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Dropout
Research
The WWC reviewed two studies of the effectiveness of QOP. One study (Schirm, Stuart, & McKie, 2006)4 was a randomized controlled trial that met WWC evidence standards with reservations because of differential attrition between intervention and control groups. 5 The other study of QOP did not meet WWC evidence screens.
The Schirm, Stuart, & McKie (2006) study was conducted in seven sites in six states and used a random assignment design in which eligible youth were assigned to either the intervention group or a control group. The study included 1069 students (580 QOP students and 489 control group students) entering the ninth grade in fall 1995. The students were identified as eligible for QOP based on having low grades during their eighth-grade year. Students who were repeating the ninth grade or who had severe physical or learning disabilities that would prevent them from participating in the program were not eligible for QOP.
Extent of evidence
The WWC categorizes the extent of evidence in each domain as small or medium to large (see the What Works Clearinghouse Extent of Evidence Categorization Scheme). The extent of evidence takes into account the number of studies and total sample size across the studies that met WWC evidence standards with or without reservations. 6
The WWC considers the extent of evidence for QOP to be small for progressing in school and for completing school. No studies that met WWC evidence standards with or without reservations addressed staying in school.
5 The credits earned measure used to rate QOP's effectiveness in the progressing in school domain was available for 86% of the QOP group and 77% of the control group, exceeding the 5% differential attrition threshold used for WWC dropout prevention reviews. The high school completion measure was available for 88% of the QOP group and 83% of the control group, a difference equal to the differential attrition standard. Because one measure used to rate QOP's effectiveness exceeded the differential attrition standard, the WWC downgraded the study to meeting standards with reservations. The sample sizes needed for calculating these percentages were provided to the WWC by the study authors.
6 The Extent of Evidence Categorization was developed to tell readers how much evidence was used to determine the intervention rating, focusing on the number and size of studies. Additional factors associated with a related concept, external validity, such as students' demographics and types of settings in which studies took place, are not taken into account for the categorization. Information concerning how the extent of evidence rating was determined for QOP is presented in Appendix A6.
