Differential Developmental Pathways of High School Dropouts and Graduates

Abstract

The authors examined the developmental pathways between high school graduates and dropouts. The authors obtained official school data via a random sample of 119 students enrolled across 4 cohorts. The authors postulated 2 research questions: (a) Do differences exist in the developmental pathways of high school graduates in comparison with high school dropouts? (b) If differences do exist in the developmental pathways of high school graduates in comparison with high school dropouts, when and across which variables do these differences occur? Multiple t tests demonstrated differences between high school graduates and dropouts as early as kindergarten. Further, the developmental progression of graduates and dropouts diverged over time, regardless of which subject data was studied.