Outside the Box: Examining the School Experience from the Perspectives of Early Leavers

Public schools in America are experiencing a massive decline in student enrollment, resulting in school consolidations and closures across the nation. (Dee, 2023). This decline has many implications, particularly in rural areas, such as Northeast Tennessee. These implications and the public pressure to maintain high graduation rates and academic outcomes, require school leaders and policymakers to reflect on who is leaving public schools and why. This phenomenological study explored the school experiences and perceptions of individuals who left the traditional high school prior to graduation. In-depth interviews were conducted one-on-one with 13 participants via an online video conferencing platform who were formerly enrolled in traditional public high schools in Northeast Tennessee and either dropped out or enrolled in a nontraditional option prior to graduation. Nontraditional options included brick-and-mortar alternative schools offered by a public school district, separate credit recovery and graduation programs housed within the traditional high school, and online public schools. Dropping out was defined as leaving the traditional high school permanently and without obtaining a high school diploma, regardless of if the participant received a high school equivalency credential, such as a GED. Through the amplification of voices of those who left the traditional public high school, the findings of this study revealed themes of personal and familial barriers, negative associations with the school culture and environment, systemic and procedural barriers, and elements of positive teacher-student relationships. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]