Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has implemented an ongoing and comprehensive dropout prevention, intervention and recovery program — leveraging multiple services, funding sources and efforts into a single, targeted program that addresses the needs of potential dropouts and their families.

An extension of LAUSD's commitment to meeting the critical challenge of reducing the dropout rate, the Dropout Prevention and Recovery program employs a proactive and personalized approach to reaching students. Through a variety of integrated, innovative initiatives, the program provides at-risk and dropped out students with the assistance, counseling and resources to pursue alternative educational pathways to earning a diploma.

Key elements of the program include:

• The placement of 80 Diploma Project Advisers (DPAs) and 300 Pupil Service and Attendance (PSA) Counselors at schools with high dropout rates and/or numbers of students at-risk for dropping out. DPAs and PSA Counselors work directly with students and the appropriate school administrators, deans, counselors, nurses, teachers, parents, and community agencies to develop and implement individualized educational blueprints to ensure every student has the opportunity to earn a high school diploma. Their responsibilities include:
  • Collaborating with feeder schools to identify at-risk students to provide them with intervention services upon enrollment;
  • Working closely with school staff to develop incentive programs for students at-risk of dropping out;
  • Providing quarterly parent meetings to at-risk students and their parents to maintain an ongoing dialogue; and
  • Partnering with school staff to recover students who appear on the LAUSD potential dropout lists.
• The new, ongoing “My Future, My Decision” campaign, which taps into students' sense of personal responsibility and adopts cutting-edge communications channels that truly resonate with students. Launched in October 2007, the multimedia campaign broadcasts a message of personal empowerment through alternative communications channels, including:
  • A campaign-specific Web site, www.MyFutureMyDecision.org;
  • Peer-to-peer social networking using recovered dropout students;
  • Promotions with popular local radio stations, starting with Power 106 and V100; and
  • Viral text messaging to reach students via cell phone.
• Door-to-door visits to recover dropouts, organized in collaboration with community based organizations, elected officials, colleges and universities, and health and human service agencies.
• Production of a new Parent-Student Resource Guidebook including community resources/referrals, school resources, educational options for students, and information about graduation requirements. The guidebooks will be individualized to each school site and distributed by school staff.
• Partnerships with higher educational institutions are actively in development, including a new program with the Los Angeles Community College District to expand on alternative education programs for high school students.
• Extensive mandatory professional development for staff on how to proactively assist at-risk students. District-wide, staff learn best practices for working directly with students at-risk for dropping out and will utilize the new Parent-Student Resource Guidebook to provide parents with customized support and information on the services and options available for students.
• A program to continually track and provide counseling to non-grads after they have left high school to prepare them to pass the CAHSEE and/or complete course credit and requirements to attain a high school diploma.
• The launch of an expanded youth employment program in collaboration with the Mayor's office and business/civic organizations. Launched in the summer of 2007, the program expands the “Learn and Earn” program to year-round. We are acutely aware that one of the major reasons students leave school is the need for employment. This program provides student jobs connected to “remaining in school.”
• A new parental notification system that automatically informs parents whenever a student is absent from school or any single period of the day.
• Innovative online credit recovery classes developed through the collaboration of LAUSD's Information Technology department, Diploma Project Advisers, administrators and local universities.
• Work with existing alternative educational programs to assess gaps in services, expand existing programs and develop new programs based on identified student needs.
• More accurate calculation of the dropout rate using better mapping and tracking systems.
• Development of a network that provides a wide range of educational options serving thousands of at-risk students working to earn a high school diploma. This includes a network of 45 continuation high schools, 56 community day schools, City of Angels, Independent Study program, 6 Education Career Centers, 18 Adult Schools, and a strong Alternative Education Work Center (AEWC) program. This effort has also been coordinated with the community colleges in Los Angeles.
• Collaborative partnerships with community based organizations and elected officials.