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Helping Students Finish School: Why Students Drop Out and How to Help Them Graduate
Conducted by: Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
Released: May 2006 (updated) (Download pdf)
Overview: This document examines the multi-faceted issues related to dropping out and suggests actions to improve schools and help students complete their education. Specifically, it summarizes the research and professional literature in order to answer the following questions: Who is a dropout? How many students drop out of school in the U.S. and in Washington State? Who drops out of schools and why? What can be done to reduce the number of dropouts?
Key findings: Schools and districts can begin by examining the effectiveness and unintended consequences of their own policies and practices. Areas to examine include discipline and attendance policies, the implementation of high standards, grading procedures, retention in grade, special education and remediation assignments, transitions between school levels, course content and instruction, school climate and relationships, and existing alternative programs. After conducting this work, policymakers, leaders, and other educators need to take the necessary and sometimes courageous steps to improve or change ineffective policies, practices, and programs or create new ones.
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