Introduction
Colleges are supposed to be a gateway to having a successful and secure future. However, it is unfortunate that there are low graduation rates. Research shows that 20 percent of those full-time students who seek a degree end up getting one within three years and the number rises to around 35 percent after five years. It is quite worrying that in most cases 45 percent end up giving up altogether (Dynarski, 2015). With such low rates, it is possible for colleges to be dead ends instead of strong foundations for students to enhance their capabilities and be assured of a bright future (Dynarski, 2015). There are various reasons why students drop out of school. Some are frustrated by their continuous failure as a result of learning related difficulties, others are disinterested in learning, and there are also others who come from families that do not value education. There are also a number of them who get pregnant or ill and end up dropping out while others are simply bored or disillusioned (NPR, 2006). In that case, this proposal gives a limelight to the issue of graduation rates, the significance of addressing it, and how it can be heightened. In increasing the graduation rates, states can come up with new programs, develop strict laws, come up with a system of maintaining students in school, ensure that educators are involved in the students’ life, as well as create a success center and an alert system.
Significance of the Problem
Most of the people who do not graduate in colleges tend to fare worse as compared to their peers. Most of these students come from low-income families; hence, end up supporting their families back at home; hence, neglect their studies. There are also a number of them who are not interested in school or have no role models who can motivate them to continue learning. Others give up on their college life due to peer influence whereby they end up abusing drugs or getting pregnant; therefore, lack a second chance to pursue their courses (NPR, 2006; Rosen, 2005, pp. 48-49). As a result, these students end up earning less money, have low chances of being employed, are likely to get into criminal activities, hence, end up in jail, and are more likely to live a substandard life. Such students also face immense social stigma. They also end up having low self-esteem and poor psychological well-being since they do not have the necessary knowledge and skills to fulfill their dreams. Moreover, they tend to rely on public health services and welfare (Rosen, 2005).
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Research shows that dropouts cost America more than $260 billion due to tax revenue, lost wages, and lack of productivity (American Youth Policy Forum, n.d; Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education, 2009). In that case, dropping out of college has grave effects for students as well as their families. The main purpose of this proposal is to give insights into some of the strategies that can be employed in reducing the dropout rate and ensure that the students realize the benefits that come with graduating such as being empowered, having the necessary skills to compete in the job market, having a healthy social life, being financially stable, getting a chance to find employment, and reducing the rate of crime among others.
Recommendations
There are a number of strategies that can be employed to curb the menace of dropping out of colleges and the resulting negative effects. According to NPR (2006), one of how graduation rates can be increased is by ensuring that the state takes the initiative of developing programs to re-engage those youths who at high risk. This is an important initiative as developing innovative programs that are significant or relevant to their respective communities will go a long way to making sure that the students are fully engaged and motivated to work hard. It ought to be understood that the decision to give up schooling often results from a long period of disengagement that commences in the early years of the elementary school. This is where patterns such as high absenteeism and poor performance are likely to be seen (Kauffman & Hallahan, 2011, p. 472). In that case, programs that focus on combating such disengagement can play a major role in preventing at-risk students such as those who come from poor backgrounds from falling out of school. On the same note, such programs will help in addressing parent or family situations that tend to keep children away from learning. This is because students tend to perform better when their parents set a higher bar or expectations on them and motivate them to work hard.
It is also important to design compulsory-schooling policies and law to enhance college attendance. Although some scholars such as Brewer and McEwan (2010, p. 35) assert that compulsory related laws only help in establishing social expectations and norms for school attainment; hence, should be used as the last resort, this is not entirely true. A system that has strict schooling laws that are sternly enforced ensure that students remain in school. Such laws should include penalties or disciplinary measures for anyone who decides to quit school for whatever reason.
Moreover, it is possible for students to drop out due to learning-related difficulties. In that case, the institution should adopt a system that will ensure that a high proportion of the students graduate in a particular course that others would deem difficult. Johnston (2010, pp. 30-31) avers that the first year of every student is significant in helping those students who are at a high risk. How a student is treated during the first year is a major determinant of whether or not they are there for the long run. In that case, one of the systems that can be adopted is making sure that the school embraces a holistic culture that does not discriminate students and one that is friendly, develops a sense of belonging, helps the students to adapt successfully to the school, and build up on non-cognitive skills that will enhance or foster persistence as well as resilience up to their graduation year.
The educators and the parents should also be fully involved in the student’s welfare from the first year of their college life. This is because students require a lot of feedback from their instructors on how they are progressing (White & DiBenedetto, 2015, p. 215-216). This will get the students motivated to work hard since they know that other people are concerned about their education and are willing to help them out to graduate successfully. This will also allow the educators a prospect of discussing related academic problems with the students and advise them on the resources they need or strategies to employ to resolve their problems.
Colleges should also develop Student Success Centers that have a student director. The center can be occupied by student coaches who will be handling any challenges that crop up. In this case, the role of the director should be focused on advising the students and ensuring their retention. He or she should coordinate as well as initiate intervention strategies early enough to make sure that the students get the assistance they require while in college. Moreover, the student coaches can act as a support system in the school by welcoming the first-year students, building rapport, answering their questions, and helping them whenever they have a problem. As a result, struggling students will feel that they are part of the school and will get the necessary help when they require it.
Finally, it is important for colleges to have an alert system. This will notify the management and the Success Centers about any challenges that they might be facing such as high absenteeism, learning problems, low grades, and emotional challenges among others. This will be quite important mostly among the first year students to improve their perception about learning early enough and create a strong bond with them (Goss & Andren, 2014). On the same note, having an alert system will help the coaches to contact the affected students and intervene in improving their situations. The student coaches can also direct these students to significant resources such as counseling, financial assistance, or tutoring centers. They can also offer advice on how they can contact specific lecturers to get the necessary help.
Conclusion
College dropout is a serious issue since it impacts negatively on the future of a student. It reduces their chance of getting meaningful employment, being financially empowered, and emotionally stable. Most of the college drop-outs also end up having low self-esteem due to lack of skills and knowledge. In that case, this proposal is important as it has highlighted some of the important strategies that can be employed to correct this issue and improve the rate of college graduation. Some of these strategies include having strict laws, ensuring that there is an alarm system to solve challenges as they come, creating a Success Center, and developing programs early enough that will motivate students to remain in school among others.
References
American Youth Policy Forum. (n.d). Every nine seconds in America a student becomes a dropout . Retrieved from http://www.aypf.org/publications/WhateverItTakes/WIT_nineseconds.pdf
Brewer, D & McEwan, P. (2010). Economics of education. California, CA: Elsevier.
Dynarski, S. (2015). How to improve graduation rates at community colleges. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/12/upshot/how-to-improve-graduation-rates-at-community-colleges.html?mcubz=1
Goss, C & Andren, K. (2014). Dropout prevention . London, UK: The Guilford Press.
Johnston, B. (2010). The first year at university: teaching students in transition . London, UK: Open University Press.
Kauffman, J & Hallahan, D. (2011). Handbook of special education . New York, NY: Routledge.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education. (2009). Dropout reduction: prevention, intervention and recovery . Retrieved from http://www.doe.mass.edu/dropout/overview.html?section=consequences
NPR. (2006). Helping dropouts break the cycle of poverty . Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5300726
Rosen, L. (2005). College is not for everyone. London, UK: Rowman & Littlefield.
White, M & Dibenedetto, M. (2015). Self-regulation and the common core: application to ELA standards. New York, NY: Routledge.
