School threat assessment is a violence prevention strategy that has become widely used over the past 20 years; however, the procedures for a threat assessment are not well-known in education and it has received relatively little research attention. This article describes the rationale, procedures, and empirical support for the Comprehensive School…

The COVID-19 crisis put more stress on students graduating from high school during the 2020-2021 school year in a myriad of ways. During regular times, this transition can already be overwhelming, disappointing, and even treacherous for some students (Hollander, 2020). In the uncertain days of COVID-19, the education landscape has been disrupted.…

Charter high schools largely serving low-income, first-generation, Black and Hispanic students have long boasted of the comparatively high proportions of their students who graduate and go to college. But as these schools and their alumni grow older, charters also are looking at their rates of degree attainment, which remain lower than they'd…

The Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) is the nation's largest network of public charter schools. KIPP began as a network of charter middle schools designed to serve underserved communities, with the goal of closing achievement gaps and preparing students to succeed in college. KIPP has since expanded its model to include elementary and high…

Using school-month-level learning mode data and high school completion rates across three school years from 429 Wisconsin public high schools, this study examines the impact of disruptions to in-person instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic on high school completion rates, with a focus on socioeconomic disparities. Findings reveal that a longer…

High School graduation rates are key indicators of accountability for high schools and school districts in Oregon. Beginning with the 2008-09 school year, the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) implemented the cohort method of calculating graduation rates. The cohort method identifies the year the student entered high school for the first time…

There is a high dropout rate of English language learners (ELLs) compared to non-ELLs at the school under study. Guided by Bass and Burns's transformational leadership conceptual framework, this qualitative study aimed to examine the perceptions of administrators and teachers regarding the influences contributing to the high dropout rate of ELLs.…

The purpose of this study was to contribute to the body of literature regarding decisions school leaders make when developing strategic plans to improve student outcomes. This study investigated whether there is a significant relationship between school climate and graduation rates for public high schools in the state of Georgia when controlling…

This applied dissertation study was designed to assess a high-performing high school's dropout prevention program that increased graduation rates and decreased dropout rates among high school students. The high-performing high school was chosen because the target site achieved a 90% or higher graduation rate over 5 school years. Four of 19 high…

We examine the effect of attending stand-alone technical high schools in Connecticut using regression discontinuity. Male students are 10 percentage points more likely to graduate from high school and have half a semester less time enrolled in college. Male students have 32% higher average quarterly earnings. Earnings effects may in part reflect…

This dissertation explored the cost and value of 1:1 computing programs in high schools in Texas. The study examines whether the total cost of ownership of these programs can be justified by the student testing gains and graduation rates. It investigates whether student learning outcomes show a definable correlation between positive gains and the…

This tenth annual High School Benchmarks Report provides updated data on high school graduates' college access, persistence, and completion outcomes. This report was designed with several features particularly tailored to secondary education practitioners and policymakers. First, results presented in this report update last years' findings on high…

Cities such as New York, Boston, Washington D.C., Silicon Valley and other metropolitan areas, also known as "Superstar Cities," are very effective at attracting highly educated workers. In a virtuous cycle, these workers migrate to where the interesting, highly paid jobs are, where other smart young people live, and where the cultural…

The Kauffman School is a public, tuition-free charter school serving Kansas City students. In the 2018-19 school year, the school enrolled 1,127 students in grades 5 through 12. Most (89 percent) of the students were low income, and 89 percent were Black or Hispanic. This report evaluates the impact of the Kauffman School on student college…

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the interventions and strategies used with students considered at-risk of dropping out of high school in Missouri public high schools. Self-determination theory was used to explain how students became motivated to stay in school when their need for competence, connection, and autonomy are fulfilled.…