The complexity of non-completion: disparate effects of race/ethnicity and gender in push and pull models of student dropout

While we do know that some groups of students are more likely to drop out than others, dropout is a complex process, and currently no single model of dropout captures the true complexity of the paths that lead to a student failing to graduate. In this paper, I contend that student dropout is better conceptualized through the characterization of dropout as caused by both push and pull factors. In addition, I apply multiple broad theories, including cultural explanations of Latino dropout, the class and race theories of Wilson (1987), and oppositional culture and gender socialization theories to the problem of student dropout. This paper is of interest to those who wish to examine both the specific reasons that certain subgroups of students leave school before the completion of their education, and to those interested in theoretical explanations of student dropout.