This exploratory study assessed African-American freshman and sophomore students’ decisions to remain in school and their opinions regarding specific dropout prevention programs. Results indicated that students believed that school completion would prepare them for the future. The opinion of family members was consistently ranked as most important in supporting students’ decisions to remain in school, and the primary barriers to completing school were related to family issues, academic problems and personal issues. Overall, students were most interested in intervention programs having to do with preparation for their futures—jobs and goals. The importance of tailoring education to meet the needs of African-American students is emphasized.
Project: Choices of Life for Adolescence Success (CLASS) Project
Citation
Miller-Cribbs, J., Davis, L., Cronen, S., & Johnson, S. (2000). Listening to African-American students: An exploratory analysis of factors that foster academic success (CSD Working Paper No. 00-1). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development.