School suspension rates have been rising since the early 1970s, especially for children of color. One body of research has demonstrated that suspension from school is harmful to students, as it increases the risk of retention and school dropout. Another has demonstrated that school dropouts impose huge social costs on their states and localities,…

An ethnographic study is presented, which attempts to gain a better understanding of the gap between California high school students who are at-risk, who eventually drop out, and who are academically successful. Focus is on families, teacher student relationships, peer influence, and social context. A sample of 10 high achieving and 10 low…

This study investigates the role of background characteristics and in-school and out-of-school experiences on public high school dropout rates using data on the 1980 sophomore class from the High School and Beyond Survey. Major findings include the following: (1) dropping out of high school is a complex phenomenon, influenced by an interaction of…