A multidimensional model of school dropout from an 8-year longitudinal study in a general high school population

This study tests an empirical multidimensional model of school dropout, using data collected in the first year of an 8-year longitudinal study, with first year high school students aged 12-13 years. Structural equation modeling analyses show that five personal, family, and school latent factors together contribute to school dropout identified at 19 years of age: poor parent-teenager relationships, youth depression and family difficulties, negative classroom climate, negative school interactions, and poor academic achievement. This model increases our understanding of the dropout process in the general population and has direct implications for the development of high school dropout prevention programs.