WWC Evidence Review Protocol for Dropout Prevention Interventions, Version 2.0

Overview

• Topic Area Focus
• Key Definitions

Topic Area Focus

Dropping out of school continues to be an issue of national concern because of its links with poor labor market prospects, higher rates of public assistance receipt, and higher rates of substance use and incarceration. Recent estimates indicate that 10.5 percent of youth ages 16 to 24 years are not attending and have not completed high school (having earned neither a high school diploma nor a certificate of general educational development [GED]), and the rate is 11.3 percent and 25.7 percent for African-American and Hispanic youth, respectively.¹ The rate has been remarkably constant in the last two decades, even as other indicators of risky teen behavior, such as pregnancy, have declined.

The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) review of dropout prevention interventions will examine secondary school (middle school, junior high school, and high school) interventions, as well as community-based interventions designed to help students stay in school, progress in school, and/or complete school. A systematic review of evidence in this topic area will address the following questions:

• Which dropout prevention programs are effective in keeping students in school or getting them to return to school?
• Which dropout prevention programs are effective in helping youth progress in school?
• Which dropout prevention programs are effective in helping youth complete high school by either earning a diploma or a GED certificate?

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Key Definitions

Dropout Prevention Programs. Dropout prevention programs are interventions designed to keep students in school and ultimately improve their likelihood of completing high school. These interventions can include services and activities such as incentives, counseling, monitoring, school restructuring, curriculum design, literacy support, or community-based services to mitigate factors impeding progress in school. They can operate in a public or private school setting, postsecondary institutions, or in a community facility such as a youth center or community-based organization.

The interventions can target middle school students, junior high students, high school students, or youth who have dropped out of school. For middle school students, program goals might be to keep students in middle school or encourage them to complete middle school. For high school students, program goals might be to keep students in high school or encourage them to complete high school either by receiving a diploma or GED certificate. For dropouts, program goals might be to get students to return to school and work toward a high school diploma or GED certificate.

The key outcomes are staying in school, progressing in school, or completing school. The success of a dropout prevention intervention will be examined by comparing program participants (an intervention group) and a control or comparison group, to assess whether the intervention group was more likely to stay in school, progress in school, or complete school. Staying in school will be measured by school enrollment. Progressing in school will be measured by credit accumulation, grade promotion, or highest grade completed. Completing school will be measured by whether the participant has earned a high school diploma or GED certificate.

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