Preventing School Failure and School Dropout

Abstract

This chapter focuses on strengths-based approaches to preventing school failure and dropout. The underlying assumption is that the most effective way to prevent school failure is to simultaneously enhance school completion by building social and emotional skills and enhancing both academic and vocational development. A tiered model is used to introduce prevention strategies for all students, remediation for students who are at risk, and recovery of those who have dropped out. The first tier encompasses schoolwide interventions that increase student engagement and promote student aspirations. The second tier involves targeted prevention programs for students who are at increased risk of school failure. The final tier is designed to provide high-risk students and those who have dropped out the support they need to transition back into school or alternative programs. School failure is a complex problem that requires tiered models of services to effectively deliver comprehensive programming options.