News, Research, and Reports

We’ve created a library of research briefs, reports, articles, and news stories about the dropout crisis in Washington, D.C. and the nation.

In the News

TED Teams Up With PBS on Ideas for Education
By: Elizabeth Jensen | The New York Times | May 5, 2013
What Role Do Relationships Play in Learning?
By: NPR/TED Education | NPR/TED Education | April 29, 2013
Yesterday's Dropouts: High Price for Low Literacy
By: Kavitha Cardoza | WAMU 88.5 | April 18, 2013
D.C. Achievers scholarship recipients named
By: Emma Brown | The Washington Post | March 12, 2013
Study says KIPP student gains substantial
By: Jay Mathews | The Washington Post | March 3, 2013
Fixing D.C.'s Broken Summer Programs
By: Kavitha Cardoza | WAMU 88.5 | March 1, 2013
Some States on Pace to Hit 90 Percent High School Grad. Rate by 2020
By: Caralee Adams | Education Week | February 25, 2013
D.C. debates growth of charter schools
By: Emma Brown | The Washington Post | February 10, 2013
The Secret to Fixing Bad Schools
By: David L. Kirp | The New York Times | February 9, 2013
Succeeding Where Others Have Failed
By: Anne Abbott | DC Alliance of Youth Advocates (DCAYA) | February 7, 2013
To Lower Dropout Rates, Finding Potential Where Support Systems Are Lacking
By: Ray Suarez | PBS NewsHour | February 7, 2013
In first annual report, Raise D.C. offers snapshot of D.C. youth
By: Emma Brown | The Washington Post | February 4, 2013
Raise D.C. Report Offers Sobering Snapshot Of D.C. Students
By: Armando Trull | WAMU 88.5 | February 4, 2013
DC School Delivers Quality Education for African-American Girls
By: Chris Simkins | Voice of America | February 2, 2013
Interactive: Mapping High School Graduation, Dropout Rates Across the U.S.
By: Doris Nhan | National Journal | January 29, 2013
D.C. Parents Could End Up Charged Under New Truancy Bill
By: Patrick Madden | WAMU 88.5 | January 23, 2013
National public high school graduation rate at a four-decade high
By: Lyndsey Layton | The Washington Post | January 22, 2013
D.C. considers new graduation requirements
By: Emma Brown | The Washington Post | January 22, 2013
Do We Still Need HBCUs?
By: Michel Martin | NPR | January 22, 2013
Senior Mentors, Not Bonuses, Boost College Enrollment, Study Finds
By: Sarah D. Sparks | Education Week | January 17, 2013
High School Graduation Rate Moves Up
By: David Wessel | The Wall Street Journal | January 15, 2013
How to Get High School Dropouts Into 'Recovery'? Ideas Bloom Across US
By: Stacy Teicher Khadaroo | Christian Science Monitor | January 15, 2013
Suspensions Linked to Lower Graduation Rates in Florida Study
By: Nirvi Shah | Education Week | January 10, 2013
Former DCPS Chancellor Rhee Subject of Frontline Documentary
By: Armando Trull | WAMU 88.5 | January 8, 2013
District Schools Toss Out Traditional Methods of Teaching Math
By: Kavitha Cardoza | WAMU 88.5 | December 20, 2012
Brookings Ranks the District No. 3 in Nation for School Choice
By: Emma Brown | The Washington Post | December 12, 2012
KIPP DC Wins $10 Million in Race to the Top Education-Grant Competition
By: Emma Brown | The Washington Post | December 12, 2012
School Absences Translate to Lower Test Scores, Study Says
By: Sarah D. Sparks | Education Week | December 12, 2012
In Albuquerque, A Charter School that Recruits Drop-Outs?
By: Anthony Cody | December 10, 2012
For dropouts, a way to drop back in
By: Teresa Watanabe | The Los Angeles Times | December 4, 2012
New Graduation Rate Data Show Large Achievement Gaps
By: Michele McNeil | Education Week | November 27, 2012
Why High School Students Drop Out and Efforts to Re-Engage
By: Caralee Adams | Education Week | November 21, 2012
20 D.C. Schools Targeted for Closure
By: Emma Brown | The Washington Post | November 15, 2012
Five Takeaways from the DCPS School Closings
By: Mike DeBonis | The Washington Post | November 15, 2012
Homeless College Students Cope With Needing A Home Over Winter Break
By: Kavitha Cardoza | WAMU 88.5 | November 14, 2012
Record Number Complete High School and College
By: Tamar Lwein | The New York Times | November 8, 2012
Teacher Absence as a Leading Indicator of Student Achievement
By: Raegen Miller | Center for American Progress | November 6, 2012
Graduation Rates Latest NCLB Waiver Flash Point
By: Michele McNeil | Education Week | October 31, 2012
Highly Effective Principlas Raise Student Achievement: Study
The Huffington Post | October 24, 2012
First, Discover Their Strengths
By: Thomas Armstrong | ASCD | October 23, 2012
Tougher rules see grad rate slip
By: Jennifer Chambers | The Detroit News | October 23, 2012
At Technology High School, Goal Isn't to Finish in 4 Years
By: Al Baker | The New York Times | October 21, 2012
Test Scores Jump 30% After Low-Income Kids Get Smartphones
By: Julia Lawrence | Education News | October 17, 2012
Would Getting Rid of Homework Improve K - 12 and Higher Ed?
By: Julia Lawrence | Education News | October 17, 2012
When Students Do The Teaching
By: Kiera Chase | edutopia | October 16, 2012
Students train as interpreters, with benefits for all involved
By: Barbara Cervone | What Kids Can Do | October 14, 2012
Dropout Rate Declines for All Races: Census
NationalJournal | October 10, 2012
Fight for Children announces $10 million early childhood initiative
By: Emma Brown | The Washington Post | October 10, 2012
NCSD consults businesses for new high school curriculum
By: Elysia Conner | Star-Tribune | October 6, 2012
D.C. debates new high school graduation requirements
By: Emma Brown | The Washington Post | October 4, 2012
Five-year-olds put to the test as kindergarten exams gain steam
By: Stephanie Simon | Reuters | September 25, 2012
Miller to Duncan: Waivers May Offer Too Much Leeway on Grad Rates
By: Alyson Klein | Education Week | September 24, 2012
Getting to Know Your Students Through Poetry
Edutopia | September 12, 2012
DCPS Aims To Grow Leaders From Within
By: Kavitha Cardoza | WAMU 88.5 | September 10, 2012
Truants: The challenges of keeping kids in school
By: June Kronholz | Education Next | August 29, 2012
Teachers learn to integrate technology into curriculum
By: Ovetta Wiggins | The Washington Post | August 19, 2012
Videos of Top Teachers Explaining Their Craft
By: Motoko Rich | The New York Times | August 16, 2012
DCPS efforts to curb truancy hurt by understaffing
By: Lisa Gartner | Washington Examiner | August 15, 2012
D.C. public and charter schools show gains in math scores
By: Michael Alison Chandler and Emma Brown | The Washington Post | July 26, 2012
D.C. gets No Child Left Behind waiver
By: Emma Brown | The Washington Post | July 19, 2012
D.C. schools optimistic on trimming truancy
By: Emily Hatton | The Washington Times | July 12, 2012
U.S. Conference of Mayors passes resolution calling on mayors to launch campaigns combating chronic absence
By: America's Promise Alliance | June 27, 2012
The United States College Completion Imperative
Civitas Learning | June 26, 2012
Club 2012: Black parents who made sure their sons succeeded in school
By: Michael Alison Chandler | The Washington Post | June 14, 2012
Examining D.C.'s Dropout Crisis: Q&A with Kavitha Cardoza
By: Mina Dixon | Journalism Center of Children and Families | June 6, 2012
Anacostia High School celebrates seniors going to college
By: Gail Huff | WJLA Television | May 29, 2012
Mayor Gray promotes 'Raise D.C.' education plan
By: Mike Conneen | ABC7/WJLA | May 3, 2012
D.C. Chancellor Announces New 5-Year Education Plan, Warns of Closures
By: Bill Turque | The Washington Post | April 18, 2012
How ‘early warning systems’ are keeping kids in school
By: Robert Balfanz | The Washington Post | April 10, 2012
DCPS Graduation Rate: Some Good News
By: Bill Turque | The Washington Post | April 6, 2012
D.C. Graduation Rate Declines to Less than 60% Under New Formula
By: Bill Turque | The Washington Post | April 5, 2012
DC Charter High Schools Graduated 80 Percent of Its 2011 Senior Class
By: Audrey Williams | District of Columbia Public Charter School Board | April 5, 2012
In D.C. Schools, 59 Percent of Students Get Diploma on Time
By: Bill Turque | The Washington Post | April 5, 2012
PBS correspondent to Chaparral students: Who wants to choose a life without any choices?
By: Paul Takahashi | Las Vegas Sun | March 29, 2012
Blunt, honest talk helps one [Maryland] district drive toward success
By: Corey Mitchell | Minneapolis Star-Tribune | March 13, 2012
D.C. Public Schools Launches Campaign Against Truancy [VIDEO]
By: Megan McGrath | NBC Washington | February 9, 2012
Raising School Dropout Age is Not Shown to Help
By: Esther Cepeda | Sun Times | February 7, 2012
The True Cost of High School Dropouts
By: Henry M. Levin, Cecilia E. Rouse | New York Times | January 25, 2012
Report: Counselors Are Untapped Resource in College Readiness
By: Caralee Adams | Education Week | December 20, 2011
Better High School Graduation Rates May Be an Illusion
By: Jason Koebler | U.S. News | December 14, 2011
Study details societal ramifications for high school dropouts
By: Noreen S. Ahmed-Ullah | Chicago Tribune | December 7, 2011
More States Flag Potential Dropouts with Warning Data
By: Sarah D. Sparks | Education Week | November 1, 2011
Experts: Half of Foster Kids Quit High School
By: Kelli Kennedy | The Boston Globe | October 31, 2011
The Wrong Inequality
By: David Brooks | The New York Times | October 31, 2011
When Letting Students Slip Away Looks Like a Budget Blessing
By: Ross Ramsey | The New York Times | October 27, 2011
New book that examines dropout issue is a masterpiece
By: Jay Mathews | The Washington Post | October 26, 2011

Research and Reports

Developing Youth Systems: Creating Transformational Change for our Nation's Young People
By: Center for Promise | America's Promise Alliance | May 10, 2013
Impact Models: Comprehensive Community Initiatives
By: Center for Promise | America's Promise Alliance | May 10, 2013
Bringing It Home: Engaging Parents as Critical Partners in Reducing Chronic Absence
By: Attendance Works | Attendance Works | March 13, 2013
Overcoming the Poverty Challenge to Enable College and Career Readiness for All: The Crucial Role of Student Supports
By: Robert Balfanz | City Year and Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University | February 26, 2013
Building a Grad Nation: 2013 Update
By: Robert Balfanz, John M. Bridgeland, Mary Bruce, and Joanna Hornig Fox | Civic Enterprises | February 25, 2013
The SAT State Profile Report
By: The SAT | The SAT | October 22, 2012
DCPS Student Truancy Rates by School
DC Public Schools | October 1, 2012
Skipping to Nowhere: Students Share Their Views About Missing School
By: Geoff Garin, Hart Research | Get Schooled | August 29, 2012
Overcoming the Poverty Challenge to Enable College and Career Readiness for All
By: Robert Balfanz | Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University | July 19, 2012
Education for Life and Work: Developing Transferable Knowledge and Skills in the 21st Century
By: James W. Pellegrino and Margaret L. Hilton, Editors | National Research Council | July 1, 2012
Interim Evaluation of the Pilot Program of the Truancy Case Management Partnership Intervention in the District of Columbia
By: Akiva Liberman, Meagan Cahill, and Lindsey Cramer | DC Crime Policy Institute and the Urban Institute | July 1, 2012
Building and Sustaining Talent: Creating Conditions in High-Poverty Schools That Support Effective Teaching and Learning
By: Sara Almy and Melissa Tooley | The Education Trust | June 26, 2012
The Importance of Being in School: A Report on Absenteeism in the Nation’s Public Schools
By: Robert Balfanz, Vaughan Byrnes | Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University | June 1, 2012
A Systematic Approach to Implementing Response to Intervention in Three Colorado High Schools
By: Helen Duffy and Jenny Scala | National High School Center at the American Institutes for Research | March 1, 2012
Building a Grad Nation: 2012 Update
By: Robert Balfanz, John M. Bridgeland, Laura A. Moore, Joanna Hornig Fox | Civic Enterprises | March 1, 2012
D.C.'s Achievement Gap: Why Place Matters
By: DC Action for Children | DC Action for Children | February 1, 2012
Helping Newcomer Students Succeed in Secondary Schools and Beyond
By: Deborah J. Short, Beverly A. Boyson | Carnegie Corporation of New York | January 4, 2012
Building a Grad Nation: 2011 Update
By: Robert Balfanz, John M. Bridgeland, Laura A. Moore, Joanna Hornig Fox | Civic Enterprises | December 31, 2011
Fighting the Female Dropout Phenomenon
By: Laura Varlas | ASCD | December 31, 2011
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 1972-2009
By: Chris Chapman, Nicole Ifill, Angelina KewalRamani | National Center for Education Statistics | December 31, 2011
The Value of College Readiness Indicators and Interventions: Lessons from Chicago
By: Jacob Mishook | Annenberg Institute for School Reform | December 16, 2011
Report Shows Dual Enrollment Best When on College Campus
By: Caralee Adams | Education Week | December 12, 2011
Men of Color: Ensuring the Academic Success of Latino Males in Higher Education
By: Victor B. Saenz, Luis Ponjuan | The Institute for Higher Education Policy | November 30, 2011
On Track for Success: The Use of Early Warning Indicator and Intervention Systems to Build a Grad Nation
By: Mary Bruce, John M. Bridgeland | Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University | November 30, 2011
Study Links Academic Setbacks to Middle School Transition
By: Sarah D. Sparks | Education Week | October 28, 2011
D.C. Student Test Scores Show Uneven Progress
By: DC Action for Children | DC Action for Children | August 1, 2011
Getting Back on ther Diploma Track
The Herff Jones Achievement Series | August 1, 2011
Pathways to Prosperity
By: Harvard Graduate School of Education | February 1, 2011
High Schools in the United States: How Does Your Local High School Measure Up?
Alliance For Excellent Education | December 31, 2010
Six Pillars of Effective Dropout Prevention and Recovery
By: Cheryl Almeida, Adria Steinberg, Janet Santos, and Cecilia Le | Jbs for the Future | September 1, 2010
Putting Middle Grades Students on the Graduation Path
By: Robert Balfanz | Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University | June 30, 2009
Exemplary Practices in Alternative Education
By: James V. Witty et al | National Alternative Education Association | January 30, 2009
Why Students Drop Out of School: A Review of 25 Years of Research
By: Russell Rumberger, Sun Ah Lim | University of California Linguistic Minority Research Institute | October 31, 2008
Approaches to Dropout Prevention: Heeding Early Warning Signs with Appropriate Interventions
By: Louise Kennelly, Maggie Monrad | National High School Center | December 31, 2007
Making a Difference in Schools: The Big Brothers Big Sisters School-Based Mentoring Study
By: Carla Herrera, Jean Baldwin Grossman, Tina J. Kauh, Amy F. Feldman, and Jennifer McMaken | Big Brothers Big Sisters | June 1, 2007
Rethinking High School Graduation Rates and Trends
By: Joydeep Roy, Lawrence Mishel | Economic Policy Institute | April 30, 2006
The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of High School Dropouts
By: John M. Bridgeland, John J. Dilulio, Jr., Karen Burke Morison | Civic Enterprises | March 31, 2006

Toolkits and Guides

Prevent Dropout with an Early Warning System
By: National High School Center | June 14, 2012
How to Build a Successful Mentoring Program: A Step-by-Step Tool Kit for Program Managers
MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership | June 3, 2009
Grad Nation: A Guidebook to Help Communities Tackle the Dropout Crisis
By: Robert Balfanz, Joanna Hornig Fox, John M. Bridgeland, and Mary McNaught | America’s Promise Alliance | February 28, 2009
Preventing Future High School Dropouts: An Advocacy and Action Guide for NEA State and Local Affiliates
By: Dr. Marcella R. Dianda | National Education Association | November 30, 2008
Dropout Prevention: A Practice Guide
By: Institute of Education Sciences | September 30, 2008
The U.S. Conference of Mayors Best Practices on At-Risk Youth and High School Dropout Prevention
Conference of Mayors Research/Education Foundation | January 25, 2008
The Alternative Pathways Project: A Framework for Dropout Reduction and Recovery
By: J.D. Hoye, Chris Sturgis | Gates Foundation | June 30, 2006
Improving College-Going Toolkit
American Association of School Administrators