Why Special Education Students Dont Graduate From High School Dissertation

Why Special Education Students Dont Graduate From High School - Dissertation Example Education Week and the Editorial Projects in Education (EPE) Research Center conducted a national report, which states that approximately 1.3 million youth drop out of high school every year.   However, the White House reports the number as a slightly lower figure of 1.2 million.   A quantitative review of statistics by Sum, et al. shows that â€Å"the incidence of institutionalization problems among young high school dropouts was more than 63 times higher than among young four-year college graduates†.   The need for effective dropout prevention strategies is important because the increasingly significant gap between the student who leaves high school without earning his diploma and the high school graduate has increasingly widened since the 1970s with regard to career mobility, unemployment rates, and wages.    Education Week and the Editorial Projects in Education (EPE) Research Center conducted a national report, which states that approximately 1.3 million youth dro p out of high school every year.   However, the White House reports the number as a slightly lower figure of 1.2 million.   A quantitative review of statistics by Sum, et al. shows that â€Å"the incidence of institutionalization problems among young high school dropouts was more than 63 times higher than among young four-year college graduates†.   The need for effective dropout prevention strategies is important because the increasingly significant gap between the student who leaves high school without earning his diploma and the high school graduate has increasingly widened since the 1970s with regard to career mobility, unemployment rates, and wages.    Research forecasts an even grimmer outlook for special education students who drop out of high school.   These students typically earn less than other dropouts and are less likely to succeed later in life. Feng and Sass report that the likelihood a special education student will drop out of school is double that o f his/her peers. Furthermore, â€Å"compared to their nondisabled peers, students with disabilities are more likely to experience unemployment or underemployment, lower pay, and job dissatisfaction†.This contemporary concern contributes to this qualitative case study which seeks to identify a number of common critical reasons special education students abandon their educational pursuits prior to earning their high school diplomas. Using information from interviews with recent dropouts from Ridgeville High School (pseudonym for a Virginia high school), in conjunction with findings from current literature, this study will contribute to the development of recommendations for more effective dropout prevention programs for special education students. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iv TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 CHAPTER I 3 INTRODUCTION 3 Background 2 Problem Statement 9 Purpose of the Study 11 Research Questions 12 Hypothesis 12 Identification of Variables 13 Definition of Terms 14 Res earch Plan 16 REFERENCES 20 APPENDIX A 26 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION High School Dropout Concerns Education Week and the Editorial Projects in Education (EPE) Research Center (2010) conducted a national report, which states that approximately 1.3 million youth drop out of high school every year. However, the White House (as cited in America’s Promise Alliance, 2009) reports the number as a slightly lower figure of 1.2 million. A quantitative review of statistics by Sum, et al. (2009) shows that â€Å"the incidence of institutionalization problems among young high school dropouts was more than 63 times higher than among young four-year college graduates† (p. 9). The need for effective dropout prevention strategies is important because the increasingly significant gap between the student who leaves high school without earning his diploma and the high school graduate has increasingly widened since the 1970s with regard to career mobility, unemployment rates and wages. Researc h forecasts an even grimmer outlook for special education (special ed) students who drop out of high school. These students typically earn less than other dropouts and are less likely to succeed later in life. Feng and Sass (2010) report that the likelihood a special education student will drop out of school is double that of his/her peers. Furthermore, â€Å"compared to their nondisabled peers, students with disabilities are more likely to experience unemployment or underemployment, lower pay, and job dissatisfaction† (Dunn, 1996 as cited in Levinson and Palmer, 2005, p. 11). This contemporary concern contributes to this qualitative case study which seeks to identify a number of common critical reasons special education students abandon their educational pursuits prior to earning their high school diplomas. Background Because an American’s financial stability and professional achievement have primarily depended on his educational attainment, obtaining a high school di ploma significantly enhances an American’s potential to build a solid foundation for achieving professional success (Shore, 2003). â€Å"