Sometimes, the problem can be traced all the way back to insufficient preparation during a student's first five years of life.
Some students drop out because they are pregnant, impaired by alcohol and drugs, or incarcerated.
Some leave school because they need the income they can earn from full-time employment. And some simply become discouraged. The bottom line is schools and communities have the responsibility and the power to increase the number of ninth graders who stay in school and graduate four years later. Most students who drop out of high school have a history of performing poorly in their required courses. Schools, families, and communities can prevent or stop these patterns by expecting every student to meet academic challenges, by intervening early when performance declines, and by providing extra help to keep at-risk students in school.