Decreasing the Drop Out Rate with Student Motivation

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Decreasing the drop out rate with student motivation, contribution and accountability through planned and structured cooperative learning programs Latasha Wilson Arkansas State University

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Abstract This research study discusses the increasing drop out epidemic crisis in public schools in the Unites States and the lack of student motivation. There have been plenty of national, state, and local discussions on how schools maybe able to prevent students of dropping out of their secondary education between the ninth and twelfth grade. Information for each classified group was collected from the schools’ annual reporting system, the states report card. This study involved reliable data sources from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and school districts across the country. While the drop out rate increases the study also explains successful accountability systems and provide drop out prevention strategies that have been weathered to decrease the issue. Although, extensive research is needed in the future, additional studies are required to implement strategies to create a dependable students’ accountability system for their own education. Further research is needed to determine if students face cooperative learning with student motivation a challenge. While the research focuses on decreasing the drop out rate and prevention, teaching methods are questioned concerning promoting an active participation and improving social skills among students.

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Being in the education sector for ten years, first preliminary as a substitute, to a paraprofessional, and currently a professional educator, I have seen my fair share of students dropping out of high school to the lack of motivation. So, I pose the question, when are students dropping out of high school and what are the reasons for student motivation changes from elementary to secondary? School districts with large numbers of low-income students have higher drop out rates. Students who drop out of school lose a lot and regret what they have done. Dropping out of school will never be acceptable or justified. Even though dropping out of high school does not help you gain anything, it is obvious that the rate is increasing in many high schools. High school students mainly drop out due to family problems, low self-esteem, and drugs. Most federal government efforts to prevent school drop outs focus on the prevention of school failure through remedial and compensatory education for at-risk children. Drop out prevention programs often target high school or middle school students who may have already experienced years of educational failure or unsolved problems. Drop out recovery programs must attempt to overcome longstanding problems in order to get drop outs to complete school. The United States does seem to have the capacity, or at least the potential to develop it. There are many reasons why students drop out of school, and therefore, it requires more than a single solution to prevent it from occurring. Striving to understand the nature of academic, social, and personal problems affecting students and tailoring services to address these problems may be a useful

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systemic approach to drop out reduction. Problem Convincing students to get their high school diploma seems to be getting more difficult and schools systems continue to fight the drop out problem. For the past four years I have experienced three principals and two superintendents’, so there is always a constant change. On a campus level I’ve noticed student motivation has declined, drop out rate has increased, and faculty and staff morale is low. Drop outs in the more demanding and 21st century are embarking on a rugged path to tread in life. Nearly a third of high school students don 't graduate on time; among blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans. Literature Review There are many teaching methods that I have an interest in, one being students’ working in cooperative learning environments. However, I have used this method in class but how effective is it? Students’ in small heterogeneous groups working together to solve a problem, and working as a team to come up with a solution. Often I ask myself, are all students in the group actively participating with each student maintaining some independence. Is this teaching method really promoting an active participation, individual accountability, students ' ability to work cooperatively and improving social skills? This research study discusses the increasing drop out epidemic crisis in public schools in the Unites States and the lack of student motivation. The plan is to examine student behavior through

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learning strategies in a secured public school educational setting. Students will be the ages of 14 through 24 years of age. Nevertheless, one of the most challenging issues facing the educational community is the existence of gaps and differences in drop out rates between ethnic and minority groups. Dropping out of high school is related to a number of negative outcomes. Many may sense the United States high school drop out crisis poses one of the greatest threats to the nation’s economic growth and competitiveness. Drop outs will cost the United States over $329 million in lost wages, taxes and productivity. I have always been concerned about the increasing drop out rate in the State of Texas, and what role does student motivation play in a growing trend among secondary students. As an educator in the State of Texas, I was intrigued to know the current drop out for Texas and how do the state compare to other districts in the United States. For the class of 2009, the drop out rate was 9.4%. This means that almost 29,000 students from the class of 2009 dropped out before receiving a diploma. The longitudinal drop out rate decreased from the class of 2008 (10.5%). The goal of the research was to bring awareness to the drop out rate and how we may encourage student motivation, contribution and accountability through planned and structured cooperative learning programs to students. According to (Jones, 2007) Nor could it explain why some students want to learn, whereas others do not even want to come to school; why some students do extra work and others do little at all; or why some students are actively engaged in the learning process

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while others are not. It has been known for many years that young people who complete high school doesn’t face many more problems in later life than do people who graduate. Many students do not realize the seriousness of their decision to drop out of high school. It is only later in life they realize the poor choice they have made. What do students suggest to improve the current situation? If students had a more structured learning environment, maybe it’s a possibility that the drop out rate would decrease. However (Reeves, 2005) thoughts on accountability, leadership and learning communities are undetermined, even the best standards and assessments will undermine student learning if professional practices are subverted by counterproductive accountability systems. Students drop out because they have some problems dealing with friends and they have a hard time getting over it. Some students also have family problems, they have low self-esteem, or they either have drugs or alcohol addictions and it may interfere with school. In the beginning of a students’ high school academic career, all of them seem to love school but as time pass the material content become more difficult for them and they simply lose interest. Students’ must still be accountable for their education. Cooperative learning is one of the most widespread and fruitful areas of theory, research, and practice in education.

The drawbacks of groups composed entirely of weak students are obvious, and groups of all strong students are likely to parcel out the work rather than engaging in the group discussions and informal tutoring sessions that lead to many of the

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proven instructional benefits of cooperative learning. Getting the students into virtual teams and setting up communication mechanisms is the easy part, however: you must still make sure that the defining conditions of cooperative learning (most notably, positive interdependence and individual accountability) are in place. If they aren’t, the entire academic and interpersonal problems associated with group work in traditional course offerings are likely to occur and, if anything, to be worse. (Millis, 2000) and (Felder and Brent, 2001) offer tips on adhering to cooperative learning principles in a distance learning environment. To be accountable for their actions students have to try hard to do everything in school and in their lives to succeed in life accomplishments. It’s not the students at fault, when it comes to learning environments, school districts must be a welcoming community. However, (Bulach, 2008) claims, creating a highperforming school is an organization approach to school reform that creates a distinctly different school culture and climate tan can be found in existing school. Education is a lifelong process that consists of both formal and informal experiences that lead to the individual learning something. The setting could be a school, the home, a job, a volunteer position, or an internship or cooperative learning experience. Since an education is a continuing mix of experiences; I think an educated person is a person who has made the most of each experience and learned from it or understands how the experience falls short for what ever reason. In high school students should add a vocational element to their

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curriculum weather they are planning to go directly into the work force, enter a two year college training program or go into a university. This required cooperative education program would give all students, regardless of their socioeconomic status or ability level, a chance to learn valuable and transferable workplace skills as well as having work experience to put on a resume. On the other hand, keeping school systems and students accountable is a hard concept to measure when it comes to individuals dropping out of high school. Despite pervasive complaints that accountability policies of federal and state governments dominate school decision-making, there is a growing body of evidence that accountability can be constructive, comprehensive, and supportive of professional learning and student achievement. (Reeves, 2000, 2000a; Schmoker, 2001). Higher academic standards are often part of a high-stakes accountability system but the system as a whole must be aligned toward the overall goal of increasing student achievement. And that means providing support and extra assistance to students who are at risk of dropping out as curricula and standards are revised. According to (Fuller, 2001) states and school districts throughout the nation have developed or are developing accountability systems to spur improvement in student achievement. With accountability systems come with pressures to the political sectors of our nations capital. Writers Terrence Stutz and Robert Garrett from the Dallas Morning News acknowledges that the bills would take some pressure off teachers and administrators to focus on preparation for state tests by

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allowing school districts to devise their own promotion standards – utilizing test scores, course grades and teacher recommendations. Methodology The two primary data types that will be used during the action research process are quantitative and qualitative. When using the quantitative data it will be represented by numerical figures reported from the Texas PEIMS collection and the national system, using records (test, report cards, attendance, and standardized test). In conjunction with the instruments above data retrieval charts, students’ performance, and questionnaires will be used to collect data. The educational setting research will take place with students enrolled in public school but may end up in other educational settings, home schooling, expelled, CPS, death, graduated early, GED, or not yet in the 12th Grade. The research participants targeted for the study are the following:

Ages 15-20 Grade 9th -12th Gender: Males and Females Ethnicity: African American and Hispanic Economically Disadvantage or not

Due to the fact that research has been collected on the matter for the past 20 years, information was gathered from journals and reports that have already been created. The timeline for implementing the project as well as collecting and

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analyzing all data will consist of the definition of drop out, annual drop out rates, graduation, and completion of high school recommended plan. An overview of school success indicators, using the PEIMS collection system, state, and national descriptors for high school completion, was used to analyze the data. The advantages and disadvantages of the proposed school completion methodology, along with issues related to incorporating the indicator into the Texas public education accountability system are also used. Table 1 Enrollment in grades 9 through 12 in public and private schools compared with population 14 through 17 years of age: Selected years, Fall 2005-Fall 2009 [In thousands] Enrollment, grades 9 to 12 All schools 2 16,258 16,441 16,450 16,322 16,175 Public schools 9th 10th 11th grade grade grade 4 5 6 4,287 4,260 4,200 4,158 4,147 3,866 3,882 3,863 3,809 3,745 3,454 3,551 3,558 3,518 3,493 12th grade 7 3,180 3,277 3,375 3,360 3,321

Year 1 Fall 2005 Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Fall 2008 Fall 2009

Total 3 14,909 15,081 15,087 14,955 14,815

Table 55 Source: http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d09/tables/dt09_055.asp

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Common methods of measuring student progress through school are discussed, along with advantages and disadvantages associated with each measure.

Table 2 Status drop out rates of 16- through 24-year-olds, by race/ethnicity: Selected years, 1980-2008 Race/ethnicity2 American Asian/Pacific Indian/Alaska Islander Native 2.9 14 3.6 14.7 6.1 19.3 4.4 14.6

Year Total1 White Black Hispanic 9.4 6 10.4 22.4 2005 9.3 5.8 10.7 22.1 2006 8.7 5.3 8.4 21.4 2007 8 4.8 9.9 18.3 2008
1 2

Total includes other race/ethnicity categories not separately shown. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Source: http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=16

Extensive background information on TEA data collection, processing, and reporting is presented, and national requirements for drop out data are described. For the school year 2001–2002, annual high school drop out rates were as follows: state, 1.3%; economically disadvantaged, 1.3%; White, 0.6%; Asian, 0.6%; Native American, 1.1%; African American, 1.8%; and Hispanic, 1.9% (Texas Education Agency [TEA], 2003b). The data was analyzed for each research question to inform communities about the quality of education in their

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districts and to provide educators with information needed to analyze performance trends and analyze the progress attained by students on an annual basis. Results/Findings No surprise that majority of students drop out in high school, grade 12 had the highest number of drop outs in the 2008-09 school year, and grade 9 had the second highest number of drop outs. Because student-level data allow for the greatest level of accuracy in drop out reporting, Texas includes the annual and longitudinal drop out rates in the public school accountability rating system. Since it is an estimate, the attrition rate is excluded from the accountability system. Two levels of accountability must be structured into cooperative lessons. The group must be accountable for achieving its goals and each member must be accountable for contributing his or her share of the work. Individual accountability exists when the performance of each individual is assessed and the results are given back to the group and the individual in order to ascertain who needs more assistance, support, and encouragement in learning. The purpose of cooperative learning groups is to make each member a stronger individual in his or her right. Students learn together so that they subsequently can gain greater individual competency. Drop out Recovery Pilot Programs provide educational and social services to help students who have dropped out of school earn a high school diploma or complete an alternative pathway to college.

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Conclusion Students in public schools suffer from lack of motivation, inadequate preparation, and poor study skills. When a student walks out without a diploma, it is an indication of not only their failure but also our failure to in still in them the inspiration, motivation and perseverance required to complete rigorous studies. There are many benefits to utilizing cooperative learning in the secondary school classroom. In cooperative learning groups, students develop a sense of trust among their peers as they share in the responsibility of their own and each other’s learning. Reflection I knew that the United States had a problem battling the dropout rate among students ages 14-18. While researching the subject, how the dropout rate is determined amazed me and the age range is to 24 years of age for participating students in a public school. I pretty much had an idea on the reasoning these students were dropping out, but by reading testimonies, just brought me to tears. Research indicates the chances of a student dropping out greatly increase when a student has poor grades in core subjects, has low attendance, fails to be promoted to the next grade, or has behavioral problems. A disproportionate number of dropouts are economically disadvantaged, come from non-English speaking backgrounds, are African American or are Hispanic. Male students have higher dropout rates than female students. Weather my findings and results were

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creditable, that would be hard to measure. I feel as if the information and data collected is reliable, but to the point of human error and that districts tweet information on the school level to make themselves look better on paper at the state level. To my knowledge of information that is available to the public, I assume that it is a reliable as it can be. As a teacher, I will try to become more understanding when students are out for a long period time due to helping a parent, or the whole entire family. Teaching in a low economic district, I hear and see a lot of these situations on a daily basis, but I open my heart and mind to what responsibilities my students carry on their backs everyday. If the research was done in a different matter, I will not incorporate the cooperative leaving factor to the paper, I would fully focus on the issues of the dropout rate and how the problems focuses on the minority groups of our society.

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References Borich, Gary. (2007). Effective teaching methods: research-based practice. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall. Bulach, Cletus, Lunenburg, Frederick, & Potter, Les. (2008). Creating a culture for highperforming school: a comprehensive approach to school reform and drop out prevention. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield Education. Eason-Watkins, Barbara, DuFour, Richard, Fullan, Michael, Eaker, Robert, DuFour, Rebecca, & Lezotte, Lawrence. (2005). On common ground. Bloomington, Indiana: Solution Tree. Felder, R.M., & Brent, R. (2001). ―Groupwork in distance learning.‖ Chem. Engr. Education, in press (2001). Fuller, E, & Johnson, J. (2001). Can state Accountability systems drive improvements in school performance for children of color and children from low-income homes. EDUCATION AND URBAN SOCIETY, 33(3), 260-283. Garrett/ The Dallas Morning, T. (2009, April 30). Bills would reshape Texas ' school accountability system. Dallas Morning News, The (TX), Retrieved from Newspaper Source database. Larson, Bruce, & Keiper, Timothy. (2007). Instructional strategies for middle and high school. New York: Routledge. Lehr, Camilla, Thurlow, Martha, & Clapper, Ann. (2005). Graduation for all: a practical guide to decreasing school drop out. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press. Martin, A. (2009). Motivation and Engagement Across the Academic Life Span. Educational & Psychological Measurement, 69(5), 794-824. Doi: 10.1177/0013164409332214. Millis, B.J. (2000). ―Managing—and motivating!—distance learning group activities.‖ < www.tltgroup.org/gilbert/millis.htm > Orfield, Gary. (2004). Drop outs in America: confronting the graduation rate crisis. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Educational Pub Group.

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Reeves, Douglas. (2001). Accountability in action: a blueprint for learning organizations. Denver: Advanced Learning Press. Reeves, Douglas. (2001a). 101 questions & answers about standards, assessment, and accountability. Denver: Advanced Learning Press. Schmoker, Michael. (2001). The results Fieldbook : practical strategies from dramatically improved schools. Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Smink, Jay, & Schargel, Franklin. (2004). Helping students graduate: a strategic approach to drop out prevention. Larchmont, N.Y: Eye on Education. Wise, Robert. (2008). Raising the grade: how secondary school reform can save our youth and the nation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc Pub.

References: Borich, Gary. (2007). Effective teaching methods: research-based practice. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall. Bulach, Cletus, Lunenburg, Frederick, & Potter, Les. (2008). Creating a culture for highperforming school: a comprehensive approach to school reform and drop out prevention. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield Education. Eason-Watkins, Barbara, DuFour, Richard, Fullan, Michael, Eaker, Robert, DuFour, Rebecca, & Lezotte, Lawrence. (2005). On common ground. Bloomington, Indiana: Solution Tree. Felder, R.M., & Brent, R. (2001). ―Groupwork in distance learning.‖ Chem. Engr. Education, in press (2001). Fuller, E, & Johnson, J. (2001). Can state Accountability systems drive improvements in school performance for children of color and children from low-income homes. EDUCATION AND URBAN SOCIETY, 33(3), 260-283. Garrett/ The Dallas Morning, T. (2009, April 30). Bills would reshape Texas ' school accountability system. Dallas Morning News, The (TX), Retrieved from Newspaper Source database. Larson, Bruce, & Keiper, Timothy. (2007). Instructional strategies for middle and high school. New York: Routledge. Lehr, Camilla, Thurlow, Martha, & Clapper, Ann. (2005). Graduation for all: a practical guide to decreasing school drop out. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press. Martin, A. (2009). Motivation and Engagement Across the Academic Life Span. Educational & Psychological Measurement, 69(5), 794-824. Doi: 10.1177/0013164409332214. Millis, B.J. (2000). ―Managing—and motivating!—distance learning group activities.‖ < www.tltgroup.org/gilbert/millis.htm > Orfield, Gary. (2004). Drop outs in America: confronting the graduation rate crisis. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Educational Pub Group. DECREASING THE DROP OUT RATE WITH STUDENT MOTIVATION 16 Reeves, Douglas. (2001). Accountability in action: a blueprint for learning organizations. Denver: Advanced Learning Press. Reeves, Douglas. (2001a). 101 questions & answers about standards, assessment, and accountability. Denver: Advanced Learning Press. Schmoker, Michael. (2001). The results Fieldbook : practical strategies from dramatically improved schools. Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Smink, Jay, & Schargel, Franklin. (2004). Helping students graduate: a strategic approach to drop out prevention. Larchmont, N.Y: Eye on Education. Wise, Robert. (2008). Raising the grade: how secondary school reform can save our youth and the nation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc Pub.