Survey: What is Causing Students to

Drop Out of High School?

Oakland University
What is causing students to drop out of high school? Please complete the following Survey so
that the Board of Education can gain a better understanding of the students and find solutions
to help prevent drop outs. Please circle the letter that meets your answer. Thank you for your
time.
Student Name:

Age:

Gender:

Date:

[Male] or [Female]

Email:

1. What
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.

is your race/ethnicity?
Black or African American (including Africa and Caribbean)
Asian (including Philippines)
Indian or Middle Eastern
Hispanic or Latin American
American Indian or Alaska Native
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
Caucasian
Other ______________________

2. What
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

grade are you in?

9
10
11
12
Other______________________

3. Are you employed?

a. Yes
b. No
4. How many hours a week do you work?
a. 0 10 hours
b. 10 - 20 hours
c. 20 - 30 hours
d. 30 40 hours
e. Other______________________
5. If you are employed how does your employment affect your academic success?
(Select all that applies)
a. Difficulty making it to class on time

b.
c.
d.
e.

Difficulty in attending classes

Work hours making it difficult to complete homework assignments
Juggling work and school causing an overload on stress
Does not affect my academic success

6. How is the support from your family?

a. Strong family is supportive of educational goals, reliable, helpful, and
encouraging
b. Moderate family is supportive most of the time but can also be
negative and lacking in encouragement
c. Weak family support is inconsistent, not always reliable, negative and
non-encouraging at times
d. None family is unsupportive, unreliable, neglectful, does not provide
any encouragement at all
e. Other______________________
7. What are some home life stresses for you? (circle all that applies)
a. Financial issues in the household resulting in difficulty paying
rent/mortgage, utility bills, buying food, and other necessities
b. Parents not getting along, fighting all the time, and either are divorced
or facing divorce
c. Struggling with getting along with your parents/family members
d. Experiencing issue regarding abuse or neglect
e. Drug and or alcohol problems in the household
f. No home life stresses
8. Is there anything at school keeping you from wanting to attend? (circle all the
applies)
a. Dont like the teachers
b. Issues with classmates
c. Trouble fitting in with other classmates
d. Experiencing bullying from other classmates
e. Nothing is keeping me from wanting to attend
9. Are you planning to drop out of high school?
a. Yes
b. No
10.If yes, at what age are you thinking of dropping out at?
a. 15
b. 16
c. 17
d. 18
11.What
a.
b.
c.

grade will you be in if you drop out?

9
10
11

d. 12
12.Would it be okay to send you a follow-up survey in 2 to 3 years from now?
a. Yes
b. No

Follow Up Survey: What is Causing

Students to Drop Out of High School?
Oakland University
This is a follow up on students who completed the survey, what is causing students to drop
out of high school? Please complete the following Survey so that the Board of Education can
gain a better understanding of the students and find solutions to help prevent drop outs.
Please circle the letter that meets your answer. Thank you for your time.
Student Name:

Age:

Gender:

Date:

[Male] or [Female]

Email:

1. What
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.

is your race/ethnicity?
Black or African American (including Africa and Caribbean)
Asian (including Philippines)
Indian or Middle Eastern
Hispanic or Latin American
American Indian or Alaska Native
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
Caucasian
Other__________________

2. If you
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

are still in high school what grade are you in?

9
10
11
12
Other__________________

3. If you
a.
b.
c.
d.

did drop out of high school, what was the last grade completed?
9
10
11
12

4. What
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.

made you decide to drop out of high school? (circle all that applies)
Problems with other students
Had to work
Attendance issues
Grades
Credits
Boredom
Other___________________

5. What are some things that the school could have done to prevent you from
dropping out?
a. Provided academic counseling and support
b. Would counseling with the school social worker been helpful
c. Helped you to find an extracurricular activity that interested you
d. Created an academic and or counseling support group
e. Other__________________
6. Are you employed now?
a. Yes
b. No
7. If yes, what is your approximate salary per year?
a. $0 - $10,000
b. $10,000 $20,000
c. $20,000 - $30,000
d. $30,000 and up
8. How many hours a week do you work?
a. 0 10 hours
b. 10 - 20 hours
c. 20 - 30 hours
d. 30 40 hours
e. Other__________________
9. Where are you living?
a. With parents and or family
b. On your own
c. You and a roommate
d. You and two or more people
e. Other__________________
10.Has it affected your life differently by not receiving your diploma?
a. Yes
b. No
11.Have you attended alternative schools to receive your diploma/GED?
a. Yes, I am going to attend a alternative school
b. I am attending a alternative school now
c. I have already completed alternative school and got my high school
diploma/GED
d. No, I have not attended
e. Other_________________
12.Has there been a change in the support from your family?
a. Strong family is supportive of educational goals, reliable, helpful, and
encouraging

b. Moderate family is supportive most of the time but can also be

negative and lacking in encouragement
c. Weak family support is inconsistent, not always reliable, negative and
non-encouraging at times
d. None family is unsupportive, unreliable, neglectful, does not provide
any encouragement at all
e. Other____________________
13.Are there any changes in the stresses of your home life? (circle all that applies)
a. Financial issues in the household resulting in difficulty paying
rent/mortgage, utility bills, buying food, and other necessities
b. Parents not getting along, fighting all the time, and either are divorced
or facing divorce
c. Struggling with getting along with your parents/family members
d. Experiencing issue regarding abuse or neglect
e. Drug and or alcohol problems in the household
f. No changes
g. Other_____________________