Dropout Prevention, Retention and Graduation InitiativeAcademic Excellence :

What is the Dropout Prevention, Retention and Graduation Initiative?

The focus of the Dropout Prevention Initiative is to develop a comprehensive dropout prevention model for implementation in middle and high schools. One of the goals is to increase successful school completion for groups of students who may be at greater risk of leaving school before earning a diploma.

Using a framework of 10 effective strategies and a process outlined by MDE, districts can make informed decisions about programming and approaches to ensure students graduate with a diploma and are ready for postsecondary education and work. The model is being piloted in seven school districts: Brooklyn Center, Duluth, Hibbing, Park Rapids, Red Lake, Richfield and St. Paul. Through these pilots, effective dropout prevention strategies and approaches that meet unique community needs and strengthen the quality of school-community collaborations are being researched, identified, disseminated and implemented.

View Graduation Rates by School, District and State

Interested in learning more about graduation and dropout rates in your community? View current graduation rates on MDE's School Report Card page.  Browse the School Report Cards and Adequate Yearly Progress results for the most recent reporting year to find rates by school, district and the state of Minnesota.

Listening to New Voices Report Released

In collaboration with the Dropout Prevention Initiative Steering Committee, the University of Minnesota’s Konopka Institute for Best Practices in Adolescent Health has released a report titled Listening to New Voices: Youth Voices on Staying in School & Dropout Prevention in Minnesota.  The Steering Committee contributed to the report by conducting listening groups with youth across the state.  The listening groups were intended to gather information from young people about supports that must be in place to better engage students in school and facilitate successful school completion.  * View the full report on the Konopka Institute’s Website.

The Dropout Prevention, Retention and Graduation Initiative is funded under No Child Left Behind Title I, Part H Dropout Prevention.

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