Getting a handle on dropouts.

Dropping out of school is a young person's way of "divorcing" the school system. The decision to drop out, like the decision to divorce, doesn't happen in a day. Studies suggest it is the cumulative result of a series of events and circumstances. School, student, family and other non-school factors can come into play. Each student's situation is different, and schools often don't know the details since students are not required to file "divorce papers" before calling it quits.

Even if such paperwork were required, schools would have already missed several critical junctures in the child's academia career--opportunities to keep the student on track for high school graduation. Research has identified several of these "switch points."

Preschool Preschool is not too early to start thinking about graduation, especially for children from low-income families. Several studies have linked high-quality preschool programs to higher graduation rates among low-income children. An important factor is the involvement of parents in helping their children learn. Early involvement that includes direct instruction for parents can empower them with attitudes and skills that may benefit their children for years to come.

K-6 The focus on helping children read well by the end of third grade could help reduce the drop-out rate, if it helps prevent early academic failure. A Baltimore study involving 800 students found that early failure signaled a much greater chance that a child would later drop out (60 percent of those who received D's and F's in the first grade ultimately dropped out, compared to 19 percent of those receiving A's and B's). To sustain any gains, however, many students will require extra support beyond the third grade, such as after-school tutoring and help with homework, especially for those from low-resource and non-English-speaking households.

Middle school Researchers have zeroed in on middle schools as primetime players in drop-out prevention. Students need personal attention and guidance, which can be fostered by creating smaller and/or alternative learning environments and access to counseling and mentoring from a staff that is caring, committed and competent. Some students may require intensive programs with coordinated services (e.g., tutoring, life skills training). Special attention is needed by eighth graders preparing for the transition to high school. For many, this is perhaps the most critical juncture. According to Jay Greene's calculations, less than 75 percent of all eighth graders graduate from high school in the years (in urban schools, less than 50 percent).

High school More students are held back in the ninth grade than at any other grade level, and the rate at which students "disappear" between ninth and 10th grades has tripled in the past 30 years. How can we retain them? Various methods have been used to identify candidates for dropout prevention programs, using risk factors such ELS low achievement, grade retention, frequent absences or tardiness, lack of fluency in English, poverty, family change and pregnancy. But use of established risk factors doesn't necessarily identify appropriate participants. And no programs evaluated in rigorous national studies have been consistently effective in significantly reducing drop-out rates.

They can, however, make a difference. Leaders need to assess the drop-out problem within their own schools and communities, identify practices that seem most effective in similar circumstances and develop an individualized approach.

Beyond high school Students who have already dropped out can benefit from programs that help them get a General Educational Development certificate.

Get Recognition for Prevention Efforts

If your school or district has made significant progress in reducing the number of students dropping out of high school, Uncle Sam wants to hear about it. The School Dropout Prevention Recognition Program will be accepting applications for its new award program later this year. Keep checking the DOE's Web site: www.ed.gov

Graduation Rate Debate

NCLB requires states to report disaggregated data on graduation rates. The law directs states to calculate rates using one of two methods: (1) track 9th graders through the end of 12th grade to arrive at the percentage who graduate on time with a regular diploma, a.k.a. "the Greene method," or (2) use some other state-developed definition approved by the U.S. Department al Education. But the variety of methods used by states makes cross-state comparisons or national averages of state-reported data unreliable. Early in 2004, the department convened a panel of experts to examine the problem. Meanwhile, here's a snapshot of U.S. graduation rates, based on recent DOE data.

                          U.S.                 On-time
                   Graduation Rates (1)   Graduation Rates (2)

Asian                     95%                   79%
White                     92                    72
American Indian          n/a                    54
Hispanic                  64                    52
African-American          84                    51

(1) 18- through 24-year-olds not enrolled in high school who have
completed high school of received a GED credential, as reported by
NCES.

(2) Percentage of all students completing high school in four years,
as reported by Jay Greene et al.

For citation of the references used in this article, go to ww.districtadministration.com

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