Practice Guide iconPractice Guide
This Educator's Practice Guide has been updated. In September 2017, the WWC published Preventing Dropout in Secondary Schools, which includes the latest information about early warning indicators and reviews an additional nine years of education research on dropout prevention. Also, the research that was used in this 2008 guide was reviewed again, using more rigorous evidence standards. Learn more about the updated guide.
Geared toward educators, administrators, and policymakers, this guide provides recommendations that focus on reducing high school dropout rates. Strategies presented include identifying and advocating for at-risk students, implementing programs to improve behavior and social skills, and keeping students engaged in the school environment.
1
Utilize data systems that support a realistic diagnosis of the number of students who drop out and that help identify individual students at high risk of dropping out.
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2
Assign adult advocates to students at risk of dropping out.
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3
Provide academic support and enrichment to improve academic performance.
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4
Implement programs to improve students’ classroom behavior and social skills.
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5
Personalize the learning environment and instructional process.
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6
Provide rigorous and relevant instruction to better engage students in learning and provide the skills needed to graduate and to serve them after they leave school.
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States, districts and schools should develop comprehensive, longitudinal, student level databases with unique IDs that, at a minimum, include data on student absences, grade retention, and low academic achievement. Data should be reviewed regularly, with a particular emphasis before the transitions to middle school and high school.

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Adult advocates should have an appropriate background and low caseloads, and be purposefully matched with students. Adequate training and support should be provided for advocates.

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Help students to improve academic performance and reengage in school. This should be implemented in conjunction with other recommendations.

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Students should establish attainable academic and behavioral goals and be recognized when they accomplish them. Schools can teach strategies.

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A personalized learning environment creates a sense of belonging and fosters a school climate where students and teachers get to know one another and can provide academic, social, and behavioral encouragement.

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Engagement can be increased by providing students with the necessary skills to complete high school and by introducing students to postsecondary options.

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Audience:
  • Administrators
  • Policymakers
  • Researchers
  • Teacher

This practice guide was prepared for the WWC by American Institutes for Research under contract ED-02-CO-0022.

The following research staff contributed to the guide: Kristin Hallgren, and Brian Gill.

  • Mark Dynarski (Chair)
    Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
  • Linda Clarke
    City of Houston
  • Brian Cobb
    Colorado State University
  • Jeremy Finn
    State University of New York-Buffalo
  • Russell Rumberger
    University of California-Santa Barbara
  • Jay Smink
    National Dropout Prevention Center/Network

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