Dropout Rate In Rural America

Despite the sharp decrease in the dropout rate in rural America between the years 1975 and 1993 which essentially closed the gap between the urban and rural dropout rates, over 10 percent of rural students still do not finish high school and have difficulty finding gainful employment (e.g., Paasch & Swaim, 1995). Graduation is an extremely important milestone in the life of an individual as they prepare for adult life (Paasch & Swaim, 1995). For instance, high school graduates have a greater chance of finding employment and making higher incomes (Child Trends, 2014), earning up to $8,000 per year more than a non-graduate (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2015). Also, high school graduates are healthier, less likely to involved in criminal
activity, and live a longer life (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010). On the other hand, students who do dropout of high school are more likely to not find employment, to end up in jail, to need public monetary help, and to die younger (Olson, 2006). Given the importance of finishing high school, it is essential that studies are conducted which attempt to determine if location (such as rural and urban) affects the dropout rate, or, rather, do other determinants such as socioeconomic status have a greater impact. Youths living in rural areas may face different socioeconomic characteristics as well as a unique educational environment compared to their urban counterparts (Jordan, 2012). This is troubling in light of a recent study by the National Center for Education Studies (NCES) which shows that “low-income students fail to graduate at five times the rate of middle-income families and six times that of higher-income youth” (Kara Sikhan, 2013 ). Several studies have indicated that outcomes in schools such as graduation rate are not only affected by not only the performance of the school, but also are highly affected by the socioeconomic status of the community in which the school is located (Israel, Beaulieu, Hartless, 2001). Characteristics of the local job market could have a major impact on the dropout rate of a school. If in the community there are small numbers of technical jobs or professional jobs available for those seeking employment, young people may be discouraged from aspiring to have these careers and, therefore, are less likely to value graduating high school and attending a university (Paasch & Swaim). Though the dropout rate has improved dramatically in recent years this does not mean that rural areas are now competitive in attracting firms that employ well-educated workers (Paasch & Swaim). Youths living in rural areas exhibit lower levels of educational achievement and a higher likelihood of dropping out of high school than do their non-rural counterparts (Roscigno and Crowley, 2001). For example, one study suggested that “the low-skill needs of the region’s employers is perpetuating a vicious cycle of low levels and qualities of education, severe underutilization and low productivity of labor, low skill demanding employers, and reinforcement of the low standards of investment in human capital” (Smith, p. 21, 1989). Studies have indicated that retaining marginal students in class has helped to reduce the dropout rate in rural areas, while at the same time has served to lower the quality of education in the schools (Paasch & Swaim, 1995). Statistics in a report by the National Center for Educational Statistics (Provasnik 2007) indicated that rural youth in 4th and 8th grade lagged their 20 suburban peers in math, reading, and science tests, but did better than youth in urban areas (Mykerei, Kostandini, Jordan & Melo, 2014). Recent estimations on individuals living in rural areas show a difference in formal education. From 2006 to 2010, 17.5 percent of rural individuals had no high school diploma (compared with 14.4 percent of urban adults) and 17.5 percent had a university degree (compared with 30 percent of urban individuals) (USDA 2012). Rural college attendance continues to trail urban college attendance (Paasch & Swaim, 1995). Despite these findings, multiple studies have suggested that “spatial distinctions” are not as important than other distinctions (e.g., race or class) within a location (Beggs, Haines, & Hurlbert, 1996; Hamilton, 2006).
Rural America is undergoing fast changes that are overcoming rural-urban location and social boundaries (Lichter & Brown, 2011). Because of this trend, studies have been conducted that show the determinants of dropping out of high school are related to individual and family characteristics, industry structure (e.g., McGranahan, 2004), likelihood of getting a job and school discipline (McCaul, 1988), as well as community and school risk factors (Paasch & Swaim, 1995). Research has brought to light several risk factors that increase the likelihood of dropping out (Ashtone and McLanahan). For example, youths from families with wages below poverty, with poorly educated parents, or led by single mothers are more likely to drop out. Data from the 1990 Census of Population indicate that rural youths are more open to some of these risks than urban children, but less open to others (Paasch & Swaim, 1995). Rural children are often more poor and more often have parents who are dropouts themselves, but are less likely than urban children to be raised by a single-mother (Paasch & Swaim, 1995). The incidence of these risk factors shows that "at-risk" students in rural schools confront a different mix of potential stumbling blocks than their urban and suburban counterparts. In summary, there is disagreement on if and how the decision to drop out of high school differs for rural youth. Given that the isolated nature of rural areas caused by distance, technology, transportation, or communication may have been substantially reduced in recent years, it is important to examine rural-urban dropout rates and their actual determinants. (Jordan, Kostandini, & Mykerezi,
2012)