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SALT LAKE CITY — Recent studies are shedding more light on how important it is for teens to have adult mentors in school. Researchers say a lack of mentors is a big factor in why many students drop out of school.
Data compiled by researchers at Tufts University shows there are many reasons why a high school student may drop out of school. An article from NBC News says things like a violent home life or an incarcerated parent may be contributing factors. However, if the teen didn’t have an adult they could turn to if they needed help, they were at a much higher risk of dropping out.
Educators in Utah know assigning an adult mentor to a teen in danger of dropping out is one of the most important things they can do. But, it’s also one of the most difficult. Utah State Office of Education Dropout Prevention Coordinator Dawn Stevenson said, “It’s hard to find consistent and acceptable adult volunteers to mentor those kids.”
Even if the student knows an adult mentor is available, they don’t always want the help, she said. So, any relationship a student has with an adult has to be organic and not forced.
“Some kids really need to be taught how to behave, how to ‘do school’ and how to be socially connected,” she said.
Related:
Utah educators find success in teamwork with at-risk students
Principals from some of Utah's most demographically challenged but high-achieving schools were invited to Thursday's meeting of the Education Task Force to discuss the successes of their students.Leaders at Juab High School were recently asked what they knew about kids who had recently dropped out of school and to put a face to those students. Stevenson said that was the motivation many members of the faculty needed to reach out to students there.
Also, a lot of schools have created intensive academic support groups for teens who need extra help with a particular subject.
“Some of the kids found out that they liked that extra support. So, the ones that wanted the extra support could stay in and the ones that worked their way out could work their way out,” she said.
It’s crucial for schools to have good databases that track a student’s grades, attendance and involvement in school activities, she said.
