The relationship between social competence and student dropout

Abstract

School administrators across the country continue to search for new, effective interventions meant to alleviate the issue of student dropout. Researchers agree that such intervention practices should target unstable factors (i.e., changeable) related to risk for dropout versus stable factors (i.e., unchangeable) related to dropout. While past research has focused on examining the relationship between the unstable factors of GPA, attendance, retention, and school engagement, and risk for dropping out, specifically in high school students, the aim of the current study was to examine the general relationship between the protective factor of social competence and its relationship to previously identified risk factors for dropout: low academic achievement and low school engagement. Results of this study indicated that social competence has a predictive relationship with dropout (as measured by school engagement) above and beyond the well-known predictive factor of academic achievement.