Youth intervention in Minnesota has many faces - John Huber is the principal of Insight School of Minnesota. In this post, he describes his experience with early intervention for high school dropouts.
Last year a report was released by the U.S. Census Bureau showing 6.2 million students dropped out of high school in 2007. That number is astonishing. Given the right environment and support system, every student should be able to learn and receive their diploma. To see that number decrease, students who are considering dropping out need to be reached – as soon as possible – for an intervention and need to know about the alternative options that are available to them.
As the principal of an online high school, Insight School of Minnesota, I see students every day that might have dropped out of high school if it weren’t for online education. Their reasons for dropping out (or considering it) vary, but the following are a few common issues I’ve heard:
- I’m behind on schoolwork, missing classes, or feel that what I’m learning isn’t important. Some students start falling behind, need to retake a course, miss early classes or just aren’t happy with what they’re learning. An online environment gives them time to catch up on courses personalized for them when they are ready to study.
- I need to work to provide income for my family. The fact that students can work during the day and then log in and go to their coursework around their work schedule keeps them on pace to graduate while still being able to earn money to support themselves or their families.
- I don’t have childcare options during the typical school day. Similarly, students that are also parents can work around their child’s sleep patterns or when they have family members who are home to care for them.
- I’ve been a victim of bullying, relationship violence or negative peer pressure. Some students who have dealt with these situations in a brick & mortar school might just need a change of scenery or more privacy to get away from feeling overwhelmed or in danger.
This is far from a complete list. The point is that there are many reasons why students drop out. Many kids just feel stuck, and reaching them before they make the wrong decision is of upmost importance. Here are a couple of statistics that might catch the attention of such students:
- A high school dropout earns an average of about $260,000 less over his or her lifetime than a high school graduate and about $1 million less than a college graduate
- 81 percent of students who drop out say they now believe graduating from high school is important to success in life
(Both via the Gates Foundation’s Silent Epidemic Report)
K-12 online learning has grown substantially recently. More than 28,000 Minnesota high school students took courses online in ’08-’09, a 19 percent increase from ’07-’08 (Evergreen Education Group). The flexibility to learn on your own time, at your own pace and where you are comfortable has proven very helpful for many students.
There are other options besides online learning, though. If students don’t feel online education is the right choice for them, many high schools offer vocational or technical school options. Others partner with community colleges to offer dual-credit courses, and some schools have nighttime programs that might just be what a student needs.
If you know a student who might need the kind of intervention I’m talking about, visit www.dropoutnanswers.com.
John Huber is principal of Insight School of Minnesota, a fully supported diploma-granting online public high school. Insight School of Minnesota is tuition-free for Minnesota residents and is made possible through a partnership between Brooklyn Center School District and Insight Schools, Inc. To learn more, call 800-711-5944, or visit www.insightmn.net.
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