"You're leaving?" Understanding student voluntary attrition from a private school

grantor: University of TorontoConcern over student attrition from schools places the issue at the fore of research, especially at the university level of education. Several studies have investigated this phenomenon toward understanding and improving upon student retention in Universities and Colleges. Private secondary and elementary schools, particularly in the United States, also recognize that student attrition issues raise concerns running to the very core of the existence of such schools. In the Canadian context, private school administrators can learn from the United States' situation so that we may see what lies ahead for Canadian schools. We know comparatively little about the issues surrounding student voluntary attrition with respect to private secondary schools. From the literature, it seems that the forces which shape attrition elsewhere arise from a very complex interplay of issues. It appears that the dispositions of the people who enroll, the character of their interactions with the institution upon entry, and the external forces which influence their behaviour in school all play a role in a student's failure to persist in her or his school. Given the apparent complexity of the voluntary attrition process, this study employed qualitative research methodology to learn more about the issues involved. Twelve student leavers, members of their families, school friends, and teachers provided the data gathered through interviews in this case study approach. This research demonstrates that each of the departing students brought with her/him at the time of enrolment some personal character traits or issues which affected the ways in which she/he interacted with internal characteristics of the school. Once enrolled, these students experienced problems which adversely affected the students' ability to affiliate within the school's culture. Some gender related issues came to the fore. External forces also played a role in the unique formula of events leading to each student's failure to persist. This research provides a compelling look at the issues underlying the voluntary attrition process for the student leavers involved. This study enhances our understanding of private school voluntary attrition and does so from a Canadian perspective.Ed.D