Four Position Papers Underscore Importance of Adapting Strategies to Fit Student Populations
Clemson, S.C. (October 20, 2017) – The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network (NDPC/N) announces the release of four position papers examining trends and findings regarding improving high school graduation rates. The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network is the foremost resource for educators and policymakers who work to improve graduation rates.
Topics examined in the position papers include an examination of trauma’s role in inhibiting student success; laws related to and supporting strategies for immigrant students and families; the role of Career and Technical Education (CTE) in dropout prevention; and utilizing the arts as a dropout prevention strategy. The position papers are available at https://dropoutprevention.org/resources/research-reports/ .
Information about each position paper follows.
Dropout Prevention and Trauma: Addressing a Wide Range of Stressors That Inhibit Student Success, written by Drs. Amanda Rumsey and Amy Milsom, both Clemson University College of Education faculty members, includes facts, resources and models related to families and students who have experienced, or are experiencing, trauma, whether chronic or short-term.
Strategies for Supporting Immigrant Students and Families: Guidelines for School Personnel, authored by Dr. Dolores A. Stegelin, Clemson University emeritus faculty in the College of Education and NDPC/N Research Fellow, examines some of the laws involved as well as strategies for supporting immigrant students and families, and includes guidelines for school personnel.
Public Education, Career and Technical Education, and Dropout Prevention, written by Drs. Robert D. Shumer and Patrick J. O’Connor, NDPC/N Research Fellows from Minnesota and Ohio, respectively, and Ms. Cairen Withington, Assistant Director of NDPC/N, examines Career and Technical Education (CTE) as a dropout prevention and intervention strategy and how CTE can be engaging and of value to all students, including at-risk youth.
The Arts and Dropout Prevention: The Power of Art to Engage, authored by Dr. Kimberley Brown, explores the role of the arts in dropout prevention/intervention/recovery as well as issues related to identifying and developing career pathways in the arts.
Dr. Sandy Addis, Director of the NDPC/N, said of the release of four position papers simultaneously, “Research in dropout prevention, intervention, and recovery continues to advance. As these papers indicate, there is no one strategy that works for all student populations. This is an important factor in dropout prevention that practitioners and decision-makers need to understand. Each of the four position papers addresses a different aspect of dropout prevention. Taken together, they further define best practices and add support for what we already know to be effective strategies.”
About the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network (NDPC/N)
Established in 1986 with a mission to reduce dropout rates, the NDPC/N shares solutions for student success and dropout prevention through its clearinghouse function, active research and evaluation projects, publications, and a variety of professional development activities and conferences. The organization’s website—www.dropoutprevention.org—is the nation’s leading resource in providing effective, research-based solutions to engaging students and reducing dropout. The NDPC/N is housed in the College of Education at Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina.
For Additional Information Contact:
Lynn Dunlap, Public Information Director
National Dropout Prevention Center/Network
Phone: 864-656-2678
Email: ldunlap@clemson.edu