9-12

This 2012 report update provides a number of key findings that demonstrate the U.S. continues to make progress in curbing high school dropout, with more than half of states increasing graduation rates. Among the findings, the report notes that the number of "dropout factory" high schools decreased by 457 between 2002 and 2010; the number of “dropout factories” totaled number declined by 84 between 2009 and 2010. As a result, 790,000 fewer students attended dropout factories in 2010 than 2002.

This technical brief by Uekawa, Merola, Fernandez, and Porowski presents a historical analysis of key indicators of dropout for Delaware students in grades 9-12. The authors identified three key indicators of dropouts: (1) students’ attendance; (2) students’ math course grades; and (3) students’ English language arts (ELA) course grades. They found that the greater the number of risk indicators among a group of students, the higher the rate of student dropout in that group.

This research by Suh, Suh, and Houston examines key contributing factors to school dropout among three categories of at-risk students: those with low grade point averages, those who had been suspended, and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-1997 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2002), the authors found that student dropout rates were affected depending on the student membership in those three at-risk categories. This research may be particularly useful to schools looking at factors related to student dropout rates.

This research by Neild, Stoner-Eby, and Furstenberg used survey and student record data for a cohort of Philadelphia public school students. The authors found that ninth-grade outcomes add substantially to the ability to predict dropouts. They recommend that schools looking to decrease dropout rates focus on the high school transition year. This research may be particularly useful to districts or schools looking at ninth-grade indicators to predict those students at risk of dropping out of school.

This research by MacIver and MacIver analyzed Baltimore City Schools data for the 6,662 first-time ninth graders in 2007-08. The authors found chronic absenteeism was widespread, core course failure was even more common than chronic absenteeism, and suspensions were much less prevalent. They assert that to raise the graduation rate in Baltimore City will require specifically targeted efforts to increase attendance and reduce ninth grade course failure.

This research by the Baltimore Education Research Consortium examined the drop out indicators from the Baltimore City Schools class of 2007. The authors identified chronic absence; failing English, or math, or both and/or a failing average for English, math science, and social studies; being at least one year overage; and being suspended for three or more days. This resource may be particularly useful for districts or schools looking to use drop out indicators in the middle grades to identify students in need of intervention efforts.

This study examines the effect of career and technical education (CTE) transition programs on secondary student matriculation to postsecondary education. The study has 2 components 1) comparing secondary CTE and non-CTE students on academic experiences, achievement and transition to college and 2) exploring the effect of CTE programs on postsecondary students’ transition experiences and outcomes. Results revealed that participation in CTE programs were linked to outcomes such as: increased academic achievement, enrollment in dual-credit courses and college readiness.

This study assesses the effectiveness of bridge programs, which aim to provide interventions for high schools students to successfully transition into college. Results showed that effective bridge programs have strong relationships with their partner school district, have orientations and closing ceremonies, involve parents, implement formative and summative evaluations, and provide transportation, academic advising, professional development opportunities, and support services and labs to support instruction.

This study analyzes the impact of prior mathematics achievement on the relationship between high school mathematics curriculum and student’s postsecondary mathematics performance. The analysis used mathematics course-taking and achievement data from eight college semesters for 1,588 students. Findings revealed that students were equally prepared for intense college mathematics coursework, regardless of the high school mathematics curriculum they completed.

This article presents a four-year case study on the impact that an urban college preparatory charter high school had on the postsecondary outcomes of its graduates. Through analysis of staff and teacher interviews, the impact that logistical constraints and staff turnover had on the implementation of the school’s mission to prepare educationally and socially disadvantaged students for college was revealed.