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Intervention: Project GRAD

Effectiveness


Findings

The WWC review of dropout prevention programs addresses student outcomes in three key domains: staying in school, progressing in school, and completing school. The Houston study by Snipes et al. (2006) assessed outcomes in the progressing in school and completing school domains.

Progressing in school. In the Houston study, Snipes et al. (2006) found no statistically significant differences between Project GRAD students and comparison group students in the number of credits they earned during ninth grade or the rate at which they were promoted to 10th grade. The average effect size across the two outcomes was not large enough to be considered substantively important, according to the WWC criteria (that is, at least 0.25).

Completing school. In the Houston study, Snipes et al. (2006) found no statistically significant difference between Project GRAD students and comparison group students in the proportion who ever graduated, looking ahead at least three years. The effect size for this outcome was not large enough to be considered substantively important according to the WWC criteria.

Rating of effectiveness

The WWC rates the effects of an intervention in a domain as positive, potentially positive, mixed, no discernible effects, potentially negative, or negative. The rating of effectiveness takes into account four factors: the quality of the research design, the statistical significance of the findings,5 the size of the difference between participants in the intervention and the comparison conditions, and the consistency in findings across studies (see the WWC Intervention Rating Scheme).

5 The level of statistical significance was reported by the study authors or, where necessary, calculated by the WWC to correct for clustering within classrooms or schools and for multiple comparisons. For an explanation, see the WWC Tutorial on Mismatch. See the Technical Details of WWC-Conducted Computations for the formulas the WWC used to calculate the statistical significance. In the case of Project GRAD, no corrections for clustering or multiple comparisons were needed.