There has been a lack of information and research as to the reasons students did not graduate from high school with a diploma, or GED certificate, or certificate of completion, even though they were given the opportunity to attend an alternative drop-out or credit recovery program. This study identified the reasons why some students failed to complete an alternative education program in a K-12 school district in Texas. Of the 29 former PACE students failing to graduate with either a diploma or GED certificate that participated in this research, a little less than half either quit the program or were administratively dropped because they felt that earning money from their job was more important than graduating from high school. Each of the others had this excuse as well as many other excuses for not graduating. Three inter-locking conclusions were reached by the researcher after interviewing 29 of the students that did not complete the PACE program. The first conclusion was that students did not understand the value of a high school diploma at the time they were attending PACE. The second was that money, even in the form of a minimum wage job, was more important than an education. The final conclusion was that each student did not have a plan for their life beyond the coming evening or weekend. All students that failed to graduate or earn a GED had at least one of these misconceptions, while most had two, and a few had all three.

Approximately one-third of all high school students in the United States fail to graduate. To address the problem of decreasing the dropout rate and subsequently increasing the graduation rate, the researcher looked at factors prior to high school that played a role in a student’s decision to drop out prior to completion. The purposes of this were to (1) investigate the published “best practices” literature pertaining to reducing student dropouts and (2) develop a model strategic plan for middle schools that would lead to improving graduation rates at the high school level. This project focuses on creating a model strategic plan for middle schools to help decrease the number of students dropping out of school prior to graduation. There are two research questions that guide the project. Key components of the model strategic plan are based upon best practices literature. These components include: student engagement, parental involvement, instructional strategies, teacher and student interaction, instructional strategies, interventions, gradual disengagement, special education, and response to intervention. This research project will help middle schools develop a specific plan that targets at-risk students and focuses on specific factors that cause a student to drop out of school. If used accurately, the plan will help high schools track at-risk students, which in the long run may increase graduation rates.

The Student Trajectory Enhancement Program (STEP UP) was launched in 2014 by Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) as a six-week summer program that targeted over-age, retained, potentially under-achieving students completing the sixth grade. The purpose of this study was to conduct a summative evaluation of the effectiveness of the STEP UP program in keeping program participants “on track” for high school graduation and to determine if the intended goals of the program were realized. STEP UP was developed in response to compelling data that there is an unacceptably high number of overage students in middle school in HCPS. STEP UP was intended to decrease the number of potential dropouts in HCPS, with the assumption that a number of students who drop out of high school originate as overage students in the elementary and middle grades. The evaluation focused on students who participated in the initial cohort in the summer of 2014. Data analyzed were students’ attendance, behavior, course performance, and grade point averages—the district’s Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) serving as the benchmark for determining whether students are “on track” to graduate. Findings of the study suggested that students’ “on-track” performance on individual KPI metrics was significantly higher than the overall “on-track” performance on all Key Performance Indicators as an aggregate. Data reflected that the majority of students in the program were minority (78.74%), designated as Free/Reduced Lunch (91.27%), and classified as ESE and ELL (54.09%). Of the variables studied (ethnicity, gender, ESE status, ELL status, and FRL status), students in poverty and students with profound exceptionalities had the lowest “on-track” performance rates. While there were differences in individual KPI performance rates among ethnic groups, there was little difference among the three largest ethnic subgroups in the data set (Hispanic, white and African-American) when analyzing “on-track” performance rates for all KPI’s together. This study contributes to the school district’s ability to make improvements to the program. In addition, other districts might gain insights to help them determine if a similar program could prove beneficial for their overage, retained students in middle school.

This formative evaluation of Franklin School was shaped around the implicit and explicit goals of the school and those school practices that are recognized as being effective in schools for students at-risk of dropping out of school. The study served four purposes: (1) to determine how the teachers, parents, and students viewed the school and their experiences with it, (2) to determine what program improvements were needed, (3) to provide a baseline for future evaluations, and (4) to activate the collection of data needed for future evaluations. The participants in the study included the six teachers, 52 students, and the parents or guardians of the students who attended Franklin School during the 1996-97 school year, the year which was the focus of the study. I collected data from the participants through surveys, interviews with teachers and a carefully drawn sample of students and parents, and meetings with teachers and students. Additionally, I analyzed student records pertaining to referrals, attendance, academic achievement, disciplinary infractions, and dropouts. Data from the study indicated that some school goals were being met adequately, and some were not. Teachers, students, and parents agreed that goals related to self-esteem efforts, sense of community, and safe environment were being met. However, the findings from the study indicated that improvement was needed in the areas of career education, counseling, discipline, staff development, parent involvement, and use of instructional technology. Also, the study yielded three important findings in addition to findings related to school goals that need to be addressed. First, there is a leadership problem at Franklin School that needs to be resolved. Second, limited data available on attendance and academic achievement suggested that over time student performance declines at the school. Finally, the data on the referrals to Franklin School revealed an exceedingly high rejection rate with no written notices of admission decisions and no follow-up of students rejected. The findings from the study strongly suggest the need for continued evaluation of the school and for putting mechanisms in place to collect the data needed for such evaluations. / Ph. D.

The Preparatory Academy was established in September, 1999 to improve academic achievement and reduce the dropout rate of at-risk high school students in a mid-Atlantic state. The study looks at the Preparatory Academy as a dropout prevention program for high school students. Students attending the Preparatory Academy are one or more years behind grade level and have not been successful in a general education setting. In addition, the students are identified by the school division as being at-risk of not graduating from high school. The Preparatory Academy was designed to address the increasing drop out rate and to advance students one or two grade levels in one school year, whereby giving them an opportunity to reach their age appropriate grade. A qualitative design methodology was chosen to evaluate the Preparatory Academy effectiveness from the eyes of the students who were successful in the program. Eight participants who successfully completed the Academy during the 2004-2005 academic year were selected from each participating high school. Students participated in focus groups and answered questions about their experiences, their beliefs, and their perceptions while in the Preparatory Academy. Seven staff members, three administrators, two teachers, and two guidance counselors, were interviewed to clarify Academy procedures and policies. The results of this study show that the Preparatory Academy is perceived by students to be an effective dropout prevention program. Students reported an increased commitment to graduation from high school and reported an increase in grade point average. In addition, data revealed students having a positive change in their attitude toward themselves and their education. When asked about the reason, the students gave credit to the Preparatory Academy. / Ed. D.

The decision to drop out of high school can affect a person's life in many ways, as lifetime earnings, employment options, overall health, and the probability of incarceration are all negatively influenced when students drop out of school. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the perceptions of faculty, staff, parents, and high school graduates regarding factors leading to the high graduation rates of students in a dropout prevention program during the 2017–2018 and 2018–2019 school years. A total of 15 one-on-one interviews were conducted to collect data around participants' perceptions of how the application process; onboarding and orientation program; academic progress monitoring and interventions; and social, emotional, and mental health supports contributed to the program's high graduation rate. Data were reviewed, analyzed, and coded, resulting in emerging themes across the data set. Themes were then synthesized and aggregated into four findings. Findings indicated the advisor role and the student–advisor relationship, staff training in trauma-informed practices, staff collaboration, and providing a flexible and responsive program structure were factors influencing the high graduation rate of students in this dropout prevention program. These findings were used to develop four corresponding implications for district and school leaders to create and maintain structures where students are supported by at least one trusted adult, provide meaningful and consistent trauma-informed professional learning, create an environment where staff collaboration around student needs is a priority, and provide flexible schedules and options for students to positively affect student graduation from alternative educational settings. / Doctor of Education / The decision to drop out of high school can affect a person's life in many ways, as lifetime earnings, employment options, overall health, and the probability of incarceration are all negatively influenced when students drop out of school. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the perceptions of faculty, staff, parents, and high school graduates regarding factors leading to the high graduation rates of students in a dropout prevention program during the 2017–2018 and 2018–2019 school years. A total of 15 one-on-one interviews were conducted to collect data around participants' perceptions of how the application process; onboarding and orientation program; academic progress monitoring and interventions; and social, emotional, and mental health supports contributed to the program's high graduation rate. Data were reviewed, analyzed, and coded, resulting in emerging themes across the data set. Themes were then synthesized and aggregated into four findings. Findings indicated the advisor role and the student–advisor relationship, staff training in trauma-informed practices, staff collaboration, and providing a flexible and responsive program structure were factors influencing the high graduation rate of students in this dropout prevention program. These findings were used to develop four corresponding implications for district and school leaders to create and maintain structures where students are supported by at least one trusted adult, provide meaningful and consistent trauma-informed professional learning, create an environment where staff collaboration around student needs is a priority, and provide flexible schedules and options for students to positively affect student graduation from alternative educational settings.

The Alliance for Excellent Education (2011) estimates every 26 seconds in America, a student drops out of school. Numerous intervention and prevention approaches have been implemented to reduce the incidents of school dropout. One program, Communities In Schools (CIS), has shown promise in impacting the issue of school dropout by attending to both academic and non-academic factors at play in influencing a student’s risk for dropping out. The primary aim of this secondary data analysis was to develop an increased understanding of CIS services, to explore whether service provision varies systematically in relation to student outcomes and student characteristics, and to gain initial understandings of whether service provision is related to end-of-year outcomes. The volume of services provided was examined in terms of the number of service categories received and the amount of services (in hours) received. Bivariate statistical tests were used to examine the differences in the two service volumes based on student characteristics and prior year outcomes. The findings suggest that the total number of services received and the total number of hours of services received does not significantly vary by student characteristics or prior year outcomes. However, significant differences were found in the number of hours of distinct service categories and prior year outcomes. Multiple regression analyses were employed to examine in what ways services were related to student outcomes. The findings indicate that specific services are associated with better outcomes. Practice and future research implications are discussed.

Hispanic high school students have a dropout rate that ranges from 35 percent to 55 percent depending on what type of report you may be referencing. Add rates for all high school students. Hispanic youth endure the challenges of language barriers, single parent households, working to help their family, or fighting off gang involvement in their communities to graduate from high school. The purpose of this case study is to address the urban Hispanic dropout problem through an examination of strategies perceived as successful by Hispanic graduates. In order to narrow the scope, the researcher focused on the strategies suggested by the National Dropout Prevention Center. The researcher posed two questions: 1.) To what extent did students perceive that these fifteen identified strategies influenced their decision to remain in school and graduate? and 2.) What other positive influences beyond the identified strategies were credited by at-risk students and staff as contributing factors to their graduation? The study examined eight former Hispanic high school students who successfully completed high school and four of their teachers. The strategies that this study group perceived as most effective are discussed and policy implications are described. The findings stated students did not find a single path that lead to graduation, although the three highest ranked strategies were community collaboration, alternative schooling, and active learning. The conclusions one can make is that family involvement and school partnerships are very important to the outcome of Hispanic high school students’ graduation success.

The problem addressed in this study was that the Compass Learning Odyssey program, a self-paced online intervention, was being utilized to allow middle school students at the target school to recover course credits in the core subjects of language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, but its effectiveness had not been studied. The Compass Learning Odyssey program provided remediation opportunities for students who had failed one or more academic core courses and allowed for credit retrieval, course completion and grade promotion. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the implementation of summer credit retrieval online program on the overall retrieval of credits by all Grade-8 student participants and student participants in subgroups of gender and ethnic groups. The credit retrieval program had been in effect in the school since the 2006-2007 school year, but its effectiveness had not been studied. The researcher used de-identified retrospective data to answer the research questions. One-way analysis of variance and t tests were conducted to determine for each year and overall for the 4 years if there was a statistically significant difference in the impact of the implementation of the summer credit retrieval online program on (a) the overall retrieval of credits by Grade-8 students in the summer program, (b) the quality points earned by gender and ethnic subgroups, (c) the students retrieving core credits, and (d) the core courses retrieved by gender and ethnic groups.The results of the study showed that all students passed the quarter modules with at least a grade of D, with 75% of students making average progress with a grade of C. There was not a statistically significant difference between subjects studied. Ninety-three percent of the students participating in the summer credit retrieval program were able to recover enough core credits to be promoted. Suggestions for program improvements and recommendations for future research are included.

This study investigated the effects of an intervention program on variables related to school performance in which ninth-grade high school students served as subjects. Variables that served as indicators of program effectiveness were (a) grade-point average (GPA); (b) proportions of students that attain 10th-grade status as measured by units of academic credit; (c) percent-correct scores on tests of academic skills in the areas of editing, mathematics, and reading; (d) rates of absence from classes; and (e) rates of referral for disciplinary action by teachers and administrators. Qualitative evidence of program effectiveness was secured through individual student interviews. The treatment consisted of an eight-week intervention program designed to assist all ninth-grade students in the transition from junior high school into high school. Program faculty presented six topics determined to be important to student success in high school. The treatment group consisted of 72 ninth-grade students who were matched with 72 control subjects on pretest measures of GPA and absence rate. Pretest measures of the dependent variables were taken from school records compiled during the first 10 weeks of the 9th-grade prior to student participation in the treatment program. Posttest measures of the dependent variables were taken from school records during the first full semester of the 9th-grade school year immediately following the treatment program and again during the first 12 weeks of the 10th-grade school year. Analyses of covariance demonstrated significant differences (p $<$.05) between the two groups for the first posttests of GPA and absence rates. Student interviews revealed that academic planning and improvement in study skills were the components of the treatment program that students considered most important to academic success. Results of this study provided empirical confirmation of the findings of previous research which indicated that high school intervention programs can positively affect GPA and attendance. The results also suggested that further gains in GPA and attendance might be promoted by increasing the length of the treatment program.