Students Placed At-Risk

This paper examines current trends in the declining employment outcomes among disadvantaged youth, with a particular focus on those "disconnected" from schools and the labor force. The document offers explanations for these trends and analyses of policies designed to improve said outcomes. The supply- and demand-side policies recommended in this piece are ultimately designed to ensure the employability of disadvantaged youth, incentivize labor-force participation, and remove employment barriers faced by offenders and non-custodial parents.

This report describes the effects that Project Graduation Really Achieves Dreams (GRAD) had on academic progress in select high schools in three states. Findings indicated that Project GRAD had a statistically significant positive impact on the number of students completing core academic curriculum in one site, some sites did not show an improvement in student academic preparation, and there were improvements made in attendance and promotion to 10th grade in some sites.

Upward Bound is one of the largest and longest-running federal programs designed to help disadvantaged students prepare for, enter, and succeed in college. This report is the last in a series of study reports from the Upward Bound evaluation. Data collected included surveys, high school and post-secondary transcripts, and data on Upward Bound participation. Results indicated that Upward Bound increased the likelihood of earning a post-secondary certificate or license from a vocational school.

This report examined disparities in the distribution of teaching and learning resources in California secondary schools. Results indicated that the most disadvantaged populations of middle and high school students are likely have teachers with limited qualifications to teach their subject areas. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds also were less likely to be enrolled in the necessary courses for admission to four-year public institutions.

This study assessed the relationship between high school students home environment and post-secondary aspirations. Data was obtained from the School Success Profile survey administered to middle and high school students. Analyses were limited to a sub-sample of more than 11,000 students from two states. All students in the sample were included based on their eligibility for free or reduced price lunch program. Parental support and parents' high behavioral and academic expectations were associated with greater aspirations.

This third annual report on the national evaluation of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Early College High School Initiative focuses on the 2005-06 implementation year. ECHS appears to have some preliminary positive impacts on student outcomes and the overall implementation and development of ECHS is progressing. 

This brief from Jobs for the Future outlines a model for engaging disconnected and at-risk youth through the development of aligned postsecondary pathways and academic supports. The brief presents an overview of the current attainment and skills gap and then outlines the Back on Track Through College model, including examples of successful implementation and policy recommendations that support implementation.

This guide presents superintendents with a framework for how graduation rates can be increased at the district level. An approach that has been successful in several districts, referred to as Multiple Pathways to Graduation, is also highlighted. Districts that were able to close the graduation gap did so by: reframing the dropout conversation, analyzing the local dynamics of the graduation crisis, re-designing school and district operations to increase responsiveness, and strategicallly managing a portfolio of schools.