Keeping Students In School: An Analysis of Dropout Prevention Methods in Canton, Mississippi

Kakales, Mary Elizabeth (2016) Keeping Students In School: An Analysis of Dropout Prevention Methods in Canton, Mississippi. Undergraduate thesis, under the direction of Eric Weber from Public Policy Leadership, University of Mississippi.

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Abstract

With a graduation rate of 29.7% and a dropout rate of 59.8% reported in 2005, the Canton Public School District qualified as one of the most low-performing school districts in the United States. Recently, though, the district has experienced significant improvement in these areas, reporting a graduation rate of 72.2% and a dropout rate of 17.8% in 2013. In this thesis, I analyze Canton, Mississippi’s dropout prevention methods and conclude that their success is attributed to the combination of a community-wide effort and desire to be worthy of honor and respect alongside Canton Public School District’s extensive Dropout Prevention Plan. In order to arrive at this conclusion, I present a literature review which contains information regarding the current state of educational inequality, the role of honor and shame in society, causes of dropping out, methods of dropout prevention, and Mississippi’s Dropout Prevention Plan. Furthermore, I present an analysis of Canton, Mississippi’s history, the district’s Dropout Prevention Plan and Action Plan, the dropout prevention methods implemented in the Canton Public School District, and the role that honor and respect had in Canton, Mississippi.

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