Dropouts Who Return for Their GED: Personal Reflections on the Socio-Cultural Issues Related to Leaving School

Since compulsory attendance laws began to dictate when students were able to leave school nearly a century ago, school systems throughout the country have struggled with the lamentable fact that some students leave school and do not complete their education. Research and state dropout records have primarily been filled with statements made by students at the time of their dropping out indicating feelings of anger, alienation, or instability. These data were collected at a time when these students were reacting to current situations or circumstances that caused them to finally leave school. Their voices have been unduly influenced by being interviewed at the time of dropping out when emotions were at a peak. By exploring the early and subsequent influences on students, educators can design interventions that will help prevent future dropouts.The purpose of the study was to identify the influences that provided the initial catalyst for students who decided to drop out of school although they then returned to get their General Education Development (GED) certificate. Data for the study were gathered through interviewing a sample of such students to determine the influences that impacted their decision for leaving school.