Dropping Out of High School: The Influence of Race, Sex, and Family Background

Russell W. Rumberger

547 citations0/0 files storedAmerican Educational Research Journal

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Educational Outcomes and Influences Higher Education Research Studies School Choice and Performance

Abstract

This paper examines the extent of the high school dropout problem in 1979 and investigates both the stated reasons students leave school and some of the underlying factors influencing their decision. Particular attention is focused on differences by sex, race, and family background. Data for this research come from a new, national sample of youth who were 14 to 21 years of age in 1979. A multivariate model is developed to estimate the effects of family background and other factors on the decision to drop out of school. Several results emerge from the study: The reasons students cite for leaving school vary widely, with women more likely to leave because of pregnancy or marriage and men more likely to leave to go to work; family background strongly influences the propensity to drop out of school and accounts for virtually all the racial differences in dropout rates; various other factors, including ability and aspirations, also influence this decision.

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1966Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement.1973Wage Discrimination: Reduced Form and Structural Estimates 1978The Transition to Adulthood: Sex Differences in Educational Attainment and Age at Marriage

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