Keeping students on track to graduate requires a coordinated system rather than isolated programs. Since 1986, the National Dropout Prevention Center (NDPC) has partnered with school districts across the country to provide research-backed frameworks that improve student attendance, behavior, and academic success.
As school environments have grown more complex, our foundational research has also updated. We are moving from traditional, reaction-driven dropout prevention to a systemic framework focused on Graduation Improvement. Instead of waiting to intervene when a student is already on the verge of leaving, this updated approach focuses on building structural, school-wide conditions that keep students engaged from their first day in the building.
The 36th Annual National Dropout Prevention Conference is organized entirely around this updated framework: Effective Strategies & Services for Graduation Improvement.
The conference program is split into four distinct, operational tracks based on these core strategies. Use the tabs below to explore how each strategic pillar translates into actionable content at the event.
The cooference program is organized around the four pillars of our modernized framework: Effective Strategies & Services for Graduation Improvement. Use the tabs below to explore how each strategic focus area translates into real-world conference tracks, and coordinate your team’s coverage to target your district’s specific needs.
This track focuses on system-level strategy and school culture, moving away from temporary, isolated programs toward a shared framework where every adult owns student outcomes. Content addresses building collaborative intervention teams, utilizing data systems to track attendance and behavior trends, and designing school-wide structures that support graduation.
Modernized Framework Focus: Shifting from isolated dropout interventions to an integrated, data-driven graduation culture.
Track 2: Build Supportive Networks for All Students This track focuses on the practical mechanics of supporting student well-being and connection before academic failure occurs. Topics cover established strategies for creating two-way partnerships with parents and caregivers, managing support workloads efficiently, and scaling mentoring and community-connected programs to support students facing significant external barriers.
Modernized Framework Focus: Moving from surface-level student tracking to relationship-driven support networks.
Track 3: Enhance Instructional Engagement Strategies This track treats daily classroom instruction as a primary tool for student retention, addressing the reality that instructional disengagement leads directly to dropout risks. Topics focus on active learning models, structuring lessons that challenge students without overwhelming them, and using technology and course customization to re-engage students who have experienced past academic failure.
Modernized Framework Focus: Using rigorous, student-centered instruction as a clear strategy for student retention.
Track 4: Offer High-Impact Learning Pathways Students persist when they understand the purpose of their diploma. This track covers the development of alternative education models that offer structural flexibility alongside personalized support. It also highlights Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs that coordinate directly with regional industries to give students tangible work credentials before graduation.
Modernized Framework Focus: Creating flexible, career-aligned options for students who need non-traditional routes to a diploma.
Secure your team's spots for the 36th Annual National Dropout Prevention Conference in Orlando, Florida. Coordinate your leadership, instructional, and support staff across our four updated strategy tracks to bring a unified graduation improvement model back to your school or district.