Dropout Prevention

In the United States, in Virginia, and in Newport News, there is a growing concern about the number of students who drop out of school without finishing their studies. National research indicates that more than one million American high school students drop out each year. Virginia averages over 10,000 reported dropouts annually.

While our numbers are not as dramatic, reports show that over the past decade, nearly 2,000 students have left Newport News Public Schools without a diploma or a GED credential. Although the official numbers are less than 2 percent of our secondary students, school administrators suspect that many students indicate that they are leaving us for other programs, but never actually re-enroll or finish school. They join the ranks of adults in our city who struggle daily to get by without a high
school credential — over 20,000 of them.

Newport News Public Schools is actively working to reduce dropout rates. Some of our accomplishments include:

• Implemented Career Pathways initiative to make education engaging and relevant to our students.
  

• Identified students who have recently dropped out, invited them back and offered them program choices which meet their needs and keep them engaged, so they may earn a diploma or GED (General Educational Development).
  

• Increased access to alternative credential programs such as the GED to accommodate students who are too far behind to meet standard diploma requirements, but can still earn an equivalent credential.
  

• Used dropout indicators to identify middle school students at risk of dropping out and began intervention plans to help them stay on track toward graduation.