An alternative education experience in rural Colorado: School dropouts of migrant and seasonal farmwork background participating in a high school equivalency program.

摘要

The purpose of this study is to provide a description of the experience of people with seasonal farmwork backgrounds who drop out of school and later enroll in a high school equivalency program, and to illuminate key factors which contributed to both events. Data were obtained over a six month period spent in a high school equivalency program in a rural setting. Data collection techniques employed were participant observation, informant interviews, and document analysis.;Many school dropout factors identified in this study resembled those found in the research literature. Some unique insights were gained, though. One example is the minimal intervention of parents when students dropped out of school. Another is the relative ease with which students were able to withdraw from the schools they were attending.;When the students re-entered an alternative educational program to obtain a high school level credential they were influenced by instrumental concerns. Their short-term ambitions were relatively firm, but long-term considerations were often limited owing to a number of personal and environmental factors.;The significance of this study is in the relationships identified in family, school, and environmental factors that influenced educational decisions and actions for this group of people. Elements of the rural setting and means of livelihood were critical to past events; elements of the rural setting and perceived opportunities were critical to subsequent decisions.