Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Last Dropout Presentation
The Last Dropout Presentation
The Last Dropout Presentation
Background Information
Dropout rates: United States
Sex
Males: 7.3%
Females 5.9%
Ethnicity
American Indian: 14.6%
Hispanic: 12.7%
African American: 7.5%
Caucasian: 4.3%
Asian: 3.3% (Lowest)
High school dropouts and crime. (2013). [Google Image]. Retrieved from
https://oag.ca.gov/truancy/2013/ch2
Hispanics (65%)
(Cardoza, 2012)
Occupational Justice, School Connectedness, and High School Dropout: The Role of Occupational
Therapy in Meeting the Needs of an Underserved Population
Students who are considered at risk in high school are those not experiencing academic success in
school and are therefore more likely to drop out (Marczuk,Taff, & Berg, 2014, p.236)
Be involved in crime
Be incarcerated
Mental health
Live in poverty
Become a parent
(Suhyun, 2007)
Author Biography
Bill Milliken
Forced out at age 17
Grew up in middle-class suburb of
Pittsburgh
(Milliken, 2007)
Written to make society aware of the increasing dropout rates this country is facing
Book consists of various stories of youth who were at risk of dropping out of school or being
forced out due to marginalization
Communities consisted of violence, crime, gangs, drugs, sex, and lack of basic necessities
Kids in the community were learning how to sell drugs and carry around guns rather than
learning math, reading, and writing to pursue an education
Five things that every child needs to be successful:
One-on-one relationship with a caring adult
A safe place to learn and grow
A healthy start and healthy future
A marketable skill to use upon graduation
A chance to give back to peers and the community
(Milliken, 2007)
Current President
Dan Cardinali
Assess student needs and provides
resources to promote success in the
classroom and in life
CIS is the nations leading community-based
organizations helping kids succeed in
schools and prepare for life after school
Currently, the organization serves 1 million
students and families each year including
more than 2, 700 schools.
(Milliken, 2007)
Poor health
Peer pressure
Unsafe environment
Unattainable resources
Population
At Risk Youth, Dropouts
Common values:
Independence
Commitment to their friends
and community
Responsibilities of family care
Common beliefs:
Following family traditions
Education is not a necessity
Common Roles
Friend, sibling, parent, child,
member of group or
association, & employee
Interview Questions
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13.
Interview #1
17 years old, male
Detroit, MI
Family consisted of mom, dad, 1 older sister, and 1 older brother
What were some of the events that lead you to drop out of school?
Due to the financial difficulties that my family was experiencing at that time, I knew that I had a very small opportunity to attend a
four year college. I knew my parents couldnt pay for me to go to college so I decided to help my family out and start a business,
which lead me to dropping of high school. When I was 18 years old, I owned three businesses which included a nightclub, pharmacy,
and a medical supply company. By owning these businesses, I was able to support my family.
Did you identify yourself as a typical dropout? If not, how did you identify yourself?
No because I was not lazy compared to some of the other drop-outs. Most of the individuals went to drugs and alcohol, as where I
turned to hard work, family, and friends to get through this time. I didnt consider myself to be dumb I was just not interested in
school at that time in my life.
Did you experience depression, drug abuse, or any thoughts of suicide after you dropped out?
No. Some of the kids that I knew who dropped out got into the hard drugs and always tried to get me to do it with them, but I
always refused and eventually distanced myself from them. Just because I dropped out doesnt mean I wasnt happy with my life.
School isnt for everyone, and Im a prime example of that. My father said to me that if I did drop out of school, I better work my butt
off to make a better life for myself, and Ive lived by that my entire life.
Where is He Now?
58 years old
Rochester Hills, MI
Interview #2
12 year old, male
Los Angeles, CA
Family consisted of mom, 2 older sisters, and 1 younger brother
Teacher stated, Never will you amount to anything, at best youll be a garbage man
What were some of the events that lead you to drop out of school?
Nobody cares of what you did or where you were. Having no role models. Having nobody to actually care about what you do.
Did you identify yourself as a typical dropout? If not, how did you identify yourself?
No, because the typical dropout was more of a lazy person. If i had someone who would of cared about me and see what I was
doing, I would have done better in life than what I am doing right now. Honestly, I always look back at my life and imagine if I had
someone to push me when I was little, where would I be right now.
Did you experience depression, drug abuse, or any thoughts of suicide after you dropped out?
No. Not really. That kind of stuff was more for dumb people. I liked myself too much to think about that stuff. When I was little, I
shed away from this because I wanted to work to make money. I never went around selling drugs. I just wanted to work.
Interview Audio
#3 How did your immediate family dynamics both positively and/or negatively influence
your choice to dropout
#6 What were the current community resources (gov assistance, shelter/food, youth
programs) available at the time? How did you obtain them? how did you find out about
them?
#11 Do you have children, and if so what are your thoughts and parenting approach
regarding education and staying in school?
Where is He Now?
42 years old
Moses Lake, WA
Husband and father to a daughter and
son
Owner of:
Pro-Touch Auto Detail, LLC
Boat/Jet-ski/ ATV Rental
Pro-Touch Car Wash, LLC ( 2 locations)
Interview #3
15 year old, female
Little Rock, AR
Family consisted of drug addicted mom, no father, and older sister
What were some of the events that lead you to drop out of school?
The only reason I dropped out of school is because I did not want to be known as the pregnant girl in 9th grade. And thought
that I would get a job and get a house and get married but it didn't work out as expected.
Did you identify yourself as a typical dropout? If not, how did you identify yourself?
I identified myself as young woman who decided to be there for my daughter and try to support her because I couldn't rely on
anyone else to support her but me. She was my responsibility and she didnt ask to be here, I brought her here.
Did you experience depression, drug abuse, or any thoughts of suicide after you dropped out?
Yes, I experienced depression and drug abuse. I had got into weed, pills, and alcohol and it got to the point where I was doing
drugs and drinking and partying everyday. I was trying to cope with the depression and still try to be a teenager. I thank God
everyday I still have my children.
(Sum, Khatiwada, & McLaughlin, 2009)
24 years old
Little Rock, AR
Working at Wal-Mart
OT Implications
School-community collaboration
Mentoring/tutoring
Professional development
Active learning
Community awareness
Individualized instruction
(Milliken, 2007)
OT Implications cont.
Current OT Role in school-based therapy
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004- helps individuals with disabilities
impacting educational performance, not occupational needs
Not included in school transition planning teams restricting their potential impact at a crucial
point in students academic careers
School wide engagement programs and skill-building activities such as talent shows,
community projects, fundraising, or mentoring at an elementary school.
OTs must reframe their role in schools and communities and build capacities in advocacy,
sustaining partnerships and program planning, implementation and evaluation
(Marczuk,Taff, & Berg, 2014)
Family stability
Mentorship
Community involvement
Preventative services
Forbes. (2015). [Google image]. Retrieved from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/yec/2013/06/18/seven-dos-and-donts-formentors/#abcfe30322b6
(Milliken, 2007)
Prevention
(Milliken, 2007)
Group Reflection
Get into your social justice presentation groups
Discuss with your groups:
How the positioning of the characters in your book and the population they represent affect
their access to opportunities and resources in which would put them at risk for dropping out of
school
This population often is unaware of the marginalization they are experiencing because the focus
is on their defeat and angst toward school. Because many are under the age of 18 and do not
have a voice to advocate for their needs, the responsibility lies on adults. What are your
thoughts regarding this topic being an example of ageism?
Currently OTs working in the school district do not specifically address dropout prevention. How
can OTs be incorporated into the process of prevention in collaboration with the school district?
Why do you think the U.S. is so far behind other developed countries in terms of high school
graduation rates?
References
Americas Promise Alliance. (2016). High school graduation facts: Ending the dropout crisis. Retrieved from
http://www.americaspromise.org/high-school-graduation-facts-ending-dropout-crisis
Bridgeland, J. M., DiIulio Jr, J. J., & Morison, K. B. (2006). The silent epidemic: Perspectives of high school dropouts. Civic
Enterprises. Retrieved from https://docs.gatesfoundation.org/documents/thesilentepidemic3-06final.pdf
Cardoza, K. (2012). Graduation rates increase around the globe as U.S. plateaus. Retrieved from
http://wamu.org/news/morning_edition/12/02/21/graduation_rates_increase_around_the_globe_as_us_plateaus
Communities in School. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.communitiesinschools.org/
Hammell, K. (2013). Occupation, well-being, and culture: Theory and cultural humility. Canadian Journal of Occupational
Therapy, 80(4), 224-234. doi: 10.1177/0008417413500465
Kamentez, A. (2015). Deliquent. Dropout. At-risk. When words become labels. Retrieved from
http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/04/28/399949478/delinquent-dropout-at-risk-whats-in-a-name
Marczuk, O., Taff, S. D., & Berg, C. (2014). Occupational Justice, school connectedness, and high school dropout: The Role
of occupational therapy in meeting the needs of an underserved population. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, &
Early Intervention, 7(3-4), 235-245. doi: 10.1080/19411243.2014.966018
Milliken, B. (2007). The last dropout: Stop the epidemic! Carlsbad, CA: Hay House.
References cont.
Sheehy, K. (2012). High school dropouts blame lack of parental support, teen pregnancy. Retrieved from
http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/high-school-notes/2012/11/14/high-school-dropouts-blame-lack-of-parentalsupport-teen-pregnancy
Stark, P., Noel, A., & McFarland, J. (2015). Trends in high school dropout and completion rates in the United States: 19722012. U.S. Department of Education. 1-52. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2015/2015015.pdf
Suhyun, S. (2007). Risk factors and levels of risk for high school dropouts. Professional school counseling, 10(3), 297-306.
doi: 10.5330/prsc.10.3.w26024vvw6541gv7
Sum, A. Khatiwada, I., & McLaughlin, J. (2009). The Consequences of dropping out of high school. Center for Labor Market
Studies Publications. Retrieved from http://www.northeastern.edu/clms/wpcontent/uploads/The_Consequences_of_Dropping_Out_of_High_School.pdf
Takahashi, P. (2014). Nevadas high school graduation rate is worst in the nation. Retrieved from
http://lasvegassun.com/news/2014/apr/28/nevadas-high-school-graduation-rate-worst-nation/
Valverde, S. A. (1987). A comparative study of hispanic high school dropouts and graduates: Why do some leave school
early and some finish?. Education and Urban Society, 19(3), 320-29. doi: 10.1177/0013124587019003009
Wurdinger, S., Haar, J., Hugg, R., & Bezon, J. (2007). A qualitative study using project-based learning in a mainstream
middle school. Improving Schools, 10(2), 150-161. doi: 10.1177/1365480207078048