School Holding Power
Strategies for School Action

A review of the research on effective dropout prevention strategies, including IDRA’s own research over the past two-plus decades, shows that certain components are vital to successful dropout prevention.?

• All students must be valued.
• There must be at least one educator in a student’s life who is totally committed to the success of that student.
• Students, parents and teachers must be provided extensive, consistent support in ways that allow students to learn, teachers to teach, and parents to be involved.
• Equity and excellence in schools contribute to individual and collective economic growth, stability and advancement.
• The solutions sought must be institution-based with family and community participation and must embrace the strengths and contributions that students and their families bring.

IDRA’s Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program incorporates these components. It has demonstrated that successful dropout prevention can be achieved at the programmatic level.

IDRA’s Quality Schools Action Framework helps schools and communities look at systemic issues affecting school holding power and student success.

Texas High School Allotment: The Texas Legislature passed a measure to fund an initiative to help prepare and graduate all Texas students from high school. IDRA can help schools:

• Identify and implement dropout prevention and college readiness models with proven success.
• Build capacity to increase academic rigor and raise student achievement in mathematics and science.
• Provide tailored professional development that goes beyond "one-shot" workshops to build capability, particularly in the areas of mathematics, science and for English language learners.
• Evaluate new practices and results for accountability and continuous improvement.

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