This research investigates through a survey the risk factors of early school leaving in students with minority backgrounds, attending the first and second level of secondary school in Italy. Previous research identifies the students’ attitudes towards schooling (Dweck, 2006) and their low expectations about the opportunities for the future offered by the school (Thompson, 2017) as the main risk factors. The results highlight that students coming from Third Countries invest in the school, despite they are more at risk of failure. This demonstrates their resilience, which should be recognized and supported by teachers and by institutions. The “Drop out” variable rather than the “Immigrant Background” is significantly correlates with the expectations on the school. The results suggest an innovative educational perspective of their scholastic experience, which can lead to action-research initiatives, with the aim of modify the teaching practice to support learning processes of students at risk.
