A Tutorial and Counseling Program: Helping Students at Risk of Dropping out of School

The problem of students leaving school before graduation is a national crisis. Twenty-five percent of our nation's youth, between 14 and 16 years of age, drop out of high school before graduation (Brodinsky 1989). Minority students, who lack opportunities due to poverty, geographical location, and racist attitudes, are especially atrisk of not completing their education (Dryfoos, 1990; McWhirter, McWhirter, McWhirter & McWhirter, 1993; Schorr,1988). With an average of 3,789 teenagers leaving our school systems daily, the economic implications are astronomical (Capuzzi & Gross,1989; Morris,1991). Dropouts cost U. S. taxpayers billions of dollars in lost local, state, and federal tax revenues. The unemployment rate of high school dropouts is four times higher than that of graduates. As well, dropouts earn approximately $200,000 less, over a lifetime, than do graduates. Not all costs, however, are economic. Research has shown that 75% of prison inmates dropped out of school (Beck,1991; Brodinsky,1989; Capuzzi & Gross,1989; Morris, 1991; Myll, 1988). In addition, the same research revealed that dropouts have children, and as heads of households, the cycles of their own lives are repeated. These cycles involve lives of deprivation, failure, and low self-esteem. There are many reasons why students become discouraged about their educational experiences and drop-out. Finding alternatives to combat this problem can be complex. These alternatives involve the commitment of educators, politicians, and parents. If the students who are at-risk of dropping out of school are not identified and helped, the ripple effect may be seen throughout society in our prisons, the jobless rate, and in families that later suffer from poverty, alcoholism, violence, and neglect (White & Mullis,1992). There is strong evidence that repeated failure in school leads to more failure and, finally, to dropping out of school. There is general agreement that underachievement and low self-esteem are the primary reasons for dropping out of school (Brodinsky, 1989; Canfield, 1992; Waitley, 1987). In addition, educators strongly agree that unproductive behavior is concomitant with low self-esteem and underachievement (Brodinsky,1989; Lehr & Harris,1988; Silvernail,1986). Healthy self-esteem, productive classroom behavior, and successful learning experiences are critical factors for staying in school (Brodinsky,1989; Canfield,1992; Glenn,1993;Waitley, 1987). We believe school counselors may be able to provide services that will encourage students to feel they are valued and raise their self image as learners. This, in turn, may increase the probability of their staying in school. Two major approaches for dropout prevention have been counseling services and tutorial programs (Brodinsky,1989; Morris,1991; Myll,1988). Each approach has been successful in assisting some at-risk students. A combination of these two approaches, however, could provide at-risk students with a comprehensive means of receiving assistance. Therefore, more at-risk students would be able to experience success and graduate from high school. The study presented here reports the evaluation of the effects of a tutorial program and the combination of a tutorial and counseling program on the achievement, self-esteem, and classroom behavior of middle school students at-risk of dropping out of school. It was designed by a middle school counselor in a rural, North Georgia school system. The program is based on the assumption that self-esteem, academic achievement, and classroom behavior are highly correlated (Cole,1986; Glasser,1986;Walz,1984). Because there was a high percentage of at-risk students at this school, the counselor developed a program that combined the services of tutorial assistance and group counseling. The program was aimed at raising self-esteem, increasing achievement, and increasing positive classroom behavior. …