The International Observatory on Academic Achievement - Documentary search

File number :
PPEE-DSC-08e

Bibliographic reference :
Temple, J.A., Reynolds, A.J., & Miedel, W.T. (2000). Can Early Intervention Prevent High School Dropout? Evidence from the Chicago Child-Parent Centers. Urban Education, 35(1), 31-56.

Abstract :

Theoretical Background and Study Objectives
The authors of this American study reported that a number of evaluative studies had found that early intervention can successfully prevent young school- and preschool-aged children from dropping out. Having proven in the past the effectiveness of the Chicago Child-Parent Center (CPC) in reducing the influence of major dropout risk factors – such as grade retention and special education placement rates – and improving the academic performance of students 13 to 14 years of age, the authors hypothesized that participation in the CPC programme could also help to reduce the dropout rate.

This quasi-experimental study raised two questions: (1) Is participation in the CPC programme associated with a lower rate of high school dropout by ages 17 to 18? and (2) Which of these non-intervention variables predict high school dropout: grade retention, school mobility, early school achievement or parental involvement in school?

Methodology
The CPC aims to promote school readiness and other positive adjustment outcomes among children in preschool (from 3 years of age) through to grade 3. It provides children with a comprehensive education tailored to their needs and lends support to parents. The sample involved 1159 participants from urban Chicago belonging to an ethnic minority (95% Black and 5% Hispanic). They participated in the programme on a full (329) or partial basis (544) from 1983 to 1989. Some sample subjects (276) did not participate in the programme.

Results
The authors asserted that 29% of sample subjects were considered dropouts (35% boys and 25% girls). More specifically, the students who participated in the full intervention had a dropout rate of 22.8%, those who participated on a partial basis had a dropout rate of 26.8%, and those who did not participate had a dropout rate of 32.6%.

A regression analysis showed that gender, family income and parental education level predicted school dropout in the first model. The second model revealed that grade retention and school mobility were strongly associated with school dropout. Lastly, the third model showed that a year of parental involvement helped to reduce the risk of dropout by 3%.

Links :
This journal is also available in electronic format. Publisher’s Website address: http://uex.sagepub.com/"

Key Words :
Socio-economic Status, Gender, Ethnicity, At-risk Students, Multimodal Intervention, Individual Characteristics, Family Situation, Parental Education Level, Parental Involvement, Grade Retention, Special Education Placement, School Failure, Academic Performance, School Mobility, Educational Inequalities, Quasi-experimental Study, Quantitative Analysis, Preschool, Primary, Elementary, Secondary/High School, Newsletter13

Monitored Countries :
United States