Origins of the "Dropout Problem"

Age-specific patterns today help shape social roles for United States citizens. People living in this country generally attend school by age six, have their first jobs by their early twenties, and retire from full-time work by age seventy or seventy-five. These experiences create, and, in turn, reflect, expectations about the timing and progression of human experiences. People who fail to meet these expectations, or norms, often encounter unwanted advice, bewilderment, or outright hostility. One example of this set of expectations is related to dropping out of school. Those without high school degrees today face a severe disadvantage when they apply for jobs. Even the most menial positions require a high school diploma. Those without degrees are essentially left without desirable economic options.' This stigma is relatively new. Only in the last several decades has a high school diploma become a required credential. At the turn of this century, only a minority of teenagers attended high school, let alone completed it. High school graduates had some advantage over nongraduates, but relatively few people in the United States had a high school degree. Now, however, the vast majority complete high school and continue on to some level of higher education. Employers have responded to this change in experience by raising requirements for jobs. As Americans have acquired more formal schooling, businesses have been able to use educational credentials as a way to screen job applicants. Because most people have a high school diploma, it has become expected and, in most cases, required for employment.