Failing School or Dropping Out

High School drop outs are 72% more likely to be unemployed and they will earn 27% less than high school graduates. (Source, Dept. of Labor)

When a teen's grades begin to slip, parent's often ascribe it to the stresses of adolescence and the changes they are going through. Parents will often hold off on taking action because they believe it is a phase. However, when a traditionally bright achiever starts to struggle in school, miss classes, and grades start to drop, it is often a sign of larger problems.

Causes for a sudden change in academic performance can be emotional or behavioral, can be due to an unrecognized learning disability, or can be due to drug or alcohol use.

Parents should never dismiss a change in academic performance or missing classes as a "phase" that will pass. The sooner you intervene and take steps to get your teen back on track with school, the more likely he or she is to graduate from high school.

The National Dropout Prevention Center has identified many strategies that have had positive effects on the dropout rate. Among them are:

Alternative schooling
Family involvement
Instructional technologies
Reading and writing programs
Service learning
Individualized instruction
Conflict resolution
Mentoring/tutoring
Out-of-school experiences
Learning style/multiple intelligences strategies
Community collaboration
Career education/workforce readiness