As education leaders align their programs with the goals set forth by Education Secretary Arne Duncan under the Obama administration, a major point of emphasis is turning around underperforming schools and stemming the nation's dropout rate.

The proposed 2010 federal budget has marked $50 million for dropout prevention work, and the federal stimulus package adds another $3.5 billion to help turn around low-performing schools. How this money is spent could be influenced by a new report from the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) that investigates the links among students who are at risk for dropping out, their families, and the communities where they live.

With only 60 to 70 percent of students graduating from high school nationally, the report, called "Partners in Prevention: The Role of School Community Partnerships in Dropout Prevention," holds that schools will reach struggling students effectively only if educators implement comprehensive dropout prevention plans that include strong school-community partnerships.

Developing partnerships with a range of individuals and organizations in the community is a critical step in dropout prevention for schools of all sizes, said NASBE Executive Director Brenda Welburn.

The report's recommendations include:

• Promote community partnerships to encourage student retention.
• Develop a comprehensive student data system that can help identify potential dropouts.
• Deliver the needed training to schools and districts to help them foster effective partnerships and dropout prevention plans.
• Create multiple pathways to graduation.

States can use expanded learning opportunities (ELOs), such as after-school, summer learning, extended day, and extended year programs, to reduce student dropout rates, according to a new issue brief from the National Governors Association's Center for Best Practices (NGA Center). 
 
"Reducing Dropout Rates through Expanded Learning Opportunities" recommends that states identify likely dropouts early and provide targeted intervention through ELOs, increase access to ELOs for students at risk of dropping out, and establish statewide systems to ensure ELOs are effective and are tied to dropout-reduction goals.
 
Governors across the country are actively working to implement policies and practices to deal with the "alarming rate" at which students are dropping out of school, said NGA Center Director John Thomasian.

"This is a particularly important task during difficult economic times. The steps outlined in this issue brief supplement other strategic state efforts to curb student dropout by using extending learning opportunities to support academic rigor, boost student engagement, and provide students with supportive relationships that can lead to high graduation rates," Thomasian added.
 
The NGA Center also recently issued "Achieving Graduation for All: A Governor's Guide to Dropout Prevention and Recovery," which provides a comprehensive action plan for states to curb dropout rates, help youth succeed, and strengthen state economies.