The Impact of School and Contextual Factors on the Graduation Rates of Virginia Migrant Students.

Abstract

This study analyzed common factors among Virginia Migrant Education Program students who had earned a high school diploma as compared with those who had not. Data on 50 Hispanic migrant students were gathered from a collection of diverse documents from various school divisions and states. All subjects had been enrolled in the Virginia Migrant Education Program during the 1999-2000 school year and were 18-19 years old in June 2000. School-related and contextual factors reviewed included student age and gender, home language, number of schools attended, rate of attendance, participation in educational programs, grade promotion/retention, graduation status, and family structure. Eleven of the 50 students graduated from high school. Among school-related factors, attendance in U.S. schools positively impacted a migrant student's chance of completing high school. The number of schools attended was not as important as attendance in U.S. schools. Among contextual factors, students who lived with their parents and extended family had a greater chance of completing high school than those who did not. Qualitative findings obtained upon review of student essays indicate that 40 percent of students were concerned with one or more of the following issues: poverty, mobility, English as a second language, and social isolation. Mobility was,mentioned most frequently. Implications and recommendations for further research and practice are discussed. Three appendices present summaries of school-related factors, contextual factors, and written statements in table form. (Contains 91 references.) (TD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. THE IMPACT OF SCHOOL AND CONTEXTUAL FACTORS ON THE GRADUATION RATES OF VIRGINIA MIGRANT STUDENTS A Dissertation Presented to The Faculty of the School of Education The College of William and Mary in Virginia In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Written by Denise Chapell Perritt Edited by William Rutherford Perritt