Michelle Porche, Ed.D., senior research scientist at the Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW) discusses her research on childhood trauma and its effect on a student's learning and performance in school. Her research shows that students who have experienced trauma have a higher dropout rate. Her research also focuses on what can be done in the schools to help students suffering from trauma and mental health disorders, and what therapeutic strategies can be used for children dealing with trauma.

See the article, "Childhood Trauma and Psychiatric Disorders as Correlates of School Dropout in a National Sample of Young Adults," Michelle Porche co-authored in the journal Child Development: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01534.x/abstract