what is occurring with students who work while attending grade school. He goes on to write how in previous studies of high school dropouts, the main focus was how demographics was the main cause of students dropping out of high school. However, there are a plethora of reasons as to why a student drops out of school. These reasons are referred to as push and pull factors that take a student out of school.  [2]   Additionally, parent involvement was considered to be another element that influenced a students performance in school and whether they remained in school or not. According to Crosnoe, parent involvement enhances academic competence. Parent involvement, just as adolescent employment, not been emphasized in previous studies of high school dropouts. Nonetheless, both are circumstances that effect whether a student will graduate from high school Interpretation of Results The results of the data revealed various answers that can be interpreted to understand the correlation between the climbing rate of high school dropouts and what will make this rate decrease. The survey showed how many people knew a high school dropout personally and why that individual did not attain a high school degree. There were several surveys that reflected little or no knowledge about programs and intervention for high school dropouts. This disclosed information that answered questions as to why the rate is so high and why the rate has yet to be decreased. Some of the data from the survey can be compared with statistics from other researchers. The results show that there is a lack of knowledge and awareness about the crisis that is occurring within the United States education system. In addition, there is a message that is conveyed through the data that has been collected. The message being conveyed is that there is not a sufficient amount of information being provided becaus e there has still not been a decrease in the number of high school dropouts. Likewise, there were many results that coincided with one another. There was little or no effect on the student if they were raised in a single parent home. However, if the student was raised in a single parent home and in a tumultuous environment, the student had more of a tendency to drop out of school. There were various factors that motivated a student to graduate from high school. Those factors included family, self-motivation, engagement in extracurricular activities, and school staff such as teachers, administrators, and coaches. There was also an abundance of feedback that showed a majority of the dropouts were dramatically affected by employment. The dropouts either found it difficult to obtain a job or they still are having difficulties in doing so. There were a few responses that showed that some of the dropouts came from good environments. These outcomes imply that there can be some chaos within a good environment. The environment as a whole may not be chaotic. However, the household which the student lives within may be in disarray. Some of the surveys showed that there were several students who dropped out between sophomore and junior year of high school. There were also answers that had a connection between a disorderly environment and the tendency to drop out of school. More often than not, if the answer was yes to living in the chaotic environment such as the inner city, the person also circled that the person they knew who dropped out was either pregnant or had a personal illness, in the criminal justice system, had family financial needs, and did not see the value of education. For the most part, these answers were linked together. Discussion Dropout Rate Increases The rate of high school dropouts continues to increase with the research that has been done. There is no specific answer as to why this crisis is occurring and will persist to worsen if drastic measures are not taken. This national crisis continues to worsen because there is not a single answer to decreasing the rate. The challenge of increasing the graduation rate is difficult because increasing the graduation consists of many components. There are several steps to accomplishing the completion of high school. A student must pass certain tests and must pass the required curriculum before attaining a high school degree. Therefore, the programs to keep students in school must essentially be compatible with each student because the reasons for dropping out of school differ from student to student. In addition, high school graduation rates have not significantly decreased since 1990. These challenges become more difficult when the national reform efforts push for higher academic standards. This problem calls for more effort because the students will not have the skills they need after graduating from high school.  [3]  Dropping out of high school is not something that occurs instantaneously. It is a process that must be stopped before it can stop. Allowing a student to become disinterested in school is a process that should not begin because it will be more of a task to end. Programs to End Crisis There have been a number of programs created to decrease the rate of drop outs. The programs assist at-risk youth, students who did not perform well in school, and programs to prevent students from dropping out. Recently, the Obama administration has been focusing on high school dropouts. President Obama has brought it to the attention of the nation that there is a national crisis. According to the National Center for Education (NCES), this is a crisis that has been occurring for over a decade now. The Obama administration is taking the necessary steps to reduce the number of dropouts. President Obama asked the states to pinpoint schools that had graduation rates below 60%. The administration has devoted $3.5 billion to transform schools that are not performing at their best.  [4]   Also, there are programs such as Americas Alliance Program (Grad Nation) and the Educational Equity Project. Americans Alliance Program is a partnership alliance committed to ensuring children experience the fundamental resources they need to succeed. The Educational Equity Project is to eliminate the racial and ethnic achievement gap in our nations public school system. Another program is Gateway to College. This program is a high school dropout recovery program. This program helps dropouts between the ages of 16 and 21 to earn a high school diploma. Dropping Out Before 18 Some states have risen the dropout age to 18. If a student is not 18, they are not permitted to dropout before 18 without parental consent. Several states have risen the age to 18. However, some states still have the age to dropout at 17 and some states remain at 16 years old. However, the lower the age, the worse the crisis will become. Raising the age to dropout will decrease the rate of dropouts. Some students will take the initiative to graduate instead of dropping out at 18 years old. Also, there are students who graduate high school at 17 years old. This will also decrease the rate of dropouts because they will not be 18 until after graduation. Therefore, legislators should not give not give the option to dropout. If a student chooses to dropout, he or she should receive consequences. However, if legislators do not want to require all states to graduate all students, every state should be made to raise the age to 18. Conclusion In conclusion, there is still an abundance of progress that must be made. The government should take serious measures in order to make the dropout rate decline. Education is the key to upward mobility. Students have to be motivated in order to remain in school. If not, they will become disinterested and the contemplation of dropping out will become a process. In addition, if this crisis is going to end, the schools need to have the best educators who are willing to not only teach, but to interact with the students to assure that they are doing their best. In regards to further research, there will have to be more research done after more programs and laws are implemented. More research has to be conducted in order for the researchers to better understand how to decrease the rate of high school dropouts and to keep the rate low. Furthermore, there was no research found in regards to how to end the crisis altogether. The main reason for this may be that the rate has to be decreased before researchers and scholars can look into how to rid the nation of dropouts. Appendix High School Dropouts, Effectiveness of Programs, Prevention Survey 1.) Do you know anyone who has dropped out of high school? a.) Yes b.) No 2.) What year did he/she drop out of high school? a.) Sophomore b.) Junior c.) Senior 3.) What kind of high school did he/she attend? a.) Public b.) Private 4.) What is he/she currently doing in regards to a career and/or their future? 5.) What kind of environment did he/she grow up in? a.) Suburban b.) Urban (inner city) 6.) Was he/she raised in a single parent home? a.) Yes b.) No 7.) Did he/she participate in any extracurricular activities? a.) Yes b.) No 8.) Some states allow students to drop out of high school at the age of sixteen (16). Should all states require students to graduate from high school? a.) Yes b.) No 9.) If you believe that more programs should be implemented to keep students in school, what kind of programs would you suggest? 10.) Why do you think that the rate of high school dropouts continues to increase? 11.) If you know someone who dropped out of high school, did they ever go back to? attain a GED? a.) Yes b.) No 12.) If they did not go back to school, what did they choose to do? 13.) Has that individual been dramatically effected in regards to employment because of dropping out of high school? a.) Yes b.) No 14.) Have you ever contemplated dropping out of high school? a.) Yes b.) No 15.) Who and/or what motivated you to graduate from high school? 16.) Have you heard about any of the programs or policies that are directed towards? keeping students in school and/or high school dropouts? a.) Yes b.) No 17.) Did he/she dropout due to personal illness or pregnancy? a.) Personal illness b.) Pregnancy 18.) Was the student in the criminal justice system? a.) Yes b.) No 19.) Did he/she dropout because of family financial needs? a.) Yes b.) No 20.) Did he/she dropout because they did not see the value of education? a.) Yes b.) No

Generation Gap Essay

How many times have you felt that your parents don’t understand you, that they have no respect for you as an individual? How often do you shake your head in frustration and blame it on the ‘generation gap’? Parents! They are like aliens from another planet altogether! You and they are in different camps; strangers forced to live under the same roof Right? Wrong! There is a way of bridging what appears to be a yawning chasm. If you genuinely want to improve your relationship with your parents (and give them a big shock in the bargain! ) try listening to them, treating them just like you would listen to a valued friend. Instead of always whining, ‘You don’t understand me†, stop and think. Do we ever try and understand them? Parents are under a lot of stress, too. When we are worrying about our upcoming Math exam, they are worrying about the boss in the office, and just how they are going to pay for our braces. Like us, they have days when someone humiliates them at work. Sometimes, they don’t know where the money for all the applications you send to foreign universities is going to come from. Your mom may seldom have a chance to go out and enjoy herself. Your dad’s colleagues may deride him because he cannot afford membership to a club. Yes, weird though it may sound, parents are human too. They may have dreams they’ve sacrificed because they want you to realize yours. Once you step into their shoes and try to look at things from their point of view, two wonderful things happen; one, you feel a new respect for them, and two, you will find that you can actually get your own way without heated arguments. Today, when you come back from school or college, ask your mom or dad, â€Å"How did your day go today? † or â€Å"Tell me a little more about your job. † or â€Å"Is there anything I can do to help you around in the house? You’ll see the visible difference it makes to the atmosphere at home. And each day, try to keep your promises – to do your homework, to clean your room and to write letters or telephone if you are living away from home. Seventy five per cent of the youngsters claimed that the teenage years were a time of stress and anxiety for them – anxiety about exams, jobs, parental expectations, peer pressure, love lives, the need to look good and dress smartly, and well, even the state of the nation. Generation gap means difference in attitude, or lack of understanding between younger and older generation. This generation gap has always been there but these days it has reached to an explosive stage. The values and patterns of life have changed to a great extent. Today, everybody likes to live and behave in his own way. This attitude has widened the generation gap, which can never be filled. It is now destroying family life completely. The elders look after the children and make all sorts of sacrifices to bring them up. Naturally, they feel they have a right over them. They want their children to follow their instructions as they have certain expectations from them. But the children, when they grow up, want a complete freedom in their thoughts and actions and unfortunately their thoughts and actions are just opposite to those expected by the elders. They revolt when any kind of restrictions are imposed on them. Consequently, the family breaks up and everything gets ruined. In India, we are yet in the initial stages, but the gap has appeared and it is going to grow bigger day by day. So it is not only the responsibility of the younger but also of the elders to fill this gap with their love, affection and trust. The problem, in fact, has grown and intensified due to the rise in complexities of life. These complexities have arisen in the wake of modernism where everything allied to tradition, custom and the world was to be turned upside down. The problem arises mainly when parents forget how did they behave, what problems did they encounter and what feeling did they feel when they were children, especially teenagers. When the children enter the stormy teens the problem of generation gap comes out with greater intensity then ever. Children too fail to see their parents’ point of view and blindly stick to breaking rules. For them, at this age, their friends suddenly become important dislodging the parents from the vantage point. This causes great anxiety to parents and the friction increases between the children and the parents. At this time, grandparents can play a constructive role in order to bridge the gap of thought, attitude, and way of life and approaches to it. Generation gap is not that serious a problem if families can learn to sit over dinner and talk or sit in the living rooms over a cup of hot comforting coffee and talk the things out, ironing the difference and sharing the experiences. When this communication barrier is transcended and the ice broken, the problem does not remain that serious anymore. Talking it out calmly and coolly, with the idea of sorting things out, changing for each other and changing for better can be the most helpful instrument in bridging the generation gap. Family outings, vacations, tours, to picnic-outings, often with the family etc can be effective ways to initiate intimacy between parents and children. Watching movie and discussing them, putting forth the different viewpoints can be a beginning to inculcate the habit of a healthy dialogue between members of the family. Such small things and steps can do wonders in initiating a healthy family atmosphere and reducing friction between two generations that are right in their own respects. Their only fault is that they are viewing the same object from opposite directions. Age, time and experience or the lack of it, forces them to do so. Generation Gap Summary: It is a fact of life that the generation gap or â€Å"clash† is something that has existed and will continue to exist as long as man exists on this earth. It is not restricted to certain parts of the world, to certain times of human history or to certain cultures. That is why this â€Å"clash† is a fact of a life accepted by all generations, all over the world and through all time. Generation gap is a more modern term for the difference between generations, or milder than the extreme definition which calls this difference as the â€Å"clash† between the opinions, the attitudes and the behaviors of the younger and the older generations. The inevitable progress of time and technologies makes the introduction of new ideas, new believes, and new values unavoidable. As a result this difference in the general outlook at life arises which is manifest in the difference of opinions and social values, in addition to the difference mannerism and behavior between young people and older people within the family as well as within the social contexts. Perhaps, the gap generation that exists now between the younger and older generation can best be indicated by the difference of ideas between the young people and the older people in the family, namely the grand parents and the aunts or uncles who might be much older than their nieces and nephews, as is the case in â€Å"such† societies. Where bigamy is legal. The technological advances play a great rule in enlarging the gap as the younger generations are quicker to accept and adopt these technologies so that they consider the conservative and technologically suspicious elders of their families very old fashioned in their, tastes, opinions and out looks toward life. On the other hand, the older people despise the modern values which they call the† internet† and â€Å"globalization† values. They consider the young generation shallow, lacking knowledge and moral depth. This difference can best be seen in the difference of interests and hobbies. The young people of today get their knowledge from the â€Å"internet†, and they hardly read other than light magazines, while the elders of their hard-earned, profound book based knowledge. The difference includes the moral and social values, as the different generations see notions such as marriage, love, happiness, decency, and decorum from different perspectives.

Explication Essay of a&P by John Updike

Essay 1-Explication Essay of A&P by John Updike We have all had that moment of clarity when we realize, no longer children, our decisions can greatly impact the course of our future. A&P gives an insight into the main character’s realization of how he perceives his life, the lives of those around him, and how with one impulsive decision he forever changed the course of his life. Sammy, the narrator of A&P, is a 19 year old boy whose assumption of others, dislike of conformity, and his rash decision making exemplify teenage discovery, that our actions impact our future.Sammy’s assumption of others is immature and serves only as a distraction from his self-distain. He describes, in great detail, the three girls who enter the A&P, in their bathing suits. He begins with their physical descriptions, which lead him to assume their character summarizations. He goes so far as to give them nicknames. â€Å"There was the chunky one†, â€Å"a tall one, with black hair that hadn’t quite frizzed right†, and then the third one†, She was the queen. † [385]. â€Å"Queenie and Plaid and Big Tall Goony-Goony. † [388]. While Sammy is ringing up the sale in his checkout slot, he visualizes â€Å"Queenie† as this rich, sophisticated girl.He fantasizes about what her family is like and how fancy their parties must be. He then depicts his family as lower class, as if this was something to be ashamed of, and that he was above that. â€Å"Her father and the other men were standing around in ice-cream coats and bow ties and the women were in sandals picking up herring snacks on toothpicks off a big glass plate. † â€Å"When my parents have someone over they get lemonade and if it’s a racy affair Schlitz in tall glasses. † [387]. His assumptions and daydreams allow him to escape his reality, temporarily.This is a coping technique, a way for him to get through the day to day, at a job his dislikes, and a lif e he views as beneath him. During Sammy’s descriptive assumptions of these girls, he also illustrates his view of the community around him and his dislike of conformity. Sammy describes the routine shoppers and in doing so he depicts his dislike of conformity. He portrays them as sheep with the inability to stray from their monotonous routines. â€Å"The sheep pushing their carts down the aisles-â€Å", â€Å"I bet you could set off dynamite in the A&P and the people would by and large keep reaching and checking oatmeal off their lists. [386]. He views each day as predictable with nothing to look forward to. That is why when these girls entered the store it was a sight to behold. It was the abrupt change in the daily conformity that Sammy so desperately wanted. â€Å"The store’s pretty empty, it being a Thursday afternoon, so there was nothing to do except lean on the register and wait for the girls to show up again. † [387]. He changed that day, from a teena ge boy with immature daydreams about girls, to an adult. It was because of the insight he depicted from these girls. When the manager, Lengel, embarrasses the girls for their lack of clothing, it upsets Sammy.He then chooses to quit. He reasons it is the right choice, concluding it is the adult thing to do. To stand-up for what is right, and to voice his disagreement with Lengel at his attempt in humiliating the girls. â€Å"-but remembering how he made that pretty girl blush makes me so scrunch inside I punch the No Sale tab and the machine whirls â€Å"pee-pul† and the drawer splats out. † [388]. He concedes that the conformity of these people and the â€Å"day to day† routine is unacceptable, especially when it makes you feel superior, that you have the right to insult others.While he demonstrates his dislike for conformity, he now has made a rash decision that has consequences he had not considered. Sammy demonstrated typical teenage behavior, by making a ra sh decision, in quitting his job before rationalizing it. After witnessing Lengel verbally chastise the girls for wearing their bikinis into the store, Sammy decides, in hast, to quit. He believes this will portray him as a hero in the girl’s eyes. He very quickly discovers they exited the store with not so much of a glance back in his direction.Now, he has to live with his impromptu â€Å"adult† decision and the consequences of his choice in quitting his job. â€Å"But it seems to me that once you begin a gesture it’s fatal not to go through with it† [388]. He considers the fact that he will regret this decision later on and that he will disappoint his mom and dad, as Lengel pointed out. â€Å"Sammy, you don’t want to do this to your Mom and Dad. † He tells me. It’s true, I don’t† [388]. He quickly dismisses these thoughts and makes amends that initially he may be remorseful of his impulsive decision, but realizes this i s what he needs to do.After he exits the store he optimistically looks for the girls and realizes they are gone. â€Å"I look around for my girls, they’re gone, of course. † [389]. He has to take in the fact that he is alone, having to stand on his own two feet, and know that the road ahead with be difficult. â€Å"-I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter. † [389]. Sure to be full of trials, Sammy takes his first auspicious steps into adulthood. His rash decisions may have not been wise but they were needed in his epiphany, which forever changed him.Although Sammy made some poor choices, they were necessary in his journey into adulthood. Everyone makes bad decisions, but it is how we proceed afterwards that make us who we are. The future is paved with mistakes of the past. We are to learn from them to ensure we do not repeat them. John Updike’s A&P depicts the inescapable decisions of a young man, through his thoughts and actions, and th e subsequent consequences of those decisions that allowed him to mature. Works Cited Barnet, Cain, & Burto. Literature for Composition. 9th Edition. Longman. Updike, John. A&P. pg. 385-389.

Bring Your Own Device ( Byod ) - 1296 Words

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is referred to it by many names: bring your own danger, bring your own disaster, bring your own detonator, but whatever the name, it is becoming more and more commonplace in all sectors across the world. What used to be unthinkable, using one’s own personal mobile device or smartphone for work is now emerging as one of the biggest technology trends of this decade. The idea of using a personal device at work developed when many executives got their first Blackberries and iPhones back in the mid-2000’s and wanted access to corporate resources from these devices such as email and the corporate intranet. Since then, BYOD has transitioned from a trend to a major revolution of enterprise Information Technology (IT)†¦show more content†¦The issue is two-fold, one being that IT departments have lost the ability to fully manage devices that connect to the company’s network, but also employees are now demanding that they have the abili ty to conduct company business and have access to extremely secure company resources from multiple personal devices. Obviously this hasn’t gone over very well from the IT perspective. Initially IT departments were very resistant to change taking into consideration the huge security risk allowing these devices onto the network presents, however more and more departments are beginning to adopt these new practices, but at the same time are still very hesitant because they remained very concerned about the inherent risks of permitting personal devices to access and store sensitive corporate data. The timeline outlined below gives an excellent graphical representation of where BYOD started in the early 200’s and where it is and going now that it’s in its third wave and really finding its way as a mature solution in the enterprise. Mobile devices are a mixed blessing for enterprises. CRN reported on a Poneman Institute, a IT security research firm, found that 77 per cent of corporate professionals who responded to the survey said that the use of mobile devices in the workplace is important to achieving business objectives, but almost the same percentage, 76 percent, believe that these tools present a serious set of security risks. While organizations comprehend the