Northwest High School - Vanguard Yearbook (Indianapolis, IN)

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CLBARAN CE CARD J D i '14 I Name ,, l .ohliw , ,A,,,w,v, H. R. ig Date of Loss 1f16fZ2 Age at Date of Loss Mmllius..- I Grade in School wHs..1eO. .e N Progress: Good Fair Failure Fair ,,,. ' r I Reason for Withdrawal Wugagiulf, --A f MMA' ww,- T ' f d f: . . . , cig2,,j:,iZS Cad? fhgopxrgcj Chlld Lives With W.,-,lla Father L... Mother ,,i,,,,,-, work that makes him a statis- HC' and G lonely figure outside Uccupation so eeee . Mw.,.-,--.,,..,s..4 Father ?ill?i.,1fQL,,- Mother -H23 Northwest, thinking of op- portunities lost. . , . 1 . Referred to Social SQFVICC , a . ,-,-..w.... aa, Yes awww--N NoN,u,,,-New Drop in on Mrs. est, or may drop out. H elping students over emotional problems was the iob of Northwest social worker Sarah West. In her office three afternoons a week, Mrs. West talked to students about their experiences with or desires of running away from home, pregnancy, absence from school. With help from the deans and teachers, Mrs. West was able to confer with six to ten students daily, the maiority of them girls. Students were usually referred to the social worker by a teacher or counselor, but many came in of their own accord. Talks with Mrs. West lasted around 20 minutes, if there was a need for deeper investigation into the student's background and thoughts, another ap- pointment was arranged. At first, most were apprehen- sive, but Mrs. West's manner put them at ease, by lis- tening, an act many youth thought adults could not perform, she overcame their misgivings and delved into the root of their problem. 64 Lack of the type of personal attention that Mrs. West gave the Northwest students influenced some to make the final escape from high school-dropping out. North- west's annual dropout rate reached T3 per cent in 1971, although a comparatively low figure, it still de- notes a failure somewhere. Reasons for dropping out sometimes reflected a student's attitude towards school, with such words as Hregimented administration, giant social club, or irrelevant, dropouts expressed their displeasure with high school. Almost as often, diffi- culties at home caused students to leave school. One Northwest girl dropped out, saw her error and returned to night school, but dropped out again because of con- flicts at home. In his book, The Dropout: Causes and Cures, Lucius F. Cervantes stated: The dropout is reared in a family of less solidarity, less primary related- ness, and less personal influence than is the family in which thekgraduate is reared. Perhaps the saddest excuse given for withdrawal was simply age l6, meaning that the student has reached the age when he can legally leave school, and he has done so. Through individual efforts of ttte faculty, a potential dropout was recognizable early and was given special attention. ln an endeavor to realize the discovery of' such students, the Indianapolis Public Schools increased their facilities with guidance, and psychological and soe cial services, such as the social worker. l l i il

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