Dropout Prevention Intervention With Secondary Students: A Pilot Study of Project GOAL

Abstract

Project GOAL is a systematic dropout prevention model including individual and peer-mediated group interventions for at-risk students. This article provides an overview of the Project GOAL model and describes a 2-year experimental pilot study of Project GOAL with a cohort of eighth- and ninth-grade students in a low-income school district in the southwest United States. Qualifying eighth-grade students (n = 94) in one middle school were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: Project GOAL or a business-as-usual control. Preliminary program outcomes include an increase in educational expectations for Project GOAL students but a decline in their view of school's relevance. The authors provide key insights into effective school-level implementation for settings that embrace a long-term commitment to change.