Some facts about common reasons students drop out:

Six Predictive Factors:

The following individual-level factors are all strongly predictive of dropping out of high school:

1. Grade retention (Being held back to repeat a grade)
2. Poor academic performance
3. Moves during high school
4. High absenteeism
5. Misbehavior
6. The student's feeling that no adult in the school cares about his or her welfare

Socioeconomic Background:
National data show that students from low-income families are 2.4 times more likely to drop out of school than are children from middle-income families, and 10.5 times more likely than students from high-income families.

12% of dropouts ran away from home.

Disabilities:
Students with disabilities are also more likely to drop out. The National Transition Study estimates that as many as 36.4% of disabled youth drop out of school before completing a diploma or certificate.

Academic Factors:
National research also indicates that academic factors are clearly related to dropping out. Students who received poor grades, who repeat a grade, or who are overage for their class are more likely to drop out. Almost 20% of all dropouts were held back a grade, and almost half failed a course.

Also, 69% were not motivated to work hard; 66% would have worked harder if more had been demanded of them.

Absenteeism:
Students who have poor attendance for reasons other than illness are also more likely to drop out. Clearly, students who miss school fall behind their peers in the classroom. This, in turn, leads to low self-esteem and increases the likelihood that at-risk students will drop out of school.

Almost one-half of dropouts missed at least 10 days of school, one-third cut class at least 10 times, and one-quarter were late at least 10 times.

Occupational Aspirations:
Young people’s perceptions of the economic opportunities available to them also play a role in their decision to drop out or stay in school. Dropouts often have lower occupational aspirations than their peers.

32% said they had to get a job and make money and had trouble keeping up with both school and work.

References:

Underlying Causes of High School Dropout. Jan 6, 2001. Family Connection Partnership. June 11, 2007
<http://www.gafcp.org/pubs/rep/causeshsdropout.doc>