Student Dropouts

Each year about 1.3 million American high school students drop out, most of who are people of color (American Psychological Association, 2010). There is a vast majority of predictors for students to leave school early. School involvement is one factor in which how the student behaves or engages in school activities. This can contribute to the motivation to complete school. The stereotypes present within the school can further lead to disengagement in school activities. School involvement and stereotypes against minorities can lead to dropping out, producing long-term impacts on their lives.

Schooling has more of an impact on youth than you would normally imagine. Not only do their grades play a role but also their involvement altogether matters. Many children know if they like or dislike school at an early age leading them to behave differently. According to Ream and Rumberger (2008) and Kogan, Luo, Brody, and Murry (2005) youth have been removed or more likely to quit school due to problem behavior.

A student's attachment and engagement also effects whether or not they will complete school. Some students feel attached to school and some don't. Students who are attached will see good grades as rewarding and bad grades as punishment, whereas students who are not attached see no connection to grades (Osborne & Walker, 2006). The students who are actively engaged with in and out of school activities are more attached (Ream & Rumberger, 2008). One specific group that shows this point are Mexican American students, who are less engaged in school-related and informal academic activities (Ream & Rumberger, 2008). Along with grades, students who were attached to school had fewer referrals and less absence opposed to students not attached with school (Osborne & Walker, 2006). Threatening factors to the completion of high school include, poor grades, low attendance and disengagement from school (American Psychological Association, 2010).

While schooling and their engagement can cause youth to drop out of school, stereotypes can lead them to begin to disengage from certain activities. The American Psychological Association (2010) states, "African American students in particular are disciplined or suspended at disproportionate rates for reasons that include lack of teacher training and racial stereotypes only contributing further to disengagement and later dropout from school." (p.4) Students of color are more likely to withdraw from school due to the fact that school is more unpleasant for them. Osborne and Walker (2006) suggest that school is unpleasant for students of color because if there are negative stereotypes present it can lead to high anxiety for a student. This leads to students performance declining and also wanting to "escape" from where the anxiety is, withdrawing from school (Osborne & Walker, 2006). The more they are associated with the color of their skin the higher chance of dropping out (Osborne & Walker, 2006). Youth from Mexican origin are less engaged in school activities because of their street orientated friendships. These friendships can lead youth to transfer their value of schooling to other things due to the friends they are