Shewanda Pugh, in the short article "Cause and Effect of Dropouts," discusses the possible reasons for why teenage dropout of high school and how their acts affect themselves and society. Pugh uses facts, statistics, and outside knowledge to support her arguments. She states that the rate for dropouts is higher in low income students, and minorities. Many times with minorities there is a need for income and for this reason quit school and work instead. She also mentions that many times students from immigrant parents have a harder time with school because at times their parents are non English speakers and for this reason cannot provide additional learning support. Pugh also mentions systematic reasons to why students end up dropping out such as over crowded classrooms, lacking of support staff needed to aid students at risk, and budget cuts. She mentions the personal cost for dropping out and the societal cost of dropping out. She states that a high school dropout earns just 60 percent of what an individual with a high school diploma would earn and only 40 percent of what a college graduate would earn. She also states that students who fail to earn the 40 to 60 percent they forfeit around 50 billion dollars in state and federal tax dollars which is used to sustain communities.
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