An effort is underway that aims to cut the state’s dropout rate in half over the next ten years by convening a group of organizations. This effort — the Colorado Graduates Initiative (CGI) – has several elements and includes action to improve policies and practices at both the state and local levels. Partners currently in the CGI network include the Colorado Children’s Campaign, National Center for School Engagement at the Partnership for Families and Children, and the Colorado Youth for a Change. Early initiative supporters include the Donnell-Kay Foundation, JP Morgan Chase, Piton Foundation, Rose Community Foundation, Qwest, and the Women’s Foundation.
This report highlights one of the initial projects of the CGI – a partnership with Johns Hopkins University to work with five of Colorado’s school districts to help them understand both the behavioral patterns of recent dropouts in the years prior to leaving school, and who is currently at risk of dropping out of school (by looking at data from today’s students in earlier grades). As the Johns Hopkins work points out, identifying middle school students with poor attendance, failing grades, and poor behavior can help educators and communities intervene with students much earlier to keep them on the path to graduation and prevent future dropouts.
Advancing the “Colorado Graduates” Agenda: Understanding the Dropout Problem and Mobilizing to Meet the Graduation Challenge