EXPLORING THE CAUSES OF EARLY DROPOUT AMONG RACE-ETHNIC AND GENDER GROUPS

This study uses nationally representative high school student data to show race-ethnicity and gender differences in reasons for early school dropout and plans for dropouts to resume their education Factor analy ses show that separate reasons for dropping out include school-related , family-related and job-related causes, as well as influences from pe ers and residential mobility White dropouts cited alienation from scho ol more often than either African Americans or Hispanics of both sexes . African American males reported being suspended or expelled from sch ool more than the other groups. Hispanic and African American females cited family-related reasons more often than did White females. The ov erwhelming majority of dropouts did have plans for resuming their educ ation, which differed across race-ethnicity and gender: Male and femal e White dropouts planned to take equivalency tests; Hispanic adolescen ts planned attending alternative high schools; and African American ad olescents planned to return to a regular high school to earn their dip lomas. Implications for research and practice are discussed.