The purpose of this program evaluation was to evaluate the impact of CORE District's Breakthrough Success Community (BTSC) Program at an urban Title I high school located in Southern California. BTSC aims to improve the ninth-grade experience through a focus on five key change drivers and the implementation of improvement science. Through teacher…

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, dropping out is a persistent problem among 15- to 24-year-olds. Researchers have noted school districts that have been able to improve graduation rates have often done so through the "development of innovative models and pathways that help young people get back on track to…

Ninth grade is a critical juncture for students--and can be a jarring transition. Even students a strong track record in the middle grades can experience academic difficulty, and those who enter high school with poor course grades, weak attendance, or behavior problems are especially at risk. An early misstep can have lasting implications:…

Each school year, roughly a thousand students drop out of Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools (MCPS). However, unlike other large, urban school districts where students who drop out skip school and are suspended often (Balfanz & Byrnes, 2010), students who drop out of MCPS are present in school; they just are not doing well…

Dropping out of high school has negative results and implications for individuals and society. The likelihood of dropping out is attributed to both social and academic risk factors. Poor high school attendance, low course completion, and low grade-point-average (GPA) have been identified as three leading indicators that students are at risk for…

This document describes "Stay a Winner," a program designed to reduce the dropout rate at North Pitt High School in Bethel, North Carolina by providing a focused, more meaningful curriculum; improved instructional processes; use of multimedia technology; and an emphasis on multicultural diversity. It is noted that funding for the program…

This report summarizes various academic outcomes for only a single, closed cohort, or class, of first-time ninth-grade students in AISD between the 1993-1994 and 1997-1998 school years.

After teachers examined ninth-grade potential dropouts' perceptions of school success, an interdisciplinary team involved the students in mediation, identified their needs, helped develop goals, and worked to enhance achievement. Students' perceptions and attitudes significantly affected their success. Within months, students had academically and…

This semester-long curriculum is designed to increase the self-esteem, leadership skills, and communication, decision-making, and problem-solving abilities of eighth and ninth grade students who are at risk of dropping out of school. The manual offers procedural suggestions for organizing a Going Places class. Individual sections address…

Concern for the dropout phenomenon among secondary learning disabled (LD) students led to a preliminary study of an urban school's decision-making structures, as well as events that influence ninth graders' behavior and decisions, increasing their risk for dropping out of high school. Data were collected from three sources: observation of school…

Ninth grade poses unique academic, physical, social, and emotional challenges to students; in fact, it may be the defining year for predicting high school success. It could also be the last chance to catch pupils who are in danger of dropping out of school. The Freshman Center program attempts to give ninth graders the opportunity to succeed. This…

The Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU) program was created to prevent at-risk students from low-income families from dropping out of high school. Students aged 14 or 15 years old entering 9th or 10th grade went to a college campus for 60 days during the summer to attend English and mathematics classes, work 20 hours per week, and receive…