A Study of Drop-Outs in the Buena Vista High School

74 Pages·5.641 MB·English

by  Brockenbrough, Louise

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
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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
*