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Dropout Reduction:
Prevention, Intervention, and Recovery

Despite several decades of efforts to reduce dropout rates in Massachusetts, the percent of student leaving public school each year prior to earning a high school diploma continues to be persistent. Over the last ten years an average of roughly 10,000 of Massachusetts high school students dropped out of school annually. Massachusetts dropout rates are disproportionately high among Hispanic and Black or African-American students, students from low-income families, limited English proficient students, and special education students.

The Department recognizes that dropout reduction is not about one single program or initiative. Dropout reduction is very complex and does not lend itself to easy or quick fixes. Effective dropout prevention, intervention, and recovery must be seen as an adaptable and ongoing process. Significantly reducing the number of students who drop out of school takes a combination of systemic efforts at the community, district, school, classroom, and individual student levels.

This Dropout Reduction site is designed to offer information and resources related to high school dropout prevention, intervention, and recovery in Massachusetts as well as nationally.

Overview

Legislation and Regulations

State Dropout Reduction Activities

Resources

Dropout Reduction News

2011-12 Early Warning Indicator System data released

The Department's Early Warning Indicator System (EWIS) assigns students who were enrolled in grade eight at the end of the 2010-2011 school year one of five risk levels (Very High Risk, High Risk, Borderline, At Risk, or Low Risk) based on their grade 8 MCAS results, grade 8 attendance rate, age as of September 1, 2011, and cumulative number of in- and out-of-school suspensions in the 2009-2010 and 2010-11 school years. The EWIS is intended to be used by the district as a starting point for identifying and supporting students who may be at risk of not graduating on time from high school.

Detailed rosters for these students - the majority of whom are likely to be grade 9 students in the district in the 2011-2012 school year - are now available to all districts in a Microsoft Excel workbook via the Accountability 2011 Data Drop Box in Dropbox Central in the Department's online Security Portal. A tool that automatically calculates risk levels for students who are not listed on the roster-the "EWII Risk Calculator"-is also provided. Because the rosters contain student-level data, only district staff assigned the "Accountability - District" security role may access these data. This security role is assigned by the district's Directory Administrator.

For more information about the EWIS, please see the guidance document    and the calculator/summary document    (summarizes data for all districts - tab 3 and allows districts to calculate the EWIS risk level for new students - tab 1).

MassGrad Gateway to College Start-Up Funding Opportunity

There will be another opportunity for communities to apply for Gateway to College start-up funds. The Department will select one additional institution of higher education (in partnership with at least one eligible school district) to receive a MassGrad Gateway to College Start-Up Award of $300,000. The contract award solicitation is now available on the state's procurement website, Comm-PASS www.comm-pass.com. The solicitation number is 12CCRJC1 and the deadline for submitting a proposal is is extended to January 9, 2012.