New WWC practice guide on preventing dropout in secondary schools

The What Works Clearinghouse has released a new practice guide, Preventing Dropout in Secondary Schools, that offers research-based recommendations for reducing dropout rates in middle and high schools. The goal is to help educators and administrators learn strategies for identifying at-risk students and addressing the challenges they face.

The WWC and an expert panel chaired by Russell W. Rumberger from the University of California, Santa Barbara synthesized existing research on the topic and combined it with insight from the panel to identify the following four recommendations, which include a rating of the strength of the research evidence supporting each recommendation:

• Monitor the progress of all students, and proactively intervene when students show early signs of attendance, behavior, or academic problems (minimal evidence)
• Provide intensive, individualized support to students who have fallen off track and face significant challenges to success (moderate evidence)
• Engage students by offering curricula and programs that connect schoolwork with college and career success and that improve students’ capacity to manage challenges in and out of school (strong evidence)
• For schools with many at-risk students, create small, personalized communities to facilitate monitoring and support (moderate evidence)

Each recommendation provides specific, actionable strategies; examples of how to implement the recommended practices in schools; advice on how to overcome potential obstacles; and a description of the supporting evidence.

Early warning indicators for risk of dropout among ELs

School districts in the U.S. are using early warning indicators such as attendance, grade point average, and suspensions or expulsions to identify and provide support for students at risk of dropping out. A new report prepared for the Institute of Education Sciences examines whether these early warning indicators work just as well for English learner students (EL).

The study compares data for students in six school districts in Washington State who were classified as EL at any point in their education (n=2,652) with data for non-EL students (n=6,943). The results show that early warning indicators are unable to accurately identify future dropouts. Overall, 23.8% of students triggered one or both early warning indicators, with EL students triggering one or both early warning indicators only slightly more (24.2%) than non-EL students (23.6%). These percentages were substantially higher than the percentage of students who dropped out (all students = 5.4%; EL students = 5.9%; non-EL students = 5.2%).

Applied STEM improves outcomes for high school students with learning disabilities

Studying an applied STEM course could help students with learning disabilities (LD) complete secondary school and transition successfully to college, according to a study published in Educational Policy.

Students with learning disabilities face significant academic challenges in secondary school, as well as greater risks of dropping out altogether. Studying courses like applied STEM, which focus on applying math and science skills more directly to practical job experiences, may help them to make the connection between learning and opportunities beyond secondary school, and to see the importance of continuing with their studies.

In order to examine the role applied STEM might have in improving outcomes for LD students, Jay Stratte Plasman and Michael A. Gottfried analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Education to see if there was any link between studying applied STEM and dropout. While students generally appeared to benefit from studying applied STEM, the advantages were greater for those with learning disabilities. They calculated a two percent dropout rate for LD students who study applied STEM versus 12 percent for LD students who do not. Their analysis also demonstrated that LD students who studied applied STEM were 2.35 times more likely to enroll in college immediately after high school, and 2.23 times more likely to go to college two years after completing high school, than LD students who did not study applied STEM.

New What Works Clearinghouse report on Career Academies

Career Academies is a dropout prevention strategy for youth considered most at risk of dropping out of high school. The program integrates academic curricula with career themes, including health care, finance, technology, communications, and public service, and includes work experience through partnerships with local employers.

The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) has released an intervention report that looks at research on the program. In particular, the WWC analyzes a randomized controlled trial that included approximately 1,400 students who applied to an academy before their ninth- or tenth-grade years. The academies were located in eight urban areas in six states.

Based on the research, the What Works Clearinghouse found Career Academies to have potentially positive effects on completing school and no discernible effects on staying in school or progressing in school for high-school aged youth.