Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders
Document Type
Learning Object
Date of this Version
10-2013
Citation
Strategy brief
Building and Sustaining Student Engagement series (October 2013)
Barkley Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States
Abstract
Conclusion
Given the multitude of problems associated with dropping out of school, it is surprising that only a small number of programs focus specifically on recovering dropouts. Although Steinberg and Almeida (2004) argue that college readiness must become the standard, the general consensus throughout the existing literature on dropout recovery suggests that the ultimate goal of recovery programs should be preparing these individuals for life in general, not just college. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of dropout recovery programs as a whole has not been evaluated using rigorous experimental methods (Bloom, 2010). However, some of the specific programs mentioned are supported by some limited research. For instance, preliminary evidence suggests that Job Corps and Youth- Build result in increased employment, although the effects are not consistently maintained over time (Bloom, 2010). As a result, there is not sufficient research to use in order to plan or guide these types of programs. We have provided an overview of the approaches which have been employed in programs that are commonly used to reenroll dropouts. We have also tried to identify components that are consistent across them (e.g., flexible scheduling, personalization of instruction). Nevertheless, it is crucial to pursue effective programs and practices that explicitly target the recovery of individuals who have already dropped out of school as a part of a larger dropout prevention and intervention program.