A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Program Background Sixty-five projects were funded by the School Dropout Demonstration Assistance Program in FY 1991. Seven grants were for school-wide restructuring within a school cluster and the remainder were targeted programs for at-risk youth. An additional 20 grants were awarded in FY 1992.

Restructuring and reform within school clusters require school-wide change in schools within a school cluster, i.e., the elementary and middle schools feeding into a high school. A project must include at least the following components:

1. Autonomy for both principals and teachers to determine curriculum and instructional strategies.
2. Challenging curricula that move students along as fast as their capabilities allow.
3. A school climate where students are made to feel that they are an important and integral part of the school and interaction between students and adults is encouraged.
4. Systematic monitoring of attendance and follow-up of absences with students and parents.
5. Alternatives to standard retention practices such as promotion with special assistance.
6. Coordination of services to meet at-risk students' multiple needs through such approaches as case management.
7. Policies and procedures to ensure communication among schools in the cluster and to facilitate a student's transition from elementary to middle to high schools.
8. Parent and community involvement using means such as parent advisory councils, volunteer groups, or school-based management teams.
9. Staff training to provide for effective operation of the program.

Targeted programs require comprehensive targeted services for at-risk youth. Projects may be organized as special programs for at-risk youth in regular schools, a "school within a school," alternative schools that serve only at-risk youth, or other similar arrangements. A project must include at least the following components:

• Accelerated learning strategies for improving academic performance and interesting and challenging curricula that move students along as fast as their capabilities allow.
• Systematic monitoring of attendance and follow-up of absences with students and parents.
• Family outreach that is culturally sensitive and provides information and training to parents on how to support their child's learning both at home and in school.
• Counseling services that may include individual, group, or family counseling.
• Career awareness and preparation services such as career guidance, vocational training, enhancement of employability skills, job internship, and job placement services.
• Social support services such as child care, health services, transportation, and legal aid.
• Linkages among feeder elementary, middle schools, and the high school; involvement of business and community groups; and coordination of project activities with those supported by other Federal, State, and local programs.

The Department is conducting a rigorous evaluation of these dropout prevention projects using a mix of methods depending on the type of program--school-wide restructuring or targeted. The first objective of this study is to describe and evaluate the effectiveness of projects funded by the program. A second objective is to identify the program components or strategies that are most effective in improving the academic performance of at-risk students and in preventing students from dropping out of school.

A descriptive survey of all projects will collect data annually on the status of program implementation; program organization; services provided; involvement of parents, business, and community groups; coordination with schools in the cluster; staff training and qualifications; selection of students into the program; and number and characteristics of students served by the program.

The In-Depth Evaluation is being conducted in 23 of the 65 projects funded in FY 1991. Five school-wide restructuring projects and 18 targeted projects at the middle and high school level were chosen during the 1991-92 school year based on site visits to the projects. These site visits were conducted to confirm program implementation and feasibility of conducting a random assignment evaluation in targeted projects or a matched comparison evaluation in restructuring projects. Evaluation contractors worked with each of the 23 projects to put data collection procedures in place and to choose samples of program participants and comparison/control groups. Survey forms were also developed during this first year and OMB approval of data collection plans was obtained. The in-depth evaluation plan was put in place at the beginning of the 1992- 93 school year--the point at which the Department required each project's program to be fully implemented.

• Site visits are being conducted in the Fall and Spring of the 1992-93 school year and the Fall of 1993. The purpose of the site visits is to observe program characteristics and practices as actually implemented, including problems that were encountered, solutions that were attempted, successes with program implementation, and factors that facilitated those successes.
• Student surveys and record forms. Beginning in the 1992-93 school year samples of students in enrolled in school-wide restructuring projects and samples of students enrolled in comparison schools were selected. Applicants to targeted projects were randomly assigned to either participate in the program or to serve as a control group. Information on program students and control/comparison groups is being collected through surveys and from school records.
• Surveys of teachers and parents are being conducted in school-wide restructuring projects. The teacher surveys will collect information on school governance and teacher training which is a major activity in restructuring efforts. The parent survey will collect information on parents' educational background, attitudes toward school in general, attitudes toward the school their children attend, involvement in school activities, participation in program services, and expectations for children's academic performance and high school graduation.

The Department expects to release reports based on evaluation effort as follows:

• A descriptive report on program operations for the 1991-92 and 1992-93 school year in the Fall of 1994.
• An implementation report that documents strategies and approaches of the in-depth evaluation projects and their success in implementation in the Fall of 1994.
• A series of topical reports on factors affecting design and implementation of dropout prevention interventions in the Spring of 1995 and 1996.
• Reports on impacts on student outcomes--a preliminary report in February 1995 and a final report including cost effectiveness in Fall 1996.

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Last update September 1996 (swz).