Drop-Out Predictors Among Students With High-Incidence Disabilities

Abstract

Students with disabilities have high rates of dropping out of school despite safeguards from Individuals With Disabilities Education Act provisions. The purpose of the study was to explore the effects of disability classification, demographics, and selected academic experiences on school drop-out rates among youth with disabilities. Variables related to youth characteristics and school experiences were drawn from selected participants ( N = 5,018) in the first three waves of the National Longitudinal and Transitional Study 2 database. Data were entered sequentially into a logistic regression model to identify factors associated with dropping out. Findings indicated that students with emotional and behavioral disorders had a significantly higher risk of dropping out but that disability classification was not significant with consideration of academic factors. Disciplinary exclusion, grade retention, and lower than average grades were associated with a higher risk of dropping out. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.