NDPC Services for Schools and Districts
Diploma Planning Institute
Build a clear, district-wide plan to reduce dropout—aligned to your data and ready to implement
Leave with a customized plan your team can act on immediately.
The Diploma Planning Institute brings district and school teams together with National Dropout Prevention Center experts to build a customized, data-informed plan for improving outcomes for students at risk of dropping out.
Why many dropout prevention efforts stall
Many districts are already investing time, staff, and resources into student support. The challenge is that those efforts are often spread across departments, disconnected from one another, or not tied to a clear implementation plan.
Initiatives happen in silos
Efforts across departments often operate independently, limiting their overall impact.
Data is collected but not used strategically
Data exists, but it’s not consistently driving decisions or shaping interventions.
Teams are working hard without shared direction
Staff are committed, but lack a unified plan to guide their work.
Plans do not always translate into daily practice
Strategies are defined but not consistently implemented at the classroom or school level.
Progress depends too heavily on individual champions
Success relies on key individuals instead of systems that sustain long-term improvement.
Efforts are not tied to measurable outcomes
It’s often unclear which strategies are working, making it difficult to track progress or adjust course effectively.
DPI helps your team step back, align around the real issues, and build a plan that is practical, focused, and ready to implement.
What your team walks away with
DPI is not just an informational session. Your team works through a structured planning process and leaves with a clear path forward.
A dropout prevention plan based on your district’s data
Built using your actual data, not a generic framework or template.
Identified risk factors and priority areas
Clear focus on the students and issues that need the most attention.
Research-based strategies matched to local needs
Proven practices aligned to your district’s specific challenges.
Clear next steps for implementation
Defined actions your team can begin immediately after DPI.
Stronger alignment across leadership and staff
Shared understanding that reduces confusion and competing efforts.
Continued connection to tools and guidance beyond the session.
Access NDPC resources and support as your team moves into implementation.
Your team leaves with more than ideas. You leave with direction.
How the Diploma Planning Institute works
Step 1: Prepare
Gather key district or school data, current plans, and other relevant materials so the work starts from your reality.
Step 2: Build
Work directly with NDPC experts to examine data, identify gaps, prioritize needs, and develop a customized plan.
Step 3: Move Forward
Leave with a practical roadmap, implementation priorities, and connections to ongoing resources and support.
Who should be part of the process
DPI works best when districts or schools bring a cross-functional team that can help shape the plan and support implementation once the session ends.
Superintendent or district leadership
Principals and assistant principals
Student services leaders
Attendance and engagement staff
MTSS teams
Counselors and other support personnel
The right team in the room leads to stronger alignment and better follow-through.
WHAT PARTICIPANTS DO
During the DPI, your team actively works through your district’s data and builds your plan in real time.
- Examine & discuss local data
- Identify current and potential efforts
- Collaborate with colleagues & NDPC experts
- Learn research-based strategies
- Target specific needs and risk factors
- Develop next steps for implementation
The National Dropout Prevention Center brings decades of research and field-based experience to this work.
DPI helps districts move from fragmented efforts to coordinated, system-wide strategies aligned to their data and goals.
NDPC has helped districts nationwide move from fragmented efforts to coordinated, system-wide dropout prevention strategies.
Schedule an exploratory call
Let’s take a closer look at your district’s needs and whether DPI is the right fit. This is a short, no-pressure conversation. We’ll learn more about your current approach, walk through how DPI works, and answer any questions you have. If it makes sense to move forward, we’ll outline next steps for your team.
No preparation needed. Just share what you're currently working through.