A STUDY OP DROP-OUTS IK. THE BUENA VISfA HIGH SCHOOL 3-91+S - I 950 A Project Presented to the Faculty of the Department of Education The College of W illiam and Mary In P a rtia l Fulfillment*' of the Requirements fo r the Degree M aster of Education by Louis© Brockenbrough August 1951 ProQuest Number: 10632183 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest. ProQuest 10632183 Published by ProQuest LLC (2017). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, MI48106 - 1346 The w riter wishes to express her sincere appre­ ciatio n to the members of her committee, Mr* Richard B. Brooks, chairman, Dr* Lee Demeter and Mr* George R. Myers, fo r th e ir sympathetic understanding and p atien t guidance throughout the study* The w riter wishes to acknowledge the encouragement of her parents, whose fa ith and confidence in the w riter* a b ility were in sp iratio n al* table of cow nsm s l t I3OT0P0CTX0I * * * * #. * * . , * * * ♦ • * # * * * * 1 Statem ent of the problem * * * * * *■ * *■ 4 * * 1 Purpose of the study * .* .# *#• • « •» •* > •* '*/# •* >• 1 Significance of the study .*. « .*■■ # * * * * * * 1 S ettin g of the study * * * * * . . * * * ' * * • * 2 Scope and lim itatio n of the study * * * * * * ? . D efinition of terms * * * *■ * * * *. * * * * .*■ _ 7 Sources- of Inform ation and procedures * * * * 8 Chapter organisation. * # * * * ♦ • * * * *' * * * 9 11* review of related literature a 10 111* mE®mrmxoM of fihdimgs * ♦ * * * . * * • * ♦ * • 21 The drop-out * * ». . * * * * * .♦ * * * * * * 21 Individual factors. « « * * * - • * * ' * * * 21 .Educational factors' * * * * * * * * * * * * 25 — Family facto rs * . * . # ■ * ■ ♦ * * ■ * * * * . * * * 30 The graduate * * * * * ,* * * * . . * * « * » * » * 3k Individual, factors # * * * * 4- * * * * * * * 3^ Educational factors « • * * * * * * * * * * 38 •Family factors *■ * * y * * * * * . # • * * - * * 1*0 IV* I1ITEBFBETATI0M OF. THE FIIDIHGS * * * * * * * * * hfi V* CONCLOSIOHS AHD RECOMMENDATIONS * * * * * * * * $k iv. CHAPTER PAGE Conclusions .. *■-. v *■ ■*''»• »■ *• 5U Recomiaondations •• . *’ .• * .* *■ *••••' «• r .. 57 ■BIBLIOGRAPHY . , V V • - > . . . . . . » . •* . 60 APPENDIX . » , , , » , .• . . . * . * . . • 62 M Sf OP TABLES SB£E ' . . . . . . PAGE a' * , ’ -i ’ *J ' " f ' * " * 11 - *■ ,1, Employment Bata . for In d u strial Workers in 4 33UOne Vis t 3 Si •* # #. 4 ■§■ #.. ■*■ *■ _ * 4 4 Jf 4 4. •*. II;* Training of teachers in Buena Vi e ta Publi c ..School.*, # * .* * * 4 4 4 * v# 4 - 4 4 . ♦ h- III * train in g o f teachers in Buena Vi eta Public School* lpl|*9**S0 4, 4 * 4. 4. .4 .f ,4 * * 5 4 IV*- 4ge of Drop'-outs at time of leaving School * 01 V* Humber of Years Drop-outs Were uFIve ’pointers11 00 VI*.. Occupations- of the .Prop*?outs. .* * 4 * * * * * 23 VII*. Humber of Hours- Worked^ Per Week % “Bfop^oubs Before then heft. School. > f *" # * -* * * V 2l| Y Y * * *. 2k VIII* in tellig en ce Q uotients o f Brop^buts II* ( average Per 0m% o f Bays Brop~outs -Were’ \Y Y. Y Y # Y Y 25 absent Before leaving* School 'Y Y#..Y* I* Ora$e; Placement of the Bropiouts * 25 II* .Humber of Blementary Grades Repeated by D rop-outs * ' * * ' » #'.■•# 4 4- *.4 4,4 # # * 4. 26 III* Humber of' High School Subjects Repeated by Brop-*outs » *- * * * * # * * 4 * 4 4 4 4 '4 .21 IIIX* .Humber, of ixbra^OUrflbnl&r A ctiv ities "In Which Drop**outs P articip ated While ^ S till V V Y Y Y Y in School * 4 * 4 4 ^ 4 * 4 *4 ’ 2? 4 XIV* Reasons for Drop-outs heaving School #- * * * .-29 XV* Causes‘ o f Broken Romos- o f ' Brep^outs:' *■ f * * * * , Y ‘ XVXf , Sice ' of • fam ily.of, Brop*out#-. *• * * rY * f f f» XVII*.' Humber of Fam iiles liv in g in ' the,'Homes ' of 1 f * 4 •■4 * ; V * 4' 1 * * l)rOp**-OUtS- • ■:•; .f- i * 4 f ♦ « f '* f f: f f" f: XVIII., Occupations, o f' Fathers', of Grop-ohtp Y to.-* Y r XIX* .Ocoupntions.V. of ■'.^other's ofB rop^outs v\* r ■*- t. ■• S ’ “ '' V XX* Humber' of. Homes Owned 'and Rented - by parents v Of Drop "*QUtS ;. f * f f 4, f. * «, f:- 4\ ;#• 4\ f ■'*; > XXI i Age o f ’G raduates c h limp. of leaving School; 4, XXII*: Humber of Years Graduates Were “Five P ointers11 < ' • ' i V t i jS „ XXIII4 oocupations of the Graduates ' *. -#.* * 4 -4,4 f XXIV.#, Humber of Hours /Worked Per Week by Graduates. While A ttending School * .4 * 4 4 . .♦ f-’ #* i* 4 XXV* . In tellig en ce Q uotients of th e . Graduates. ♦, *- .'■*■; XXVI. .Average' Per Cent Of Bays Graduate's ■ Ware Absent ’ ' ' > ■* XXVII-* Humber o f .Elementary Grades- Repeated.■ by ■ • G raduates. f # » ' f 4. * *, * * 4 ♦ 4; 4 ■* 4 * * J i V * ij- '* ' * Y T; XXVIII* Humber of. High School .Subjects 'Repeated b y 4- .-Graduates .,4- * .4. ..*# * 4 '# * * 4 4 -4- * . f , ♦ * .>■. -. XXIX♦ Humber of .ititra^O U rri,cul;a ra A ctiv ities In- » . ■ . ; ; .* .; . Which Graduates P arti cipated ., 4 ♦ t 4 t- .w XXXf Causes of Broken Homes of Graduates .4 * * 4,...* XXXI* Sice of ..Fmaily-of the Graduates y > * # ;* * XXXII* Humber of Fam ilies Living in th e "Homes o f ^ the Graduates * * * * •* * * * * * * 4 # 4 -*, v ll 'Mill PAGE XXXIII* lumber of Tear si Mothers o f Graduates. _ Attended, Ili^t .gchool • * * .* * * ,# .* « *■ # k2 XXXIV* Humber of Years Fathers of Graduates A ttended. High Sehool. * * * *-*":* * * I|3 30OT* Geeupabiohs. of Fathers' of the Graduates * , » XX3|YX* occupations q£ Mothers of. the Graduates *. * » ,fy5 XX3OTI. Humber of Homes Owned and Heated by Parents • ? p « ■ ,• • of Graduates , ♦ # » * #. • . * * * ■* I * IjJ* XXXTOX* Humber of Years Students fere nFive Pointers?* I|7 .; XXXIX* Humber ’ of. Fam ilies .living,, in Homes. o f ' ©rop^outs .,and:Graduates * ■» ■#■•■* *. .« * * ■*■ - *& CIAPXBE I INTHGDUCTXOir Statem ent of the problem# A study -of the individuals who le f t school p rio r to graduation In one c ity in V irginia is the problem of the. w riter# Purpose of the study# Specifically* the .subject' of th is study Is the drop-out pupils from the Buena V ista High School w ith the p a rticu la r objectivesI I* To find out why some pupils drop out o f school p rio r to graduation* 2# To develop the general c h arac teristics of- the drop-out as he appears in the C ity of Buena V ista in order th at the p o ten tial drop-out might be recognised by the faculty* 3# To find out in what respects drop-outs are lik e or unlike pupils who remain In school u n til graduation# U* To recommend ways in which the holding power of the school could be Increased# Significance of the study# Today# democracy* the worth of the individual* and the American way of lif e are being challenged and trie d more rigorously than ever before* I t therefore becomes increasingly im portant th at American youth he educated for the re spons ih i1i t i es and a c tiv itie s of an effective citizen* Nevertheless, during, the year 1950* there were in the United S tates 7&L#000 youth from ages twelve through, seventeen .who were not in school •*** It has been"estim ated th at the quoted fig u re fo r 1950 would .even increase to 0*5Olj.*0O0, toy i960, unless the tren d ,is checked*^ Each school divisio n then must accept as..its p a rtic u la r ro le the extension of its. facilities to every youth w ith in .its boundaries-^ g ettin g of the s.tndyi Buena Vista# a c ity o f 5*219 people, ..is ■essentially a m anufacturing town* fhe p rincipal in d u stries and the number they .employ ares .silk m ills, 308f tannery, 80; paper m ill, 90% ex tract, 52; and. a stationery# 80* F ifteen m iles away is,-a rug. factory which employs 2,200 people.,# 700 being from. Buena Vista* Unemployment has not been a probl m ; Buena. V ista ra te s among, the, six., c itie s in V irginia.having the low est unemployment rate*, .fable t shows the average number employed and average salary'-per week, of the workers in the industries*, ^Federal Security Agency# Why Do Boys and.Girls Drop Out of School, - and What Can We Boat soul■-1¥? ' ''riisbiSbon, D* G* t TTffiiTed States' Government p rin tin g "Office,, 1950), P* 36* 2, "Ibid *