Economically disadvantaged children face particularly difficult challenges in succeeding academically.  According to a 2004 study by the RAND corporation, socioeconomic factors such as family income, neighborhood poverty, parental education levels, and parental occupation are more significant in explaining differences in educational achievement than traditional factors such as race, ethnicity, and immigrant status.  One of the greatest challenges to schools with a high proportion of economically disadvantaged students is how to assist their students in overcoming these disadvantages.  Indeed, a number of studies have suggested that “schools bring little influence to bear upon a child’s academic achievement that is independent of his background and general social context,” according to a literature review by Linda Darling-Hammond of Stanford University.  However, the same literature review also concluded that “a growing body of research suggests that schools can make a difference…” 

 

 

Students who are placed at riskdue to poverty, race, ethnicity, language, or other factors are rarely well served by their schools (Hilliard, 1989; Letgers, McDill, & McPartland, 1993). They often attend schools where they are tracked into substandard courses and programs holding low expectations for learning (Oakes, 1985; Wheelock, 1992). If schools are to achieve the desired goal of success for all students, they must hold high expectations for all, especially this growing segment of learners. They must view these students as having strengths, not "deficits," and adopt programs and practices that help all students to achieve their true potential.

 

Many students do not realize the seriousness of their decision to drop out of high school. It is only later in life they realize the poor choice they have made. What do students suggest to improve the current situation?

Alison Kepner of The News Journal reports that dropouts are a problem in many states but Alabama  has had a consistent graduation percentage below the national average. Only six out of 10 Alabama high schoolers will graduate by 2010. Dropouts are more likely to be:

 

 

When 500 dropouts, ages 16-25, were interviewed, they gave manyreasons for leaving school:

Two-thirds said they would have tried harder if more was expected from them.

 

According to new U.S. Census data,

 

Given all the reasons why students drop out, they still don't achieve the goal of why they drapped out in the first place, because majority of them become poor parents, unable to secure or maintain employment, keeps going back to prison, remain on government assistant, unable to afford healthcare and remain sick, they go back to abusive relationship for financial support, due to their lack of skills they are unable to obtain a well paying job to support their family. Often times they end up working at a fast food restaurant or at a dead end job where career growth are very limited. The TATTY program wants to change all of that by providing viable technology training which will enhance participant's developmental abilities and make them marketable for the current job market. Further, the program will increase participants interest to attend college to become technology major or a major of choice.