Family Environment Variables as Predictors of School Absenteeism Severity at Multiple Levels: Ensemble and Classification and Regression Tree Analysis

School attendance problems, including school absenteeism, are common to many students worldwide, and frameworks to better understand these heterogeneous students include multiple classes or tiers of intertwined risk factors as well as interventions. Recent studies have thus examined risk factors at varying levels of absenteeism severity to demarcate distinctions among these tiers. Prior studies in this regard have focused more on demographic and academic variables and less on family environment risk factors that are endemic to this population. The present study utilized ensemble and classification and regression tree analysis to identify potential family environment risk factors among youth (i.e., children and adolescents) at different levels of school absenteeism severity (i.e., 1 + %, 3 + %, 5 + %, 10 + %). Higher levels of absenteeism were also examined on an exploratory basis. Participants included 341 youth aged 5–17 years (M = 12.2; SD = 3.3) and their families from an outpatient therapy clinic (68.3%) and community (31.7%) setting, the latter from a family court and truancy diversion program cohort. Family environment risk factors tended to be more circumscribed and informative at higher levels of absenteeism, with greater diversity at lower levels. Higher levels of absenteeism appear more closely related to lower achievement orientation, active-recreational orientation, cohesion, and expressiveness, though several nuanced results were found as well. Absenteeism severity levels of 10–15% may be associated more with qualitative changes in family functioning. These data may support a Tier 2-Tier 3 distinction in this regard and may indicate the need for specific family-based intervention goals at higher levels of absenteeism severity

Relationships between Risk Factors, Perceptions of School Membership and Academic and Behavioral Engagement of Students Who Attend an Alternative School for Behavioral and Emotional Challenges

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between the perceptions of school membership, risk factors, and behavioral and academic engagement among a sample of alternative school students. The study subjects were 48 7th-9th graders who were at high risk for school failure because of their serious and chronic behavioral and academic problems. All subjects had an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). A 25 item school membership questionnaire adapted from existing school membership surveys was used to assess students’ perceived school membership. The study participants reported a moderately positive school membership score. The findings indicated that commonly known risk factors, such as being a male, minority, low SES, no participation in extracurricular activities, and a history of involvement with the juvenile justice system did not negatively affect study participants’ perceptions of school membership. The relationships between students’ school outcomes and the risk variables were also analyzed. The findings indicated that the above mentioned risk variables did not result in significantly negative effects on school outcomes (GPA, number of missed school days, hours spent for in-school suspension, and days spent for out-of school suspension). Instead, academic and behavioral school outcome variables were found to be closely related with each other, and also with some demographic factors, including race/ethnicity and grade levels. Implications for planning academic and behavioral interventions for students with emotional and behavioral challenges are discussed

Stressors and turning points in high school and dropout : a stress process, life course framework

High school dropout is commonly seen as the result of a long-term process of failure and disengagement. As useful as it is, this view has obscured the heterogeneity of pathways leading to dropout. Research suggests, for instance, that some students leave school not as a result of protracted difficulties but in response to situations that emerge late in their schooling careers, such as health problems or severe peer victimization. Conversely, others with a history of early difficulties persevere when their circumstances improve during high school. Thus, an adequate understanding of why and when students drop out requires a consideration of both long-term vulnerabilities and proximal disruptive events and contingencies. The goal of this review is to integrate long-term and immediate determinants of dropout by proposing a stress process, life course model of dropout. This model is also helpful for understanding how the determinants of dropout vary across socioeconomic conditions and geographical and historical contexts

How you can help save my future: insights for middle and high school principals from a Latina perspective

This is an action research regarding Latinas' educational experiences and its links to school risk factors that force, push-out or cause Latinas to drop out of school. The collection of excerpted responses from five Latinas provides insights for educational leaders which may promote an understanding of the challenges faced by Latinas. The literature review presents major studies in the area of what has been called the "Latino dropout phenomenon;" however conflicts over dropout data in general are immediately evident with researchers arguing about discrepancies which include intergenerational populations aggregated with immigrant groups, school-age vs. adult-age populations, and methods for collection of dropout data. A significant lack of information regarding gender-specific studies of subgroups still exists. Most studies and other data sources combine males and females within an ethnic group giving limited and miscellaneous information about "Latinas." Recent and emerging studies have begun to show disaggregated data regarding graduation rates of males and females in most ethnic subgroups, but educational needs specific to gender have not been addressed. Conferences of policy makers, task forces and focus groups have convened to identify promising school reforms which may begin to increase graduation rates of Latin as. This study contains specific recommendations for increasing Latina graduation rates. Keywords: Latina Dropouts; High School Dropouts; Graduation Rates; Retentio

Students Perceptions on Determinants of Dropouts from Colleges

The objective of this study was to investigate the differential effects of three major factors causing dropout of students from private higher education and training colleges. Using simple random sampling, a sample of 258 students from private colleges in three provinces were selected and used for the study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on students’ perceptions regarding the magnitude to which distinct factors cause dropout from college. The differential effects of the three major factors on college dropout was analysed using the General Linear Model based univariate ANOVA technique. The F (2, 258) statistic (= 4.039; p < 0.05) and the Tukey HSD and Games-Howell post-hoc results indicate significant differences between the effects of institutional factors and socioeconomic status. The mean scores results demonstrate that socioeconomic status had the highest significant effect; followed by student-related factors; while institutional factors had the least effect on dropout.   KEYWORDS: Dropout, student-related characteristics, institutional factors, family socioeconomic statu

Parental Satisfaction with Marshall University Summer Enrichment Program Evaluation: Completers vs. Non-Completers

The purpose of this program evaluation was to determine if completion of the Marshall University Summer Enrichment Program (MUSEP) of 2011 had an effect on parent satisfaction. Parents of the students who attended the program answered survey questions pertaining to their satisfaction with the program, services they participated in during the program and reasons why, if they failed to complete the program. The results revealed completion of the program had no effect on parental satisfaction. Further analysis of the data revealed several reasons why students did not complete the MUSEP. The two most significant reasons were prior obligations and vacations

Measuring Social Relations in New Classroom Spaces: Development and Validation of the Social Context and Learning Environments (SCALE) Survey

This study addresses the need for reliable and valid information about how the innovative classrooms that are becoming more common on college and university campuses affect teaching and learning. The Social Context and Learning Environments (SCALE) survey was developed though a three-stage process involving almost 1300 college students. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a four-factor solution that measures formal and informal aspects of student-student and student-instructor classroom relations. The resulting 26-item instrument can be used by instructors and researchers to measure classroom social context in different types of learning spaces and to guide efforts to improve student outcomes

Mississippi Kids Count: High School Graduation Rates

Though national dropout rates have generally fallen over the past twenty years, almost 1.2 million students in the United States drop out of school each year, representing nearly one-third of high school students. At about 61%, Mississippi’s high school graduation rate falls slightly below the national figure, though school districts in the Mississippi Delta fare particularly poorly. Five of the ten districts with the highest four-year dropout rates in the state are located in Delta region counties: Leflore, Tallahatchie, Sunflower, Tunica, and Panola Counties

A study of some residual effects of a temporary dropout prevention program on participating parents and students located in a disadvantaged and majority Black school district.

EducationDoctor of Education (Ed.D.