Each year, IDRA releases its attrition study. We have released these studies every year since 1986 when IDRA conducted the first study that was ever conducted for the state of Texas. IDRA is the only organization that has examined Texas attrition rates consistently, with the same methodology, making year-to-year comparisons possible. Below is the list of each study (we are working on getting those early-year studies online).
June 2021
Texas High Schools Reaches All-Time Low Attrition Rate, but Still Lose 80,000 Students – IDRA Study Gives a First Look at the Pandemic’s Effect on Attrition Rates
- News Release: Texas High Schools Reaches All-Time Low Attrition Rate, but Still Lose 80,000 Students – See news release
- Attrition Study: Texas Public School Attrition Study 2019-20 – See pdf
- Infographic: Texas public schools are losing one out of five students – See infographic page
- Infographic: 8 Types of Dropout Data Defined – See infographic page
- Infographic: 6 Policies and Practices that Lead to Higher Dropout Rates – See infographic page
See reporter FAQs and resources regarding attrition and dropout data (and downloadable graphics)
February 2021
Texas High Schools Lost 1 in 5 Students Last Year – It Has Taken Over 3 Decades to Improve by Just 12 Points – 34th Annual Texas Public School Attrition Study Released by IDRA IDRA
- Attrition Study: Texas Public School Attrition Study 2018-19 – See pdf
- Infographic: Texas public schools are losing one out of four students – See infographic
- Infographic: Poor Children Are More Likely to Disappear from Schools in Texas: – See infographic
- Trend graphs: See attrition rates and numbers over the last nine years – Look up your county
- eBook: Types of Dropout Data Defined – See eBook
December 6, 2018
Texas High Schools Lost 1 in 5 Students Last Year; It Has Taken Over 3 Decades to Improve by Just 11 Points – 33rd Annual Texas Public School Attrition Study Released by IDRA
- News Release (December 6, 2018): Texas High Schools Lost 1 in 5 Students Last Year; It Has Taken Over 3 Decades to Improve by Just 11 Points – 33rd Annual Texas Public School Attrition Study Released by IDRA – See story
- eNews: Texas High School Attrition Reaches All-Time Low of 29% for Hispanic Students, Statewide Rates Returns to 24% After One Year Bumps – See eLetter
- Attrition Study: Texas Public School Attrition Study 2017-18 – See pdf
- Infographic: Texas public schools are losing one out of four students – See infographic
- Trend graphs: See attrition rates and numbers over the last eight years – Look up your county
- County List: Which counties had attrition rates go up or down – See list
- Checklist Tool: Quality School Holding Power Checklist – See checklist
- eBook: Types of Dropout Data Defined – See eBook
October 31, 2017
Texas High School Attrition Reaches All-Time Low of 29% for Hispanic Students, Statewide Rates Returns to 24% After One Year Bump – 32nd Annual Texas Public School Attrition Study Released by IDRA
- News Release (October 31, 2017): Texas High School Attrition Reaches All-Time Low of 29% for Hispanic Students, Statewide Rates Returns to 24% After One Year Bump – See story
- eNews: Texas High School Attrition Reaches All-Time Low of 29% for Hispanic Students, Statewide Rates Returns to 24% After One Year Bumps – See eLetter
- Attrition Study: Texas Public School Attrition Study 2016-17 – See pdf
- Infographic: Texas public schools are losing one out of four students – See infographic
- Trend graphs: See attrition rates and numbers over the last eight years – Look up your county
- County List: Which counties had attrition rates go up or down – See list
- Checklist Tool: Quality School Holding Power Checklist – See checklist
- eBook: Types of Dropout Data Defined – See eBook
Texas Charter School System Suffers Low Graduation Rates – The Class of 2016 saw Graduation Rates of 62% in Charter Schools compared to 90% in Traditional Public Schools
- News Release (December 13, 2017): Texas Charter School System Suffers Low Graduation Rates – The Class of 2016 saw Graduation Rates of 62% in Charter Schools compared to 90% in Traditional Public Schools – See story
- eNews: Texas Charter School System Suffers Low Graduation Rates – The Class of 2016 saw Graduation Rates of 62% in Charter Schools compared to 90% in Traditional Public Schools – See eLetter
- Infographic: Pomp and Poor Circumstances – Texas charter schools miss the graduation and accountability mark according to TEA reports – See infographic
- Charter School Article: Annual Dropout and Longitudinal Graduation Rates in Texas Charter Schools, 2009-2016 – See study
November 1, 2016
Despite Graduation Rate Progress, Texas Appears Stuck at Losing One-Fourth of High Schooler – 31st Annual Texas Public School Attrition Study
- News Release (November 1, 2016):Despite Graduation Rate Progress, Texas Appears Stuck at Losing One-Fourth of High Schoolers – See story
- eNews: Despite Graduation Rate Progress, Texas Appears Stuck at Losing One-Fourth of High Schoolers – See eletter
- Attrition Study:Texas Public School Attrition Study 2015-16 – See pdf
- Infographic:Texas public schools are losing one out of four students – See infographic
- Trend graphs:See attrition rates and numbers over the last 10 years – Look up your county
- County List: Which counties had attrition rates go up or down – See list
- eBook: Types of Dropout Data Defined – See eBook
Temporary Policy Relieves High-Stakes for 6,000 Students – Use of Individual Graduation Committees Unlocks Diplomas for Qualified Students
- News Release (November 14, 2016): Temporary Policy Relieves High-Stakes for 6,000 Students – See story
- eNews: Temporary Policy Relieves High-Stakes for 6,000 Students – See eletter
- Infographic:Use of individual graduation committees unlocks diplomas for qualified students – See infographic
- Factsheet: Accountability that Doesn’t Hurt Students – See factsheet
Texas High Schools Stand to Lose Over 2 Million Students in Coming Years – At Our Current Pace in Texas, Universal High School Education is Two Decades Away
- News Release (November 21, 2016):Texas High Schools Stand to Lose Over 2 Million Students in Coming Years – See story
- eNews:Texas High Schools Stand to Lose Over 2 Million Students in Coming Years – See eletter
Zero Tolerance Policies Push Students Away – High Attrition Rates of Black Students and Hispanic Students Are Linked to Exclusionary Discipline
- News Release (December 1, 2016): Zero Tolerance Policies Push Students Away – See story
- eNews: Zero Tolerance Policies Push Students Away – See eletter
- Infographic: 6 School Policies that Lead to Higher Dropout Rates – See infographic
- Web Story: Zero Tolerance in Texas Graphs & Tables – “Zero Tolerance Policies in Texas Push Black Students and Hispanic Students Away from School” – See story
- Web Story: Zero Tolerance in Bexar County Graphs & Tables – “School Policies and Practices Impact High School Attrition Rates in Bexar County” – See story
- eBook: Resources on Student Discipline Policy and Practice (second edition) – See eBook
- Article: In-Grade Retention in the Early Years – What’s Holding Children Back? –See article
October 29, 2015 – Almost 100,000 Students from the Class of 2015 were Lost from Texas High Schools – 30th Annual Texas Public School Attrition Study 2014-15
October 28, 2014 – Texas Public School Attrition Study, 2013-14 – Texas Attrition Rate Dips One Percentage Point
October 29, 2013 – Overall Texas High School Attrition Rates Take Another Step Forward – Texas Public School Attrition Study 2012-13
November 18, 2011 – High School Attrition Continues Downward Trend, Effect of Recent Budget Cuts Looms – Texas Public School Attrition Study, 2010-11
April 6, 2011 – Five Regions Have Persistently High Attrition Rates
October 25, 2010 – More than 3 Million Students Have Been Lost – Texas Public School Attrition Study, 2009-10
October 23, 2009 – Texas School Attrition Rate Declines, But Gaps Among Racial-Ethnic Groups Persist – Texas Public School Attrition Study 2008-09
October 2008 – At Current Pace, Schools Will Lose Many More Generations – Texas Public School Attrition Study, 2007-08
October 29, 2007 – Texas School Holding Power Worse than Two Decades Ago – Texas Public School Attrition Study, 2006-07 (news release)
October 4, 2006 – Race-Ethnicity Gap Among Texas Dropouts Continues to Grow – Texas Public School Attrition Study, 2005-06 (news release)
October 2005 – Little Improvement in Texas School Holding Power – Texas Public School Attrition Study, 2004-05, by Roy L. Johnson, M.S.
October 2004 – Texas School Holding Power Improves – But Progress is Slow Texas Public School Attrition Study, 2003-04, by Roy L. Johnson, M.S.
October 2003 – Schools Continue to Lose Students: Texas Public School Attrition Study, 2002-03, by Roy L. Johnson, M.S.
October 2002 – Texas Schools Have Weak Holding Power: Texas Public School Attrition Study: 2001-02, by Roy L. Johnson, M.S
October 2001 – Missing: Texas Youth – Cost of School Dropouts Escalates, by Roy L. Johnson, M.S.
October 2000 – Attrition Rates in Texas Public High Schools: 1999-00 Study Results, by Roy L. Johnson, M.S.
October 1999 – Attrition Rates in Texas Public High Schools Still High, by R.L. Johnson
October 1998 – State of School Dropouts in Texas Public High Schools, by R. Johnson
October 1997 – Texas Dropout Alert: Where are the 147,000 Students Lost from the Freshman Class of 1993-94?, by R. Johnson
October 1996 – Up or Down: The Dropout Dilemma in Texas, by R. Johnson
October 1995 – IDRA’s Latest Attrition Analyses Show Worsening Dropout Problem, by R. Johnson
October 1994 – Attrition Rates Are Going Up: Texas Rates Higher Than National Average, by R. Johnson
October 1993 – Attrition in Texas Public High Schools, by R. Johnson
May 1992 – Fifth Annual Attrition Study: Texas Public Schools 1986 to 1990, by R. Johnson
March 1990 – Texas School Dropouts: 1986 to 1989, by J.A. Cárdenas
April 1989 – Texas Dropouts Revisited 1989, by J.A. Cárdenas
May 1988 – Attrition Rates for State Schools Show Increase, by J.A. Cárdenas
February 1987 – Attrition Rates as Indicators of School Dropouts, by J.A. Cárdenas
June 1986 – School Attrition Rates in Bexar County, Texas, by J.A. Cárdenas, M. Del Refugio Robledo and A. Cortez
