Franklin _ EDUC 702_Leadership Brief August 30, 2105

Student Disengagement, and the Resulting Impact on High School Non-Completion

The Bottom Line: High schools across the United States are facing the challenge of student
disengagement, particularly as it relates to students of color. Student disengagement has its roots
in the areas of school policy, curriculum, and teacher/student relationships. Resiliency research
looks at the effects of pushout and pullout factors that contribute to this trend. Leaving school
before high school graduation dramatically reduces opportunities over the life course, especially
among poor and minority adolescents (Ensminger, Lamkin and Jacobson, 1996). The research
has shown this time and again, yet the problem persists
What Do We Know?
School policies have an immediate and profound effect on student disengagement and
ultimately on high school non-completion.
Bradley and Renzulli, (2011) conducted a study that examined the effects of being pushed out or
pulled out of school. They identified push factors as those that force a student out of school, or
pull factors that interfere with a students commitment to his or her education. Pushout factors
relate to school policies that either intentionally or unintentionally contribute to student
disengagement and ultimately high school non-completion. Pullout factors relate to non-school
influences that interfere with school continuation. It is possible that Latino students are pulled
out of school as a result of a cost-benefits analysis in which the student realizes there are
institutional barriers to success through education and thus find greater value in other activities
such as getting a job or caring for family. (Bradley and Renzulli, 2011, p. 526). While the focus
of this brief is on high schools, several studies have pointed to student disengagement and
decisions regarding school continuation may begin as early as sixth and seventh grades.
Exchange Theory as a means of possible explanation.
In a study by Felice (2014) the impact of exchange theory and school non-completion is
examined. This theory in short states, an exchange relationship will not continue unless both
partners are realizing a profit from the exchange or at least believe they are making a profit. As it
relates to schools, as long as a minority student perceives the educational exchange relationship
to be efficacious (either in terms of immediate of future benefit over current costs) he/she will
continue to remain in school. Felice, 2014, p.417). If we want to improve student retention and
high school completion rates, Exchange Theory say we must improve the perceived benefit for
all students, with particular focus given to minority students. Punitive policies and practices such
as high stakes testing and disciplinary approaches have proven to counter-productive,
particularly for low-income students of color. (Yang, 2009)
Curriculum and Pedagogy and the effect on student disengagement.
Whereas 70% of all U.S. students who enter high school will graduate four years later, only
about half of all low-income students of color will graduate (Balfanz and Legters, 2004) Fry
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Franklin _ EDUC 702_Leadership Brief August 30, 2105

(2003) explains this phenomenon in this manner, for every 100 entering Black or Latina/o high
school freshmen, roughly 50 will actually graduate four years later.

If we are serious about education reformation, transformation has to be the central

focus. Current educational reform such as the Common Core State Standards movement
addresses reform from the content perspective, with the current mantra of college and
career readiness as the driving force. This focus, while important, ignores the importance
of culturally relevant curriculum as a means to reengage students who are otherwise
disconnected or disengaged from school.
Paradigm to Understand and Examine Dropout and Engagement in Society
(PUEDES). PUEDES is a complex and context-relevant framework that centers equity
and social justice at its core (Rodriguez, 2013). PUEDES provides a paradigm for
understanding and responding to the 21st century Latina/o pushout crisis in the U.S.
through the consideration of multiple factors, the interplay of those factors, and the
promotion of culturally relevant curriculum.
Student Voices. The typical view is that the most engaged students are those that are
motivated, involved and have high degrees of achievement. As Rodriguez (2013)
suggests, But what about the quiet students, or those who are silenced by policies,
practices and processes in school? (p.146). Research tends to demonstrate that these
students, the quiet ones, are often the most insightful about suggesting solutions for
school improvement and improving student engagement.

Whats Next?
Implementation of Culturally Relevant Curriculum.
Targeted focus on increasing teacher student relationships is a crucial underpinning to the
implementation of a culturally relevant curriculum (CRC). Felice (2014) goes further by stating,
schools which either lack the ability to hold minority students, or which refuse to accept this
responsibility, in effect deny an equal educational opportunity to minority students. Curriculum
that fails to validate the cultural, linguistic and historical strengths that Chicana/o/Latina/o
students bring to school (Rodriguez, 2013), contribute to the pushout aspect of high school noncompletion.
CRC reverses this trend, by focusing on those aspects of culture and history that are relevant to
students of color. A focus on CRC addresses the dimensions of school culture such as teacher
ideology and teaching and learning processes. Teachers who perceive minority students as
having less academic ability than majority students, contribute to a chain of variables that lead to
a self-fulfilling prophecy. (Coleman, 1996) These perceptions, influence the attitudes and
expectations of teachers and other school staff, which in turn confirms the perceptions held by
students of racism and racial discrimination.
The cycle of mistrust and low-expectations must be broken in order to increase student
interest and engagement.

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Franklin _ EDUC 702_Leadership Brief August 30, 2105

Students do not care how much you know, until they know how you care (Unknown). Positive
teacher-student relationships are critical to increasing student engagement, academic
achievement. A study completed by Felice (2014) revealed That the black dropouts in this study
have the ability to do well or as well as anyone else in school. This counter the notion that
black dropouts cannot handle the schoolwork because it is higher than their ability level. Felice
(2014) concludes by stating, The black dropout in this study is typically an intelligent,
motivated, student who has come to view the educational system as a waste of time and too
costly in exchange transactions to continue. This attitude is manifested in low grades and poor
attendance.
Many students who choose to discontinue formal school, do so not because they cannot handle
the academic rigor, they do so because of low expectations, both expressed and unexpressed by
school staff. This combined with a curriculum viewed as not cultural relevant leads to student
disengagement and high school non-completion.
References:
Balfanz, R. and Legters, N. E. (2004). Locating the dropout crisis: Which high schools produce
the nations dropouts? In G. Orfield (Ed.), Dropouts in America: Confronting the
graduation rate crisis (p. 131-155). Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press
Bradley, C.L. and Renzulli, L. A. (2011). The complexity of non-completion: Being push or
pulled to drop out of high school. Social Forces , 90 (2), 521-545.
Coleman, J. S. (1996). Equality of Educational Opportunity. Washington, DC : U. S.
Government Printing Office
Ensminger, M., Lamkin, R., and Jacobson, N. (1996). School leaving a longitudinal perspective
Including neighborhood effects. Child Development, 67 (5), 2400-16
Felice, L.G. (2014). Black student dropout behavior: Disengagement from school rejection and
racial discrimination. The Journal of Negro Education, p. 415-424
Fry, R. (2003). Hispanic youth dropping out of U.S. schools: Measuring the challenge.
retrieved from pewhispanic.org/files/reports/19/pdf
Rodriguez, L. F. (2013). The PUEDES approach: A paradigm for understanding and responding
To the 21st century Latina/o dropout/pushout crisis in the U.S. Journal of Critical
Thought and Praxis, 2 (1). 122-152
Yang, K. W. (2009). Discipline or punish: Some suggestions for school policy and teacher
practice. Language Arts, 50-61
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