| The failure of the education system to graduate Latino students is not easily understood; it is called the Civil Rights of the 21st century (Orfield, Losen, Wald, & Swanson, 2004). The mission of the high schools is to prepare and graduate all students who enter. Based on the review of the literature, it appears that nationwide a disproportionate number of students of color continue to drop out annually and educational decision-makers have found few solutions to effectively address this problem. Many studies have been undertaken, but few have explored the voice of the dropout who is most impacted. The purpose of this research study was to explore the perspective and experiences of 15 southern California Latino dropouts, the impact they had on their decisions to drop out, and what factors could have made the difference in their graduating. I conducted individual in-depth interviews and a focus group discussion. Three themes emerged in the findings: (a) Lack of Sense of a Belonging to the School Community, (b) Disengagement Due to School Practices, and (c) Self-Blame for Dropping Out. According to the findings, the participants felt that their educational experiences deprived them of support and opportunities and in fact contributed to their disengagement and withdrawal from high school. Participants wanted to adhere to the rules of the school, but felt discouraged by educators. Listening to the voices of Latinos who have dropped out is a critical element to understanding the realities they encountered in their schooling. Their suggestions were consistent with the research on resiliency. Their ideas can be utilized to help the educational community advocate for resiliency-building in schools in order to promote social and academic success and reduce the dropout rates among Latino youth. |
