Secondary Education/Dropout Prevention

As a result of the No Child Left Behind Act, migrant educators must ensure that secondary students receive adequate opportunities to achieve academic success and graduate from high school. Educators face many challenges when serving secondary migrant students who exhibit at-risk behaviors and/or are at risk of dropping out of school. Nearly 25 percent of teen school dropouts were born outside the United States, and nearly 40 percent of these dropouts are recent arrivals to this country who were already behind in school before they left for the United States, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. With the nationwide migrant dropout rate holding at close to 50%, educators need to make informed, evidence-based decisions when designing dropout retrieval programs and raise the graduation rate of secondary migrant and other "at-risk" students.

While research supports the positive influence of early intervention in the educational success of children with multiple risk factors, there is also strong evidence that points to the beneficial effects of sustained intervention and support of migrant secondary students.

Effective strategies include:

1) monitoring of students’ progress in accruing credits and meeting graduation requirements;

2) offering extended learning opportunities including basic skills, enrichment, ESL instruction, and GED preparation;

3) providing alternatives such as work experience programs, (Rasmussen, 1988); and

4) providing support services including child care, counseling and referral to social service agencies, self-concept development, and transportation (Salerno, 1991).

Florida CNA Graduation Goals