Moving down the Track: Changing School Practices during the Second Year of 'Diplomas Now'

MDRC. 16 East 34th Street 19th Floor, New York, NY 10016-4326. Tel: 212-532-3200; Fax: 212-684-0832; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://www.mdrc.org

N

174

Department of Education (ED)
PepsiCo Foundation

Urban Schools; Secondary Schools; Dropout Prevention; College Readiness; Postsecondary Education; Employment Qualifications; Educational Change; Models; At Risk Students; Fidelity; Program Effectiveness; Secondary School Students; Career Readiness; Grants; Intervention; Attendance Patterns; Student Behavior; Academic Achievement; Dropouts; Control Groups; Experimental Groups; Teacher Surveys; Interviews; Focus Groups; Case Studies; Graduation Rate; Teamwork; Partnerships in Education; Teacher Attitudes; Educational Environment; Student Needs; Surveys; Administrator Attitudes; Communities of Practice; Professional Development; Grade 6; Grade 9; Comparative Analysis; Middle Schools; High Schools; Program Evaluation

Too many students in high-poverty, urban communities drop out of high school, and too few graduate prepared for college and careers. Three national organizations--Talent Development Secondary, City Year, and Communities In Schools--have formed "Diplomas Now" in an effort to transform urban secondary schools so fewer students drop out and more graduate ready for postsecondary education and work. The model combines a comprehensive school reform strategy aimed at transforming the academic experience of all students with early warning indicators related to attendance, behavior, and course performance. By identifying students at risk of dropping out and intervening with targeted support, "Diplomas Now" attempts to get failing students back on track. This second report shares second-year implementation fidelity findings, looks at the differences in school structure and staff practice between schools implementing and not implementing the program, and presents analyses of qualitative data that delve deeper into contextual issues and the integration of the program into the schools. Appendices to the report include: (1) Supplementary Materials for Fidelity of Implementation Analyses, (2) Service Contrast Supplemental Materials, and (3) Qualitative Data from Case Study Sites. (Additional funding was provided by Ballmer Family Giving.) [See the First Year Report: "Laying Tracks to Graduation: The First Year of Implementing Diplomas Now" at ED546638.]

ERIC

26

2015

ED558491