Originally Posted by pramjockey

Take one of my high school students - born into single-parent households with a parent who had not completed high school and was working 2 jobs. My student turned 16 and was told to work nigh shifts at Wal-Mart to help support the family (oldes son, several siblings at home). Due to a lack of sleep, his grades were suffering and did not have a favorable prospect for graduation. He was stuck in a school (no busing, remember), with little support, rampant drug use, violence, and crime. Dropping out looked like a reasonable outcome - at least that way he could get some sleep after working his overnight shifts (for minimum wage or near to it).

Tell me, where did this kid go wrong?