Taking into account that October has become the period of the school year when struggling students decide to drop out of school, it has been designated as Dropout Prevention Month, an opportunity for parents to find support for avoid this dropout.

Learn4Life, a network of more than 85 nonprofit public schools that offers students personalized learning, career training, and life skills, presents a series of tips that students and families can use to help young people find answers to allow them to remain in their studies and obtain greater opportunities for their professional future.

The manual

Learn4Life highlights the following actions:

• Be involved in your child’s education. Research consistently finds that family engagement has a direct, positive effect on children’s achievement and is the most accurate predictor of a student’s success in school.
• Consider an alternative school that offers a variety of options that can lead to graduation. Every student has a different learning style, so look for programs that serve the student’s individual social needs and academic requirements.
• Tutoring can benefit students who are struggling to catch up, and surprisingly quickly. In-person tutoring is preferred, but if schools are only offering online tutoring, students should take advantage.
• If your school doesn’t offer free tutoring, there are often many options. Check with libraries, YMCAs, Boys & Girls Clubs and your local school district for free resources. Some schools partner with nearby colleges or universities where undergraduate students offer homework assistance for K-12 students.

See what type of career technical classes (CTE) are available. Exploring IT, healthcare, robotics, construction or other classes may keep students excited about going to school. Learn4Life has found that students enrolled in CTE do better in school overall.

Know if your student is missing class, intervene as soon as possible. Dig deep to find out why they are skipping and work on resolving those issues. Talk with your child’s teachers, principal and counselor to determine the best course of action.

Remind your student that earning a high school diploma means they’re more likely to have a longer life, increased employment opportunities and more money over their lifetime. Talk about personal goals they want to reach. Then, help them identify how much time is needed to work on that goal each day.

About Learn4Life

Each school in this organization is locally controlled, free, and offers students the flexibility and personalized attention they need to be successful. It serves more than 47,000 students, including full-time and intersession students, helping them prepare for the future beyond high school.