Over the years, America has faced one of the most significant educational problems: student dropout. “With more than 26% of students failing to graduate on time each year in the United States, we face a growing national crisis” (Choices 1). The percentage of students dropping out has decreased over time, but it still seems to become a dilemma in the country. “The high school dropout rate dropped from 12% in 1990 to 7% in 2011” (US Department of Education), but appears to remain the same and is even increasing. There are many factors that play into a student's decision to leave school early. These factors include race/ethnicity, school factors, and social/student factors. ETHNICITY “The national percentage of young people aged 15 to 24 who had dropped out of school in 2000 was 10.9%. This translates to more than 3 million students. Disaggregated by race, the rates were white, 6.9%; Asians, 3.8%; African American, 13.1%; and Hispanic, 27.8%” (Blue 1). Ethnicity plays an important role in students' dropout decisions. Many minorities have a higher dropout rate than whites. “The estimated range of minority attrition rates is particularly high, from 50% to 85%” (Jordan 2). The two largest minority groups affected by dropout rates are African Americans and Hispanics. “The most recent national data is for dropout rates between October 1998 and October 1999 for students in grades 10-12. As shown below, 5% of all students have dropped out of high school; of these, nearly 8% of Hispanic students dropped out and more than 6% of African American students dropped out, compared to only 4% of white students” (Blue 1). SCHOOL FACTORS A student's academic performance can influence his or her decision in...... middle of paper......ve the attention needed from parents to attend school. If there is no family support, students will have the impression that school does not matter. Additionally, students who go through a lot of difficulties may feel that school is not helpful in their situations. “Students from socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods believe that completing school offers little either to improve the quality of life in their neighborhood or to provide mobility to a better neighborhood” (4). Many students must begin working to support their families, address poverty, and deal with health problems that will prevent them from completing school. “Many students cited personal reasons for dropping out of school. A third (32%) said they needed to get a job and earn money; 26% said they had become parents; and 22% said they had to care for a family member” (Bridgeland iii).