Gifted Dropouts: Life after High School

Autor/inn/en	Shaw, Shana M.; Tallent-Runnels, Mary K.
Titel	Gifted Dropouts: Life after High School
Quelle	In: Understanding Our Gifted, 19 (2007) 3, S.10-11 (2 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1040-1350
Schlagwörter	High Schools; Retirement; Gifted; Dropouts; Health Insurance; High School Graduates; Talent; Educational Attainment; Employment + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? High school; Oberschule; Pensionierung; Begabter, Hoch Begabter; Drop-out; Drop-outs; Dropout; Early leavers; Schulversagen; Krankenversicherung; High schools; Graduate; Graduates; Absolvent; Absolventin; Begabung; Hochbegabung; Bildungsabschluss; Bildungsgut; Dienstverhältnis
Abstract	To determine if the adult lives of intellectually talented dropouts and high school graduates share commonalities, or if giftedness can help overcome the obstacles associated with not having a high school diploma, the authors looked at significant categories such as the attainment of education, employment, and certain aspects of their private lives. About 75 percent of the dropouts in the study not only did not finish high school but also did not seek equivalency degrees. In a world where rapid technological advancement requires people to more educated than in decades past, talented individuals who drop out may always be at a disadvantage in their careers. As the dropouts and graduates moved into their mid-20s, the gap between them widened in terms of salaries, health insurance benefits, and employer-supplied retirement plans, and a significant gender gap was noted in respect to employment. At the age of 26, the graduates and dropouts were different in terms of their involvement in community and civic affairs. High school dropouts are statistically more likely to rely on federal aid programs. If these individuals are not participating in local state, and national elections, they are also not protecting their interests and needs. Letting students know the possible future impact of dropping out of high school may deter them from doing so. The authors recommend that panel discussions be conducted by dropouts who are in their 20s, including students who were identified for gifted programs. During these discussions, those who have dropped out should give their reasons for doing so, how they feel about that decision, and what difficulties it has caused them. For those that do drop out, alternatives such as the GED should be discussed, and alternative programs should be developed for students who become pregnant, allowing them to stay in school. The authors conclude that gifted students who drop out do not fail because they are bored or cannot complete their schoolwork, but for other reasons, and advocate for further examination of the dropout problem. [This article is based on research conducted at Texas Tech University, using information from the National Education Longitudinal Study (1988-2000).] (ERIC).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10