Answering the Call: A Report on Colorado’s High School Dropouts and Best Practices for Improving Educational Outcomes highlights the scope of the dropout problem in the Colorado and reports on recent policies showing encouraging results.
The report notes that Colorado has the fourth highest dropout rate in the nation among high school students. Nearly 15,000 Colorado students dropped out of school in 2008-09 and much of the dropout problem is concentrated in certain schools across the state – referred to by some as “dropout factories” – which graduate less than 60 percent of their students. While the dropout problem persists in Colorado, the data shows we are making progress in reducing the number of dropouts thanks to policies and practices embraced in the last three years. Many districts are benefiting from the state’s 2009 Dropout Prevention and Student Re-Engagement law, which supports improvements in priority school districts through research-based early warning indicators and other best practices. Looking ahead, the report notes that more work is needed and makes recommendations for both state and local level policies to address the dropout crisis in Colorado.
Answering the Call: A Report on Colorado’s High School Dropouts and Best Practices for Improving Educational Outcomes