High school graduation rates in the United States are not ideal.  The national high school graduation rate in U.S. was 88% in the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 school years (Kerr, 2021).  This average however is not reflective of all geographic locations or student demographics.  For example, Arizona had the lowest high school graduation rate of only 75%, while Iowa and Kentucky each had a rate of 94% (Kerr, 2021). Furthermore, other demographics of students have lower graduation rates, especially minorities and students with unique cultural challenges. According to the National Center for Education Statistics [NCES] (2019), American Indian and Alaska Natives had the lowest graduation rates at 73.5%, with Black students at 79% and then Hispanic at 81%.  Other noted demographics included students with disabilities averaged at 67.1%, students with limited English proficiency at 68.3%, and economically disadvantaged students at 79.5% (NCES, 2019).  Low-income students and other minority groups have been a population of interest for researchers exploring graduation rates and post-graduation success.  Several strategic recommendations have been made by researchers for how to raise graduation rates for low-income students.    

            Many researchers recognize that there are links between graduation rates and socioemotional attributes in students.  Clark and Shi (2020) focused on seven socioemotional attributes related to academic success and graduation rates: “grade retention, absences, tardies, delinquency, self-esteem, substance use, and expectations” (p. 1).   In this study, certain demographics were found to experience some of these socioemotional attributes more than others. For example, low-income White girls were found to have higher usage of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs than Black girls, which was associated with an eight to nine percent difference in graduation rates between these two demographics (Clark & Shi, 2020).  Based on this finding, the authors recommended that programs aimed at improving graduation rates must also focus on some of these socioemotional attributes and behaviors, which have been found to be associated with academic failures and dropouts, especially with low-income students.

 Teachers: The teachers will be aware of any signs of disengagements from students and report it immediately to the school counselor for individualizing interventions. 

School Counselors:  Stay connected to the student and their families.The school counselor , teacher and parent(s) an collaborate to develop methods for dealing with the student's personal and academic challenges The goal here is for the student to stay connected to a network of caring individuals, keep a positive attitude , and resolve any issues that might hinder the student from graduating.

            In addition to focusing on socioemotional attributes of students and addressing those attributes through effective counseling, there have also been other programs that have been found effective in raising graduation rates for low-income students.  Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) schools have been shown to increase graduation rates for racial minorities and low-income students (Saw, 2020).   There are several theories as to why extracurricular programs like this are helpful.  First, since students are exposed to higher level math and engineering concepts, they may be more apt to participate in advanced level courses and strive to attend college based on their career passions and interests. These inclusive programs give low-income students exposure to career fields that they may never have been exposed to previously.  Another theory as to why these programs are effective is that many programs do not have open-enrollment admissions policies and require minimum credentials to be accepted.  In most cases STEM programs do not require such credentials, giving low-income or poor performance students a chance to participate.  This inclusion may increase self-esteem and confidence to explore new academic areas (Saw, 2020).  Giving low-income students opportunities to participate in various activities may spark their interest and help them to be academically motivated. 

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N., & Jackson, C. E. (2020). Making student achievement a priority: The role of school counselors in turnaround schools. Urban Education, 55(2), 216–237. doi: 10/1177/0042085916685761

Kerr, E. (2021, April 28). See high school graduation rates by state. U.S. News & Word Report. 

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National Center for Education Statistics. (2019). Table 1. Public high school 4-year adjusted 

cohort graduation rate (ACGR), by race/ethnicity and selected demographic characteristics for the United States, the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico: School year 2017-2018. Common Core of Data. https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/tables/ACGR_RE_and_characteristics_2017-18.asp

Saw, G. (2019). The impact of inclusive STEM high schools on student outcomes: A statewide 

longitudinal evaluation of Texas STEM academies. International Journal of Science & Mathematics Education, 17(8), 1445–1457. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1007/s10763-018-09942-3