Anthony Peguero
Associate Professor Of Sociology And Criminology, Virginia Tech
Key Findings
- In 2002, 13% of students dropped out of public school in the United States.
- Nationally, school administrators rated their schools an average of 12.84 out of 19 on the social disorder scale.
- Latina, Black, and multiracial girls were more likely to dropout of school than White girls.
- Native American, Latino, and multiracial boys were more likely to dropout than White boys. Minority students had higher perceptions of disorder at their school.
- Female students who had high educational achievement, high family socioeconomic status, and positive peer relationships were less likely to dropout.
- Males who act up in school are more likely to dropout.
- As a minority student’s perception of school disorder increases, so does his or hers likelihood of dropping out.
Description
In the article, “School Disorder and Dropping Out: The Intersection of Gender, Race, and Ethnicity,” Peguero and his co-authors examine the factors that influence a student’s educational outcomes and his or her likelihood to dropout of school. The researchers note that school disorder, a measure of the climate where students attend classes, can greatly impact a student’s learning ability. In a disordered school (or chaotic climate), students may display signs of disobedience and underachievement, which can increase their likelihood of dropping out. The researchers utilized data from the Educational Longitudinal Study by the U.S. Department of Education, which surveyed nearly 12,000 public school students from almost 600 schools nationally. The researchers also conducted a 19-question survey of school administrators to determine the school’s level of disorder. The results showed that 13% of students dropped out of public school. Out of a total of 19 points (meaning very disordered), school administrators nationally rated their schools an average of 12.84 on the social disorder scale. Latina, Black, and multiracial girls were more likely to dropout of school than White girls. Native American, Latino, and multiracial boys were more likely to dropout than White boys. Minority students had higher perceptions of disorder at their school. Female students who had high educational achievement, high family socioeconomic status, and positive peer relationships were less likely to dropout. Males who disobey school rules are more likely to dropout. As a minority student’s perception of school disorder increases, so does his or hers likelihood of dropping out. In conclusion, the authors note that studying a school’s climate is necessary to support minority students and decrease the dropout rate in public schools.