Which students are dropping out of CMS and why?

This multimedia presentation shows the results of research into dropout behavior in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools from school years 1995-1996 to 2009-2010. It shows how concentrated poverty at a school makes the dropout situation worse for black and Hispanic/Latino students. It also shows how positive academic climate at a school lowers the chances of dropping out for all students, but particularly for black students.

The research, by UNC Charlotte sociology graduate student Justin Lane, examines the relationship between dropping out and student exposure to a weak academic climate, and to school segregation, both racial and socioeconomic. Lane used a multilevel logistic regression model to disentangle school- and student-level effects and accurately assess the role each plays in academic outcomes. The research: “An Analysis of Dropout Trends in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.”

Addie Balenger wrote is article while interning at the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute in 2014 as a student at Davidson College.

Addie Balenger