Graduation for All A Practical Guide to Decreasing School Dropout

"I found this book well organized and very user friendly. It outlines from beginning to end a process for taking on the issue of school dropout."
-Geralynn Olvey, Program Specialist
Mountain Plains Regional Resource Center, CO
 
"The authors supply insight into areas of early intervention, truancy indicators, and the importance of students feeling that they belong to their school and of their own engagement, whether it is by academics, the arts, or extracurricular activities."
-Nancy Avolese, State Coordinator of Alternative Education
Pennsylvania Department of Education

Effective dropout prevention strategies for educators!

How can teachers and administrators steer students toward graduation and away from dropping out? What determining factors contribute to a student¿s choice to drop out? Why is high school graduation such an important issue in society today? Effective prevention and intervention programs for the most vulnerable students are key to improving graduation rates. This practitioner-friendly resource offers guidelines for implementing dropout prevention strategies in the classroom, throughout the school, and at the district level.

Graduation for All melds research and practical tools to include both evidence-based intervention models and real-world examples. With the goal of producing an educated citizenry that contributes to the world in positive ways, the authors present tools and a plan for:

• Increasing graduation rates while decreasing dropout rates
• Meeting the standards set by the No Child Left Behind Act
• Pinpointing the most critical years for establishing a solid educational foundation
• Connecting with other groups to share ideas and prepare for change

The impact of increased graduation rates reaches beyond statistics-more graduates mean more individuals who are better prepared to meet the challenges of life after school, and better outcomes for youth, schools, and society in general.

Camilla A. Lehr, Ph.D., is a Research Associate with the Institute on Community Integration (University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities) at the University of Minnesota. She is the Principal Investigator and Director of the Alternative Schools Research Project, a three-year federally funded project studying alternative schools across the nation and the role they play in preventing dropout, providing quality education for students at risk, and serving students with disabilities. Prior to directing the Alternative Schools Research Project, she co-directed a truancy prevention/student engagement project for children and youth in elementary and middle schools (Check & Connect). She has held interim and adjunct faculty positions at the University of Minnesota (School Psychology Program) and at Hamline University (Education Department) respectively. Prior to returning to the University in 1988, Dr. Lehr worked as a licensed school psychologist in a large suburban school district. Dr. Lehr has worked in the educational arena for nearly 20 years. Her research interests are focused in the areas of dropout prevention, engaging children and youth placed at risk in school, and promoting positive school climates. She is lead author on several recent products in the area of dropout prevention including an integrative review of interventions focused on dropout described in the professional literature, and an Essential Tool on Dropout Prevention published by the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition. Dr. Lehr has presented at a variety of local and national conferences. She has co-authored research reports, journal articles, book chapters, and other documents with national impact.