bring about and facilitate the implementation of effective dropout prevention strategies.

At risk refers to aspects of a studentfs background and environment that may lead to a higher risk of his or her educational failure. It appears that the key contributing influence to school dropout are those with low grade point averages, those who have been suspended and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

Deviant behaviors are often expressed as disruptive school behaviors and frequent delinquent behaviors. Some of the variables are represented as personal, behavioral, familial, and school-related characteristics : low grade point average in the eighth grade, suspension, low socioeconomic status, number of days late to school without excuse, number of days absent from school, perception of teacher, number of household members, highest education attainment of mother, student living with both biological parents, threat of being hurt in school, number of fights at school, behavioral and emotional problems, total number of schools attended, use of school teacher/counselor versus family members as resource for personal problems, use of school friends versus family members as resource for personal problems, percentage of peers planning to go to college, motherfs permissiveness, first sexual experience, optimism about future.

• Counselors empower students who have a low GPA by helping them develop a successful outlook about the future that will lead to graduation from high school.
• By suggesting career counseling before the eighth grade.
• Focusing on studentfs level of aspiration and emphasizing the importance of believing in oneself as a person who can achieve.
• Groups provide a positive peer influence on the at-risk students.
• Counselors develop interventions that teach communication skills and conflict resolution skills, thus leading to improved family relationships and student-teacher relationships for at-risk students who are likely to experience relationship problems at home and in school.
• Counselors take an active role in providing extra academic support for students from low socioeconomic families, and understand how important it is for them to provide parenting education to mothers who do not have a high school education.

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Sex education in school might be a recommendation that the counselor can make, considering that having sex before age 15 greatly increased school dropout rates. Counselors can provide interventions and implementation of such programs.

An optimistic view about the future was found to be the most critical factor in decreasing the school dropout rate. Self-determined motivation is fundamental in relation to the prediction of dropping out of school. By providing care from a bona fide adult, effective mentoring will increase aspirations and the framework for a positive outlook among at-risk high school students. Counselorsf role as consultant for and a collaborator with teachers is critical for preventing students from dropping out of school.

Counselors are knowledgeable about factors that contribute to studentsf dropout behavior and can generate prevention and intervention strategies to help students to successfully complete their high school education. Counselors view themselves as advocates, consultants and collaborators.