| Although many youth are successful in high school, there is still an ongoing concern for the increased number of students who choose to leave the system before graduating. Past research has focused on background and school-related characteristics of the dropout. The factors identified in the past are relatively static and difficult to change. Characteristics within the student that can be changed and have the potential to impact learning need to be studied.;In the present study, self-efficacy and attributions for success and failure were analyzed, in addition to demographics, parents' level of education, teacher behaviors, and student behaviors. The School Opinion Survey was administered to high school sophomores and juniors in five rural high schools, followed by identification of stay-ins and dropouts at the end of the school year. The self-report questionnaire yielded data regarding demographics and school-related information, perceptions of self-efficacy beliefs toward achievement, personal attributions for success and failure, and future career intentions regarding occupational aspirations and expectations. Of the 974 completed surveys, 862 students were enrolled throughout the school year (stay-ins) and 43 students chose to leave high school (dropouts). Sixty-nine students transferred, were expelled, or left the system and returned; therefore, they did not meet the criteria for the study.;Dropouts were found to be significantly lower in socioeconomic level, grade point average, and attendance, which agree with past findings. Using three scales of Bandura's Children's Self-efficacy Scale, stay-ins were significantly higher for enlisting social resources, academic achievement, and self-regulated learning. On the Kaslow's Revised Children's Attributional Style Questionnaire, the overall composite score was significantly higher for stay-ins.;Overall, the variables found to separate the groups were grade point average, educational goals, teacher behavior, absences, having a sibling who dropped out, and self-efficacy for self-regulated learning. Using these variables, nearly 82% of the total cases were correctly classified. |
