Students with Handicaps Who Drop Out of School / Susan Thompson-Hoffman and Becky Jon Hayward.

This paper summarizes recent national and state studies of dropout rates and associated factors among special education students. Data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study of special education exiters indicated a national dropout rate of 36% for school years 1985-86 and 1986-87, compared with 17% for the general school population. In 1987-88 comprehensive state-level data collected by the Office of Special Education Programs in the U.S. Department of Education indicated a national dropout rate of 27% plus an additional 17% in the "other" (mostly unknown) category. The largest percentage of dropouts was in the category of emotionally disturbed, while the largest number of school leavers was in the category of learning disabled. State special education dropout rates ranged from 2% in Connecticut to 46% in New York. The 1987 High School Transcript Study--a national study--found that special education students in small towns and rural areas were more likely to graduate than those in large or medium cities but less likely to graduate than those in urban fringe areas. A variety of studies have associated higher dropout rates with Hispanics, males, low income households, low parental educational attainment, poor academic performance, poor social adjustment, frequent absenteeism, low parental support, alcohol or drug problems, frequent school transfers, and grade repetition at the middle or high school level. Handicapped dropouts have high unemployment, low earnings, and few opportunities for further education. This paper contains 71 references. (SV)

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