High school sophomores in 2002 whose parents had not completed high school were four times more likely to have left without completing a 4-year program by spring 2004 than those with a parent who had earned at least a bachelor’s degree.

Eight percent of students who were high school sophomores in spring 2002 had left school without completing a 4-year program as of spring 2004 (see table 27-1).¹ In contrast, 10 percent of spring 1990 sophomores had left school without completing a 4-year program as of spring 1992, and 14 percent of spring 1980 sophomores had left as of spring 1982.

The percentage of 2002 high school sophomores who had left school as of spring 2004 without completing a 4-year program varied by sex, parental education, socioeconomic status (SES), and race/ethnicity (see table 27-2). For example, males were more likely to have left school than females (9 vs. 7 percent). Students whose parents had not completed high school were more likely to have left school than those with a parent who had earned at least a bachelor’s degree (19 vs. 4 percent). In addition, 2002 sophomores from low-SES families were more likely than their peers from middle- or high-SES families to have left school. Students who were White were less likely to have left school than students who were Black, Hispanic, or more than one race, but more so than Asian/Pacific Islander students.

Academic achievement and school experiences were also associated with students’ likelihood of leaving school. For example, 15 percent of students in the bottom quarter of mathematics achievement had left school as of spring 2004, compared with 2 percent of those in the top quarter. Students who had been suspended or placed on probation three or more times before the spring of their sophomore year were more likely to have left school than students who had never been suspended or put on probation (31 vs. 6 percent).

The 2002 sophomores who had left school by spring 2004 were asked to identify the reasons why they had left. Among the most frequently cited reasons were that they had missed too many school days (43 percent), they thought it would be easier to get a GED (40 percent), they were getting poor grades and failing in school (38 percent), and they did not like school (37 percent) (see table 27-3).

¹This indicator shows the percentage of high school students in the spring of their sophomore year who, in the spring 2 years later, were not in school and had not graduated with a regular diploma or certificate of attendance. The 1 percent of sophomores who left school and earned a General Educational Development (GED) certificate or other form of equivalency certificate as of the spring 2 years later are counted as having left school without a regular diploma or certificate of attendance. (back to text)