Returning to high school after dropout

Abstract

Students drop out of school for a wide variety of reasons. The act of dropping out of school, however, does not necessarily entail the end of one’s formal education, as many students who exit school later return to earn their high school diploma or an equivalent credential. This paper explores how the reasons students give for leaving school may influence their subsequent educational attainment. Specifically I ask: How does being pushed or pulled out of school affect the likelihood of a student’s return to school, and the path by which they do so. Drawing on theories of school climate and a life course perspective, I ultimately find that whether or not one was pushed or pulled out of school does not predict different trajectories, rather, particular individual reasons given for leaving seem to be associated with different return behaviors.