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Courtney Madl
Mrs. Hensel
English IV
November 12, 2015

High School Dropouts

In high school guidance counselors have a lot in the role of students dropping out. There
are many reasons how guidance counselors play a role in preventing kids from dropping out.
Most school counselors say that the transfer from ninth to tenth grade has the biggest impact on
students. Guidance counselors help prevent students from dropping out by often talking to the
student if they are missing too much school, making sure the students have the peer and parental
support they need, and makes sure the students take the classes they need to help their future.

Guidance counselors often talk to the students that are missing too much school.
Students need to attend school daily to succeed (Balfanz). Counselors say that Many absences
are not about students willfully missing school, but are excused absences (Mission: A Drop in
Dropouts). Students dont see how that missing school effects their grades. They tend to want to
miss more school as they move grade to grade. Students dont seem to see how their education
plays a big role in life after school. Most students think that education is a joke and they dont
need it.

Counselors make sure that the students parents are on board with what they are planning
to do with their future. Parents who are actively involved and engaged in their childs education

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contribute to students academic success in all areas (dropout prevention). Counselors make
sure that the student is not getting pressured from others to not focus on their future. Peer
assistants from one to another helps the student be more positive. Peer tutoring has proven to be
an effective strategy with students at risk of academic failure. Having the parental support they
deserve is what can thrive for a student to succeed.

Guidance counselors at most schools have the students take a test at beginning of the
ninth grade. That test is to determine what that student is most interested in or what they think
they might want to do after graduating. Most Counselors give the students the ability to take the
courses they would need for their future life after high school. Students who are at the risk for
failing core academic courses have a greater chance of not graduating (dropout prevention).
Guidance counselors say that they look at the first year of high school to determine if the student
is serious about their future or not. The ninth grade serves as a pivotal grade for determining
whether a student will graduate. School counselors can increase comfort and reduce anxiety
through orientation activities to help the students academic skills.

Guidance Counselors play a big role in trying to prevent high school students from
dropping out. Students dont often realize that guidance counselors can be lifelines to keep
students in school (Mission: A Drop in Dropouts). Students should be very thankful that they
can go to a professional that is able to talk to then right in their own school. They prevent
students from dropping out by often talking to the student if they are missing too much school,
making sure that the student has the peer and parental support they need, and makes sure they
take the classes they need to help their future. I hope that with all the research that I have done

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with this project helps students and guidance counselors understand that they all play a big role
in preventing students and helping students from dropping out.

Sources

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https://www.schoolcounselor.org/magazine/blogs/may-june-2010/mission-a-drop-indropouts
http://www.nassp.org/tabid/3788/default.aspx?
topic=A_Focus_on_Attendance_Is_Key_to_Success
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ981196.pdf