There are some warning signs that a teen may be in school trouble. They include:

• Lack of confidence. Does your teen believe that success in school is a result of natural intelligence rather than hard work? Does he believe he lacks the ability to do better?

• Limited goals for the future. Does your teen seem unaware of the options available for the future or lack knowledge of how to achieve future goals?

• Poor grades. Are your teen’s grades below average or barely average?

• Retention. Has your teen been retained at least once?

• Absenteeism. Does your teen miss at least five days of school each term?

• Connection. Is your teen not a participant in sports, clubs, music, scouting or other extracurricular activities?

If you answer “yes” to more than one of these questions, your teen may be at risk of dropping out.

Talk to your teen and to the school. Try to develop a plan to address the problems you have identified. If you don’t get involved, your teen may get into a deeper chain of failure.

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