U.S. Department of Education research indicates that early warning indicator systems are being used in at least half of high schools in the United States. Previous findings from an efficacy study of one early warning indicator and response system, the Early Warning Indicator (EWI) team model, indicated that ninth grade students in schools using…

Background: Education plays a pivotal role in empowering individuals with the knowledge and skills needed for careers, economic progress, and societal engagement. Dropping out of school before achieving a qualification undermines these opportunities and has an impact on individuals and society (Audit Commission, 2010; OECD, 2023). International…

In this study, we analyze the effects of Project GRIT (Generating Resiliency and Inspiring Transformation), a six-week intervention program that worked with a group of high school "pushouts," students who were encouraged to leave school, in a school district in southern California. We interviewed thirty-nine former high school students…

The objective of the proposed systematic review is to summarize the available evidence on the effects of prevention and intervention programs aimed at primary and secondary students for increasing school completion or reducing school dropout. Program effects on the closely related outcomes of school attendance (absences, truancy) will also be…

This 5-year longitudinal randomized study focused on the effects of a dropout prevention program implemented at two urban high schools. The program incorporated the characteristics of personalization found in previous research to have some positive effects, and typical of the type of programs implemented in many high schools nationwide. The…

Policymakers nationwide must decide how to best invest in education and related opportunities, such as out-of-school-time programs targeting youth and early-childhood education programs. In this paper, we review the costs, benefits, and costs and benefits relative to one another for one alternative type of investment: youth programs that are…

The "National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program" is a residential education and training program designed for youth ages 16 to 18 who have dropped out of or been expelled from high school. During the 22-week residential period, participants are offered GED preparation classes and other program services intended to promote positive youth…

Many school district leaders, high school administrators, and teachers--particularly those in urban areas--have struggled to reduce high school dropout rates but find themselves overwhelmed by the dimensions of the problem. Consider: Research has shown that lack of preparation in elementary and middle school, long before students reach high…

This document presents a study of the effectiveness of the Job Training Partnership Act program Project STAY, designed to impact the dropout problem in Stockton, California area high schools. A literature review discusses dropout characteristics, schools that dropouts leave, employment opportunities for the general population and for dropouts,…

From 1976-79, over 46,000 Wisconsin youth left high school before receiving a high school diploma, a number reflective of a national trend. Research has documented dropout characteristics, their reasons for leaving school, and the consequences of their decisions, but little effort has been made to examine ways in which schools and communities…

A project identified as potential dropouts 53 Springfield (Ohio) South High School freshmen and 24 London (Ohio) High School juniors and seniors who demonstrated irregular attendance patterns and poor grade achievement. The 53 freshmen and 15 London High School students were enrolled in a career club, an intervention program to address their…

This literature review describes the major topics covered in the literature on school dropouts between 1988 and 1994, with special attention to the reasons why youth leave school. It analyzes recent literature on these topics, and links this literature to that on intervention programs meant to keep youth in school and prepare them for employment.…

The Austin (Texas) Independent School District (AISD) obtained federal grant funds for a school dropout demonstration assistance program, which began operating in 1988-89 as Project GRAD (Grant Research About Dropouts). Project components included the following: (1) piloting the use of dropout intervention specialists at 10 high schools; (2)…

The current study investigated a needs assessment survey designed to measure perceptions of causes of dropout and school violence and related interventions. The needs assessment was conceptualized as a first step to be taken by schools to facilitate program planning, school-based implementation and acceptability of programs designed to prevent…

High school noncompletion is a complex problem that requires complex solutions that schools are often inhibited from implementing quickly. Alternative educational services are often necessary for students who are able to complete high school but who find school an unrewarding place in which to learn. A loose network of public and private programs…