The white paper, Identifying Potential Dropouts: Key Lessons for Building an Early Warning Data System, attempts to provide policymakers with an overview of research about the dropout problem and the best strategies for building an early warning data system that can signal which students and schools are most in need of interventions. The paper argues that investment in better data, in the form of an early warning data system to identify students on the path to dropping out, will be more effective in the long-run over specific program spending. State education agencies can use this paper to help devise methods to support districts and schools in reducing the dropout rate. The paper was prepared for Staying the Course: High Standards and Improved Graduation Rates, a joint project of Achieve and Jobs for the Future and is published on the Achieve website, along with a policy brief on dropout data and three state-specific policy papers for North Carolina, Massachusetts, and Indiana.
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Background and Context
Students are most at risk of dropping out during their first year of high school. Initiatives like ninth grade academies, smaller learning communities, advisory systems, and individual learning plans can serve to personalize a student’s transition into high school and better equip them to face the new challenges that arise during that time.
