When is it, exactly, that students who drop out of school disengage from education?

Granted, the process happens over a period of years, but when does it start? Teacher Magazine's recent article shares evidence that for many, the process begins just after the fourth grade, when our students are just 10 years old.

Lynne Strathman, director of a small alternative program for dropouts in Illinois, says her students consistently tell her that the last time they felt successful was in the fourth grade. How sad!  John Stack, administrator of an alternative school for young people aged 16-22 in Ohio, says students typically enroll at his school at a fourth-grade reading level.

Of course poor grades and difficulty learning are only two of the reasons kids disengage. This article also looks at bright kids who become bored when unchallenged, students with chaotic family lives or mental illness, and teens that become pregnant. Frequently students who drop out have more than one risk factor.

High school graduates tend to earn more than dropouts, enjoy better health, and live longer. Try telling that to a teenager who doesn't care. It's up to educational professionals to find ways to keep students engaged and interested in learning.

Schools can't control a student's chaotic family life, but they can, to some degree, control the educational tools--like differentiated instruction--used to ensure that students are being taught at a level appropriate to their abilities. Let's work to eliminate learning difficulties and boredom from the risk factors for dropping out.