The Opportunity Class as School Initiated Intervention to Students’-At -Risk of Dropping Out (SARDOs)

Abstract

The most enduring challenges in the public-school system is decreasing the dropout rate. Dropping out in high school is a serious problem, and society is finally acknowledging the profound social and economic consequences for students, families, (on the individual socially and economically causing severe disadvantages entering into to adult life. (Plank, DeLuca, Estacion, 2018).

This study aimed to determine the impact of opportunity class as school-initiated intervention to students-at-risk of dropping out (SARDO). This study utilized the descriptive method of research to appraise the culture of caring, understanding and belongingness of teachers to students at-risk of dropping out. To analyze the causes of drop-outs the researcher used qualitative and quantitative methods and had employed survey technique and to gather necessary data, descriptive questionnaires used in this study an interview guide questions also employed to teachers and target participants were purposively selected. The data was gathered, analyzed and computed with the use of statistical treatment such as frequency, percentage distribution and weighted mean were used in describing and analyzing the objectives of the study.  

Results revealed that that the most appearing age of students at risk of dropping out (SARDO) were 51 or 34 % range from 14-15 years old with the mean age of 15. There was 87 or 58 % of male students-at- risk of dropping out and 63 or 42% of female students at risk of dropping out with the total mean of 42.  The common causes of students-at-risk of dropping out revealed that those students from home environments in which academic success is neither supported nor encouraged by parents, socioeconomic levels, dysfunctional families and students with emotional and behavioral problems.  Moreover, teachers’ culture of caring to SARDO revealed the total mean of 3.45 which was interpreted as moderately evident; culture of belongingness with the mean score of 3.49 which was also interpreted as moderately evident and the culture of understanding with the mean score of 3.45 which was interpreted as moderately evident.  This means that the culture of belonginess, understanding, caring was practiced by some teachers and found it effective through the implementation of Opportunity Class as school-initiated intervention.