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    I S S U E S& AN SWER S

    U . S . D e p a r t m e n t o f E d u c a t i o n

    Reenrollmentof high schooldropouts in alarge, urbanschool district

    R E L 2 0 0 8 N o . 0 5 6

    At WestEd

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    Reenrollment of high school dropoutsin a large, urban school district

    July 2008

    Prepared by

    BethAnn BerlinerWestEd

    Vanessa X. BarratWestEd

    Anthony B. FongWestEd

    Paul B. ShirkSan Bernardino City Unifed School District

    I S S U E S&ANSWERS R E L 2 0 0 8 N o . 0 5 6

    U . S . D e p a r t m e n t o f E d u c a t i o n

    At WestEd

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    Issues & Answers is an ongoing series o reports rom short-term Fast Response Projects conducted by the regional educa-

    tional laboratories on current education issues o importance at local, state, and regional levels. Fast Response Project topicschange to reect new issues, as identied through lab outreach and requests or assistance rom policymakers and educa-

    tors at state and local levels and rom communities, businesses, parents, amilies, and youth. All Issues & Answers reports

    meet Institute o Education Sciences standards or scientically valid research.

    July 2008

    Tis report was prepared or the Institute o Education Sciences (IES) under Contract ED-06-CO-0014 by Regional Edu-

    cational Laboratory West administered by WestEd. Te content o the publication does not necessarily reect the views or

    policies o IES or the U.S. Department o Education nor does mention o trade names, commercial products, or organiza-

    tions imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

    Tis report is in the public domain. While permission to reprint this publication is not necessary, it should be cited as:

    Berliner, B., Barrat, V.X., Fong, A.B., and Shirk, P.B. (2008). Reenrollment o high school dropouts in a large, urban school

    district(Issues & Answers Report, REL 2008No. 056). Washington, DC: U.S. Department o Education, Institute o Educa-

    tion Sciences, National Center or Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory West.

    Retrieved rom http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs

    Tis report is available on the regional educational laboratory web site at http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs.

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    ii i

    Summary

    This study ollows a cohort o frst-time

    9th graders in one large urban school

    district rom 2001/02 to 2005/06 and

    documents their dropout, reenrollment,

    and graduation rates. For the one-third

    o dropouts who reenrolled in the district

    over that period, it reports course credit

    accrual and graduation outcomes as well

    as students reasons or dropping out and

    the challenges districts ace with their

    reenrollment.

    In 2005/06 an estimated 1.2 million U.S.

    students did not complete high school with

    their classmates (National High School Center2007; Pinkus 2006). While public attention

    and an extensive research literature ocus on

    the dropout problem evident in that gure,

    much less is known about the number and

    characteristics o students who drop out and

    then reenroll.

    Tis study ollows a cohort o rst-time 9th

    graders over ve years (2001/022005/06) in

    San Bernardino City Unied School District todescribe the magnitude o its dropout problem

    and the numbers, characteristics, and gradu-

    ation outcomes o the students who dropped

    out and subsequently reenrolled in the district.

    It documents issues related to the reenroll-

    ment o dropouts and what district staf and

    reenrollees say about policies and practices to

    improve graduation outcomes or dropouts

    who return to school. By ocusing on reenroll-

    ees, this study contributes to shaping policy

    that addresses the broader dropout challenge.

    In 2001/02 there were 3,856 rst-time grade 9students enrolled in San Bernardino City Uni-

    ed School District high schools. By 2005/06,

    45 percent o standard graduates had earned

    regular high school diplomas, 35 percent

    had dropped out at least once during the ve

    years, and 20 percent had transerred to other

    schools and their outcomes are unknown.

    Dropping out o high school is not necessarily

    a permanent outcome. Among the dropouts,31.0 percent eventually reenrolled in a San

    Bernardino City Unied School District high

    school during the ve years o the study, and

    18.4 percent o these reenrollees graduated

    rom a district high school by 2005/06.

    Tis study reports on the personal and

    academic reasons why students dropped out

    and reenrolled in high school. In interviews

    reenrollees reported on both push andpull actors that motivated their dropout and

    return to school. Te dropout literature de-

    scribes school experiences that push students

    out o school beore graduationacademic

    struggles, boredom, and limited ways to make

    up ailed course creditsor lie circum-

    stances that pull them in directions that stall

    Reenrollment of high school dropouts

    in a large, urban school district

    REL 2008No. 056

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    Summary

    District contacts also explained that the poor

    attendance o reenrolleesand the likelihood

    that they will drop out againmade it di-

    cult to meet specic testing, graduation, and

    other accountability requirements. Given these

    challenges, district administrators, principals,

    and reenrollees presented their suggestions or

    improving graduation outcomes or dropouts

    who reenroll in district high schools.

    Tis study o one district oers ndings on

    which uture research can build. Findings

    about the magnitude o the dropout problem

    and the numbers, characteristics, and gradu-

    ation outcomes o reenrolled students could

    change as the results o additional longitudinal

    research on dropouts and reenrollees become

    available.

    J 2008

    Note

    Continuation schools, public alternative1.

    schools or students ages 1618, oer a more

    exible schedule than traditional high schools

    or students who have allen behind, allowing

    them to make up ailed credits and earn ad-

    ditional credits toward graduation at a quicker

    pace.

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    vi

    Table of conTenTs

    Why this study? 1

    What is the magnitude o reenrollment? 4

    What are the characteristics o reenrollees? 4Both push and pull actors inuenced decisions to drop out o school 5Both push and pull actors inuenced reenrollees to return to school 6Te majority o reenrollees had dropped out in the rst year o high school 6More than hal o reenrollees returned to school or only one year 7Some reenrollees returned to school multiple times 8Reenrollees returned mainly to their schools o origin 8Grade 9 and Black student dropouts reenrolled at higher rates than did other student subgroups 8

    What are the academic and graduation outcomes or reenrollees? 10Reenrollees ared better than permanent dropouts at course completion and credit accumulation beore the

    rst dropout event 10One-third o reenrollees ailed to complete even one course afer reenrollment 11Most reenrollees did not earn enough credits to graduate 11Nearly one-fh o reenrollees graduated rom high school 12

    What issues did the district conront regarding reenrollmento dropouts? 13Early intervention concerns 14Capacity concerns 14Funding concerns 15Accountability concerns 15

    What do district staf and students suggest or changes in policies and practices? 16

    Policies 17Practices 17

    Suggestions or urther research 17

    Appendix A Methodology 19

    Appendix B Tables with details on census characteristics 23

    Appendix C Interview protocols 28

    Notes 31

    Reerences 33

    Box 1 Study data and methodology 3

    Figures

    1 Student trajectories in San Bernardino City Unied School District high schools, 2001/022005/06 5

    2 Number o San Bernardino City Unied School District dropouts and reenrollees, by year o rst dropoutevent, 2001/022005/06 7

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    3 Number o years students in the San Bernardino City Unied School District remain reenrolled, by schoolyear o their rst dropout event, 2001/022004/05 7

    4 Reenrollment rates by key student characteristics or San Bernardino City Unied School Districtreenrollees, 2001/022005/06 (percent) 9

    5 Average percentage o courses ailed by San Bernardino City Unied School District student dropouts, bygrade o rst dropout event, 2001/022005/06 10

    6 Average number o course credits accumulated by San Bernardino City Unied School District studentdropouts, by grade o rst dropout event, 2001/022005/06 11

    7 Average number o course credits accumulated by San Bernardino City Unied School District studentdropouts beore and aer reenrollment 12

    8 Rates o nal high school outcomes or reenrollees, by grade o rst dropout event 13

    Tables

    1 Number and percentage o students who dropped out o a San Bernardino City Unied School District highschool one or more times, 2001/022005/06 5

    2 Number and percentage o dropouts who reenrolled in the San Bernardino City Unied School District one ormore times, 2001/022005/06 8

    3 Course completion by San Bernardino City Unied School District reenrollees, 2001/022005/06 12

    4 Number and percentage o nal high school outcomes or reenrollees in San Bernardino City Unied SchoolDistrict, 2001/022005/06 13

    B1 Number and percentage o students in the 2001/02 grade 9 San Bernardino City Unied School District highschool cohort classied as standard graduates, dropouts, and others, 2001/022005/06 23

    B2 Cohort characteristics and dropout rate by characteristic or the 2001/02 San Bernardino City Unied SchoolDistrict grade 9 high school cohort, 2001/022005/06 24

    B3 Dropout characteristics by reenrollment status and reenrollment rate by characteristic or the 2001/02 SanBernardino City Unied School District grade 9 high school cohort, 2001/022005/06 25

    B4 Percentage o classes ailed beore the rst dropout event, or the 2001/02 San Bernardino City UniedSchool District grade 9 high school cohort, by grade o rst dropout, 2001/022005/06 26

    B5 Credits accumulated beore the rst dropout event, or the 2001/02 San Bernardino City Unied SchoolDistrict grade 9 high school cohort, by grade o rst dropout, 2001/022005/06 26

    B6 Synthesis o eld notes based on interviews with San Bernardino City Unied School District administrators,high school principals, and reenrollees 27

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    Why this study? 1

    T t ollow

    a coort o frt-

    tme 9t graern one large rban

    cool trct rom

    2001/02 to 2005/06

    an ocment

    ter ropot,

    reenrollment, an

    graaton rate.

    For te one-tr o

    te ropot wo

    reenrolle n te

    trct over tatpero, t report

    core cret accral

    an graaton

    otcome a well a

    tent reaon

    or roppng ot

    an te callenge

    trct ace wt

    ter reenrollment.

    Why This sTudy?

    In 2005/06 an estimated 1.2 million American

    students did not complete high school with their

    classmates (National High School Center 2007;

    Pinkus 2006). While there has been considerablerecent research (or example, Oreld 2004) on

    this national education crisis, much less is known

    about the number and characteristics o those

    students who drop out and then reenroll but ace

    nearly impenetrable barriers to graduation. Tis

    study ocuses on reenrollees in one o Caliornias

    largest school districtsthe San Bernardino City

    Unied School District. It combines secondary

    analyses o student demographic, enrollment, and

    course history data with interviews o reenroll-

    ees and district staf to reveal the magnitude othe dropout problem and the characteristics and

    graduation outcomes o the dropouts who re-

    enrolled in district high schools between 2001/02

    and 2005/06.

    Caliornias graduation rate mirrors the national

    rate. According to the most recent National Center

    or Education Statistics data available, the aver-

    aged reshman graduation rate o public high

    school students in 2003/04 was 73.9 percent in

    Caliornia and 75.0 percent nationwide (Lairdet al. 2007).1 In Caliornia low graduation rates

    are especially troubling among American Indian

    students (49.7 percent), Black students (55.3 per-

    cent), and Hispanic students (57.0 percent). In

    many urban districts, including San Bernardino,

    these groups have a less than 50 percent chance

    o graduating (De Cos 2005).2 Low graduation

    and high dropout rates are under intense public

    scrutiny in school districts like San Bernardino.

    Educators and policymakers are seeking efective

    strategies to keep more students in high schooluntil graduation.

    Te extensive literature on dropouts has ocused

    largely on calculating dropout and graduation

    rates, predicting high school ailure and dropout,

    and evaluating prevention programs. Critical

    inormation gaps still exist (Oreld 2004). As the

    Wayman studies (2002, 2001) report, there is little

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    2 reenrollment o high School dropoutS in a large, urban School diStrict

    research on returning dropouts, their rate o on-

    time diploma attainment, and the challenges dis-

    tricts ace when student dropouts return to school.

    Data limitations largely account or this inorma-

    tion gap and restrict longitudinal investigations

    o individual students as they entered and exitedschools. A urther complication was tracking

    reenrollees as they transerred between schools,

    districts, and even education systems, including

    adult education and community colleges.

    Currently, there is no national or Caliornia ac-

    counting o the number o dropouts who reenroll

    in high school in either their

    district o origin (where they

    dropped out) or another district.

    Some studies on returning drop-outs estimate reenrollment and

    graduation rates based on retro-

    spective survey data. For instance,

    Ekstrom et al. (1987), using the

    High School and Beyond dataset

    or 198082, ound that 17 per-

    cent o their sample returned to

    an education institution. Chuang

    (1997), using the National Longi-

    tudinal Survey o Youth dataset,

    estimates that nearly 50 percento the dropouts in the sample or

    197986 reenrolled by 1986. Using the National

    Education Longitudinal Study dataset, Hurst,

    Kelly, and Princiotta (2004) report that 40 per-

    cent o dropouts earned a high school diploma or

    alternative certicate within eight years o their

    cohorts expected graduation year.

    Assessing the magnitude o reenrollment and the

    characteristics o students who vanish rom and

    then reenroll in the education pipeline will providecritical inormation to policymakers about how

    well schools rst retain students and then gradu-

    ate them aer they return. A more complete and

    accurate description o reenrollees is needed to

    shape policies and practices that enable students to

    reenroll and improve their graduation outcomes.

    Tis is a top priority or Caliornias education

    leaders as evidenced by a ocus on increasing

    graduation rates in the current reorm agendas o

    the governor, the chie state school ofcer, and the

    states P-16 council.

    By examining reenrollees, this study better en-

    ables policymakers and educators to discuss thedropout problem. It describes the 2001/02 grade

    9 cohort in San Bernardino City Unied School

    District by tracking student dropout, reenroll-

    ment, and graduation over ve years, adding the

    increasingly common h year to the conven-

    tional on-time our-year graduation time rame.3

    San Bernardino City Unied School District, in

    Southern Caliornias Inland Empire, is the states

    seventh largest school district, with about 59,000

    students (Caliornia Department o Education

    2007a). As a convenience sample, it provides alarge, urban, high poverty, and racially diverse

    setting or exploratory research and is similar in

    these attributes to other unied school districts

    in the state, such as Los Angeles, Long Beach, and

    Oakland (Caliornia Department o Education

    2007b). Moreover, it is subject to the same state

    policies that govern all other Caliornia districts.

    Tis study creates an initial prole o the students

    who dropped out o a San Bernardino City Uni-

    ed School District high school and subsequentlyreenrolled in one o the districts ve traditional

    or two continuation high schools rom 2001/02

    through 2005/06.4 It is an exploratory analysis o

    the magnitude and characteristics o dropouts

    who reenrolled in the district and contrasts key

    academic outcomes o reenrollees and students

    who dropped out without reenrolling during the

    ve-year study period. In addition, it documents

    the issues this district conronted in reenrolling

    students who missed weeks, months, and even

    years o schooling. Finally, this study o one dis-trict oers ndings on which uture research can

    build. Box 1 and appendix A provide details on the

    study data and methodology.

    Five research questions guided the study o

    reenrollment o dropouts in the San Bernardino

    City Unied School District between 2001/02 and

    2005/06:

    t

    rtr

    t t

    rtrt

    rt w rr

    s brr ct

    uf s dtrt

    trt

    t

    r tt

    w r t wtt

    r r t

    -r t r

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    Why thiS Study? 3

    box 1

    Study data and methodology

    Study data

    Tis report describes the dropout

    events, reenrollment, and graduation

    outcomes o the cohort o students

    who were rst-time 9th graders in

    San Bernardino City Unied School

    District in 2001/02. Data were col-

    lected on the magnitude, character-

    istics, and outcomes o reenrollees

    rom a district dataset with linked,

    longitudinal student-level data or

    2001/02 through 2005/06. Te dataset

    contains student demographic,

    enrollment, and course data on all

    district high school students.

    In addition, interviews were con-

    ducted with seven district adminis-

    trators, high school principals rom

    the districts ve traditional and two

    continuation high schools, and six

    dropouts currently reenrolled in di-

    erent district high schools (table B6

    in appendix B provides a summary).

    Te interviewees explained why

    students dropped out and reenrolled

    and described the challenges re-

    enrollees present to high schools and

    the district.

    Cohort selection

    Researchers constructed a census

    rom the San Bernardino City Unied

    School District dataset to ollow a co-

    hort o students through high school.

    Tere were 5,674 students enrolled in

    district public high schools in grade

    9 during the 2001/02 school year. Te

    dataset was restricted to students

    who entered grade 9 or the rst time

    in 2001/02. Second-time 9th grad-

    ers (students who were enrolled in

    grade 9 the previous year but had not

    advanced to grade 10) were dropped

    rom the dataset. Students younger

    than 13 or older than 17 on Septem-

    ber 1, 2001, the year they entered

    high school, were also dropped rom

    the dataset (41 students) so that

    the analysis would examine only

    students o typical high school age

    and, presumably, behavior. Te nal

    sample consisted o 3,856 rst-time

    9th graders.

    Data analysis

    Te dataset provided inormation

    on dropout events, enrollment, and

    graduation outcomes or students an-

    nually between 2001/02 and 2005/06

    (see appendix A or more details). Te

    researchers used exit status codes to

    classiy the 2001/02 grade 9 cohort

    into three broad categories: standard

    graduates, dropouts, and others or

    each year o the study (see table B1 in

    appendix B). Students were classied

    based on the exit code o their rst

    interruption o continuous enroll-

    ment in the district.

    Standard graduates are students

    who earn a regular high school

    diploma rom a San Bernardino

    City Unied School District high

    school in our or ve years with-

    out any interruption in enroll-

    ment (through dropout event,

    transer to another district, or

    expulsion).

    Dropouts are students whose

    rst withdrawal rom a district

    high school between 2001/02 and

    2005/06 met one o three criteria:

    withdrew beore graduating and

    not in an education program

    leading to a diploma, stopped

    attending school and cannot be

    located, or transerred to another

    school district without hav-

    ing their transcript sent to the

    receiving district and are not in

    an education program that led to

    a high school diploma. Te drop-

    out category includes students

    who reenroll at least one time

    in San Bernardino City Unied

    School District high schools be-

    tween 2001/02 and 2005/06 aer

    dropping out (table B3 in appen-

    dix B provides reenrollment rates

    by key characteristics).

    Others are primarily students

    who transerred to other school

    districts between 2001/02 and

    2005/06 (see table B1 in appendix

    B), and there is no way to know

    the outcomes or these students

    since the district lacks complete

    inormation on their education

    histories. Tis category also

    includes students who were

    expelled, died, earned alterna-

    tive high school completion

    certicates beore dropping out

    or graduating, or who remained

    enrolled in a district high school

    or the ve years o the study

    without dropping out or gradu-

    ating and were still enrolled in

    2005/06.1

    Te cohort graduation rate was

    computed by dividing the number o

    students rom the cohort o rst-time

    9th graders continuously enrolled in

    the district rom 2001/02 to 2005/06

    who graduated within the study

    time rame by the total number o

    rst-time 9th graders in the district.

    (continued)

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    4 reenrollment o high School dropoutS in a large, urban School diStrict

    What is the magnitude o reenrollment?

    What are the characteristics o reenrollees?

    What are the academic and graduation out-

    comes or reenrollees?

    What issues did the district conront regard-

    ing reenrollment o dropouts?

    What do district sta and students suggest

    about changes in policies and practices?

    WhaT is The magniTude o ReenRollmenT?

    In 2001/02 there were 3,856 rst-time grade 9

    students enrolled in San Bernardino City Uni-

    ed School District high schools. Five years later

    1,735 o these students (45.0 percent) had beencontinuously enrolled in district high schools and

    had earned regular high school diplomas (gure

    1).5 But or 1,352 students, more than a third o

    this grade 9 cohort (35.1 percent),6 high school

    was interrupted by at least one dropout event.

    Dropping out o high school was not necessarily

    a permanent outcome, however (Wayman 2001;

    Chuang 1997). O the students who dropped out,

    419 (31.0 percent) eventually reenrolled in a San

    Bernardino City Unied School District high

    school, and 77 (5.7 percent) earned a high school

    diploma rom the district within ve years.

    Dropping out was not a xed outcome or some

    students (table 1). While most o the cohorts

    1,352 student dropouts (81.2 percent) experienced

    a single dropout event, nearly one in ve o thedistricts dropouts (18.8 percent) dropped out

    multiple (24) times. In interviews one district

    reenrollee mentioned dropping out at least three

    times beore this time, and another related drop-

    ping out so many times I orget how many. Tese

    students repeatedly dropped out and reenrolled

    beore eventually graduating or dropping out as

    their nal high school outcome.

    WhaT aRe The chaRacTeRisTicso ReenRollees?

    District enrollment data provide general de-

    scriptive inormation about the characteristics

    o reenrollees and allow or a comparison o

    reenrollment rates by key background charac-

    teristics. Te dropout literature and interviews

    with San Bernardino City Unied School District

    Students categorized as other and

    students graduating in the district

    aer dropping out and reenrollingwere not included in the numera-

    tor. Dropout rates were computed by

    dividing the number o students rom

    the cohort o rst-time 9th graders in

    the district who dropped out at least

    once during the ve-year study time

    rame by the total number o rst-

    time 9th graders in the district (see

    table B2 in appendix B). Students cat-

    egorized as other were not included

    in the numerator.

    Demographic inormation in the dis-

    trict dataset was used to compute re-

    enrollment and dropout rates by gen-der, race/ethnicity, English language

    learner status, low socioeconomic

    status, age entering grade 9, and

    suspensions. Course data were used

    to report on course ailure and course

    credit accumulation.

    Because the entire population was

    included in the analysis, no statisti-

    cal tests were computed. Appen-

    dix B tables B4 and B5 report the

    number o students in each category

    or categorical variables, averages,

    standard deviations, and quartilesor the percentage o courses ailed

    and the number o course credits

    accumulated.

    Note

    Students in the others category were1.

    not included in the analysis because

    they did not meet the study denitions

    o standard graduates or dropouts

    or because San Bernardino City Unied

    School District lacked their complete

    enrollment data.

    box 1 (continued)

    Study data and methodology

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    What are the characteriSticS o reenrolleeS? 5

    administrators, high school principals, and

    reenrollees oer explanations about why students

    drop out and reenroll.

    Both push and pull actors inuenced

    decisions to drop out o school

    Te reasons students drop out o high school tend

    to be complex. Research shows that dropping out

    is less a singular event than a gradual process o

    disengagement rom school that encompasses

    years o academic and behavioral difculties,

    absenteeism, and stressul lie circumstances

    (Rumberger 2004; Lehr et al. 2004).

    Te dropout literature describes school experi-

    ences that push students out o school beore

    graduation or lie circumstances that pull them

    in directions that stall completion (Bridgeland,

    DiIulio, and Morison 2006; Jordan, McPartland,

    and Lara 1999). San Bernardino City Unied

    School District reenrollees reported academic

    struggles and the need or more help to master

    Ninth grade cohort

    3,856

    Dropouts

    1,352

    Others

    769

    Permanent dropouts

    933

    Reenrollees who became

    permanent dropouts

    and others342

    Reenrollee

    graduates

    77

    Standard graduates

    1,735

    San Bernardino City

    Unified School District

    high school diploma

    1,812

    No San Bernardino City

    Unified School District

    high school diploma

    2,044

    Reenrollees

    419

    igure 1

    stt trjtr s brr ct uf s dtrt , 2001/022005/06

    Source: Authors analysis based on San Bernardino City Unifed School District, Department o Research/Systems Analysis, enrollment data or the 2001/02

    grade 9 high school cohort, personal communication, June 14, 2007.

    Table 1

    nr rt tt w r

    t s brr ct uf s dtrt

    r r t, 2001/022005/06

    n

    vs

    Ss

    n p

    o 1,098 81.2

    tw 216 16.0

    t 32 2.4

    6 0.4

    t 1,352 100

    Source: Authors analysis based on San Bernardino City Unifed School

    District, Department o Research/Systems Analysis, enrollment data

    or the 2001/02 grade 9 high school cohort, personal communication,

    June 14, 2007.

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    6 reenrollment o high School dropoutS in a large, urban School diStrict

    grade-level content (6 o 6 respondents), bore-

    dom (2 o 6), and limited ways to make up ailed

    courses and credits (6 o 6) as experiences that

    pushed them to drop out. Tey believed that

    meeting course requirements to graduate was out

    o their reach. I ailed courses and was behind incredits, explained one dropout who reenrolled in

    a continuation school, and too much piled up, so

    I gave up.

    Meanwhile, amily crises such as homelessness

    and alcohol and drug use, atigue rom physically

    demanding jobs, pregnancy and parenting, gang

    pressures, and violence in the community were

    personal challenges that pulled them away rom

    school. One reenrollee explained that lie stresses

    made me miss school and told o experiencingdepression aer a gang-related shooting that killed

    a childhood riend, caring or a terminally ill

    mother and three younger nephews, and working

    long hours to support himsel and the extended

    amily. Without exception, reenrollees reported

    mental health issues that impeded their ability

    to attend school regularly

    anxiety, depression, and a sense

    o hopelessness that can take

    you nowhere ar. Hal o them

    also mentioned that their parentsand other relatives were not high

    school graduates. Low expecta-

    tions about earning a diploma

    and the perceived limited value

    o a diploma in the labor market

    were common experiences in their

    amilies and peer groups.

    Both push and pull actors inuenced

    reenrollees to return to school

    Te district had no records documenting why

    dropouts reenrolled in school. Interviews with

    reenrollees revealed a ew key turning points. Te

    primary reason to return to school, according to

    all interviewed reenrollees, was their ailure to

    secure employment. Without a diploma dropouts

    were pushed out o the labor market. Wanting

    a better uture and realizing that a high school

    diploma was the minimum credential needed to

    earn a subsistence income were critical. I looked

    or work and realized I needed a diploma, so I

    came back, explained a grade 12 dropout who

    returned or a h year o high school. Reenrollees

    knew o other dropouts whose lives they describedas dead-ended, given their struggles to nd

    employment.

    All reenrollees interviewed also acknowledged

    the persuasive power o caring and persistent

    school sta. Principals, teachers, sports coaches,

    and counselors pulled dropouts back to high

    school by oering to immediately reenroll them

    in school and by providing counseling and aca-

    demic assistance once they returned. Te school

    welcomed me back and reenrollment was easyand happened the same day I returned were

    common sentiments among reenrollees (5 o 6

    respondents).

    Reenrollees and principals considered the

    reenrollment o dropouts to traditional high

    schools as straightorward and routine (8 o 13

    respondents), with schools immediately enroll-

    ing students in courses arranged or by school

    counselors upon receipt o district documents.

    Te reenrollment process was the same incontinuation schools as in traditional schools,

    but oen involved a waiting period since enroll-

    ments at these schools were at ull capacity. For

    reenrollees involved in the juvenile justice and

    child welare systems reenrollment and regular

    attendance were a mandated probation provision

    or eligibility condition or their parents to receive

    public assistance.

    The majority o reenrollees had dropped

    out in the frst year o high school

    In 2001/02, the year the grade 9 cohort entered

    high school, there were 391 rst-time dropouts

    (gure 2). Over the ve years covered by the study,

    250 (63.9 percent) o these student dropouts

    eventually reenrolled in the district at least once.

    In 2005/06, the cohorts h year o high school,

    there were 144 rst-time dropouts.7

    2001/02, t r

    r 9 rt

    tr ,

    r wr 391 frt-

    rt; 250

    63.9 rt) t

    t rr

    trt t t

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    What are the characteristics of reenrollees? 7

    Te declining reenrollment o dropouts rom the

    rst to the fh year o high school shows that the

    reenrollees were mainly students who dropped

    out in the early years o high school (see gure 2).O the 419 dropouts who reenrolled in the district

    over the ve years, almost 60 percent dropped out

    or the rst time in 2001/02.

    According to all six reenrollees interviewed, both

    push and pull actors contributed to the declining

    rate o reenrollment. Interviewees mentioned the

    mounting pressures o credit deciencies build-

    ing over time and the need to earn an income. In

    addition, students ages 18 and older who trans-

    erred rom the K12 system to the adult educa-tion system could not be tracked as reenrollees

    in this study. Te cohort ollowed in the study is

    composed o rst-time 9th graders in 2001/02 and

    is thereore quite homogeneous in age. More than

    85 percent were 14-year-olds in the rst year o

    high school (see table B2 in appendix B), and all

    students who dropped out in 2004/05 or 2005/06

    were ages 18 and older. In interviews older

    students explained that dropouts who returned

    to high school at age 17 or 18, especially those

    with severe credit deciencies, were routinely

    sent to the districts adult education school since

    they were aging out o the public school system.

    However, one fh-year reenrollee told o return-ing rst to a charter school and then to an adult

    education school to recover lost credits but o

    eventually reenrolling in a traditional high school,

    despite turning 18, because I wanted a high

    school diploma not an equivalency degree.

    More than hal o reenrollees returned

    to school or only one year

    O the 250 reenrollees who had dropped out

    during their rst year in a San Bernardino CityUnied School District high school, slightly under

    hal (47.2 percent) reenrolled or one year or less

    (gure 3). Te rate was similar (42.9 percent) or

    the 91 reenrollees who had dropped out in their

    second year. Tis pattern suggests that or many

    0

    100

    200

    300

    400

    500

    2005/062004/052003/042002/032001/02

    Number of students Reenrollment rate (percent)

    School year of first dropout event

    144

    282254

    112

    141

    19

    59

    91

    250

    Permanent dropoutsReenrollees

    0

    20

    40

    60

    80

    100

    figure 2

    Number o San Bernardino City Unifed School

    District dropouts and reenrollees, by year o frst

    dropout event, 2001/022005/06

    Source: Authors analysis based on San Bernardino City Unifed School

    District, Department o Research/Systems Analysis, enrollment data

    or the 2001/02 grade 9 high school cohort, personal communication,

    June 14, 2007.

    0

    100

    200

    300

    2004/052003/042002/032001/02

    Reenrollees

    School year of first dropout event

    Reenroll for more than one yearReenroll for one year only

    2

    752

    132

    17

    52

    39

    118

    figure 3

    Number o years students in the San Bernardino

    City Unifed School District remain reenrolled,

    by school year o their frst dropout event,

    2001/022004/05

    Source: Authors analysis based on San Bernardino City Unifed School

    District, Department o Research/Systems Analysis, enrollment data

    or the 2001/02 grade 9 high school cohort, personal communication,

    June 14, 2007.

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    8 reenrollment o high School dropoutS in a large, urban School diStrict

    dropouts reenrollment resulted in

    other dropout events shortly ol-

    lowing their return to school.

    O the 59 students who dropped

    out in their third year and the 19who dropped out in their ourth

    year, much higher percentages

    (88.1 percent and 89.5 percent)

    reenrolled or one year or less. In

    interviews reenrollees again mentioned some age-

    related obstacles that also contributed to limiting

    the length o reenrollment or older students. Fam-

    ily circumstances, such as the need to earn income

    and care or younger, inrm, and elderly amily

    members were cited by all reenrollees interviewed,

    and hal cited encouragement rom the districtto transer to the adult education school. All told

    how eelings o hopelessness aected their length

    o reenrollment, mainly about how graduation

    remained out o reach when ailed course credits

    were not quickly made up. A h-year senior at

    a traditional high school added that while there

    is no stigma to coming back, there is also no sup-

    port or older dropouts returning to school.

    Some reenrollees returned to school multiple times

    While most reenrollees returned to high school

    just once (84.5 percent), or some students drop-

    ping out and reenrolling were each impermanent

    conditions (table 2). During the ve years o the

    study 15.5 percent o reenrollees reenrolled two

    (14.1 percent) or three (1.4 percent) times. Speci-

    cally, 65 students in the cohort dropped out at

    least twice and reenrolled in the district multiple

    timesrepeatedly dropping out and reenrolling ina district school beore either graduating or drop-

    ping out again.

    Reenrollees returned mainly to their schools o origin

    Te 419 reenrollees in this study had a total o

    490 reenrollments, a combination o one-time

    and multiple reenrollment events. In nearly

    three-quarters o reenrollments (71.8 percent)

    reenrollees returned to the school rom which they

    rst dropped out. In 138 instances (28.2 percent)dropouts reenrolled at a dierent school.

    Grade 9 and Black student dropouts reenrolled at

    higher rates than did other student subgroups

    Most dropouts le school or the rst time in

    grade 9 (see table B3 in appendix B), and nearly

    hal o these dropouts (49.4 percent) eventu-

    ally reenrolled in high school (gure 4). Tis

    rate includes students who did not earn enough

    credits in their rst year o high school to bepromoted to grade 10, and who repeated grade 9

    beore dropping out. Reenrollment rates declined

    among dropouts with each successive grade, rom

    21.8 percent in grade 10 and 16.4 percent in grade

    11, to the lowest reenrollment rate o 2.2 percent

    in grade 12, reecting the results ound in the re-

    enrollment rates by the year o rst dropout event

    (see gure 2).

    Te reenrollment rates by race/ethnicity show

    considerable variability. Hispanic, Black, andWhite students are the predominant races/

    ethnicities in the study cohort (see table B2 in

    appendix B). Black student dropouts had the

    highest reenrollment rate, with slightly under hal

    returning to high school ollowing a dropout event

    (43.4 percent). American Indians, a small cohort o

    students (41 students and 16 dropouts), reenrolled

    at a 37.5 percent rate. Among Hispanic student

    table 2

    nr rt rt w

    rr t s brr ct uf

    s dtrt r r t, 2001/022005/06

    n

    s

    rs

    n po 354 84.5

    tw 59 14.1

    t 6 1.4

    t 419 100.0

    Source: Authors analysis based on San Bernardino City Unifed School

    District, Department o Research/Systems Analysis, enrollment data

    or the 2001/02 grade 9 high school cohort, personal communication,

    June 14, 2007.

    Rrt rt

    rt wt

    r, r

    1.8 rt r

    0 16.4 rt

    r 11, t 2.2 rt

    r 12

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    What are the characteriSticS o reenrolleeS? 9

    dropouts, 27.9 percent reenrolled in the district at

    some point during the study period. Te reenroll-

    ment rate or White student dropouts is nearly the

    same as that or Hispanic students (27.8 percent).Asian student dropouts had the lowest reenroll-

    ment rate, at 13.3 percent.

    Tese reenrollment rates by race/ethnicity dier

    rom the dropout rates or the two largest eth-

    nic groups in the San Bernardino City Unied

    School District, Hispanic and Black students (see

    table B2). While Hispanic students had a higher

    dropout rate (39.0 percent) than Black students

    (33.3 percent), they had a lower reenrollment rate

    (27.9 percent or Hispanic students and 43.4 per-

    cent or Black students). Tese patterns reect the

    greater propensity o Hispanic students to drop

    out and not reenroll in San Bernardino City Uni-ed School District high schools compared with

    other races/ethnicities. It also identies a dierent

    pattern or Black student dropouts, who reen-

    rolled in greater numbers than students o other

    races/ethnicities.

    In the study cohort male students were less likely

    than emale students to graduate rom high

    school. Tey are more likely to drop out (39.5 per-

    cent compared with 30.7 percent; see table B2) and

    less likely to reenroll (28.1 percent compared with34.7 percent).

    Te age o the study cohort was homogeneous,

    with more than 85 percent o the rst-time 9th

    graders 14-years-old in September 2001 (see table

    B2 in appendix B). Dropouts who entered grade

    9 when they were older than age 14 had a lower

    rate o reenrollment than those who started high

    school at 14. In interviews reenrollees mentioned

    that older dropouts encounter age-related chal-

    lenges to returning to school. Students who areolder than age 14 when they start high school en-

    counter these obstacles earlier than their younger

    classmates.

    In the study cohort English language learner

    students in the San Bernardino City Unied

    School District in 2001/02 were also at greater

    risk o not completing their high school educa-

    tion. Tey dropped out at a higher rate (43.3 per-

    cent) than other students (32.5 percent; see table

    B2 in appendix B) and reenrolled at a lower rate.Dropouts who were English language learner

    students had a 25.6 percent reenrollment rate,

    whereas dropouts not classied as English

    language learner students had a 33.7 percent

    reenrollment rate (see gure 4).

    Reenrollment rates showed less variability by

    suspension and low socioeconomic status than

    0 10 20 30 40 50

    No

    Yes

    No

    Yes

    No

    Yes

    16 and older

    15 years old

    14 and younger

    Male

    Female

    Asian

    White

    Hispanic

    American Indian

    Black

    Grade 12

    Grade 11

    Grade 10

    Grade 9

    Low socioeconomicstatusa

    Suspended beforefirst dropping out

    English languagelearner studentin 2001/02

    Age in2001/02

    Gender

    Race/ethnicity

    Grade levelat firstdropout

    28.8

    31.3

    30.5

    31.6

    33.7

    25.6

    11.8

    23.7

    32.8

    28.1

    34.7

    13.3

    27.8

    27.9

    37.5

    43.4

    2.2

    16.4

    21.8

    49.4

    Reenrollment rateamong cohortdropouts (31.0%)

    Reenrollment rate (percent)

    igure 4

    Rrt rt k tt rtrt

    r s brr ct uf s dtrt

    rr, 2001/022005/06 (rt)

    Note: Reenrollment rates by student characteristics are calculated by

    dividing the number o San Bernardino City Unifed School District high

    school students who reenrolled in the district between 2001/02 and

    2005/06 ater dropping out by the total number o dropouts or eachcharacteristic.

    a. District classifes students as low socioeconomic status based on

    qualifcation or the ree or reduced-price lunch program.

    Source: Authors analysis based on San Bernardino City Unifed School

    District, Department o Research/Systems Analysis, enrollment data

    or the 2001/02 grade 9 high school cohort, personal communication,

    June 14, 2007.

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    10 reenrollment o high School dropoutS in a large, urban School diStrict

    by the other characteristics analyzed, staying

    close to the overall 31.0 percent reenrollment

    rate o the study cohort (see gure 4). Reenroll-

    ment rates were 30.5 percent or students who

    had been suspended at least once beore their

    rst dropout event and 31.6 percent or stu-dents who were not suspended beore their rst

    dropout event. Similarly, reenrollment rates

    were 31.3 percent or dropouts classied by the

    district as low socioeconomic status (based on

    their qualication or the ree or reduced-price

    lunch program) and 28.8 percent or dropouts

    not classied as low socioeconomic status. Both

    the presence o a suspension and low socioeco-

    nomic status are linked to higher dropout rates,

    however (see table B2).8

    WhaT aRe The academic and gRaduaTion

    ouTcomes oR ReenRollees?

    A recent study on statewidedropout rates or

    Caliornia in 2002 concludes that course ailure

    and the inability to keep up with schoolwork are

    the primary reasons 10th graders d ropped out

    (Rotermund 2007).his section

    examines the course ailure rate

    and course credit accumulationo San Bernardino City Uniied

    School District high school stu-

    dents beore their irst dropout

    event, comparing outcomes

    among dropouts who reenrolled

    and those who did not return to

    school. It also assesses how well

    reenrollees ared at accumulat-

    ing course credits ater they

    returned to school and, ulti-

    mately, at earning a high schooldiploma.

    Reenrollees ared better than permanent

    dropouts at course completion and credit

    accumulation beore the frst dropout event

    Te course ailure rate among all dropouts in the

    study cohort is substantial (gure 5). For example,

    among students who dropped out or the rst time

    in grade 9, reenrollees ailed an estimated average

    o 45.3 percent o their courses beore droppingout, whereas dropouts who did not return to dis-

    trict high schools ailed an average o 60.4 percent

    o their courses. Similarly, rst-time dropouts in

    grade 10 who eventually reenrolled ailed 30.2 per-

    cent o their high school courses beore dropping

    out, while grade 10 permanent dropouts ailed

    42.2 percent o their courses.

    At the time o the dropout event students who

    later reenrolled in the district within the ve-year

    study time rame had ailed a lower average per-centage o courses than permanent dropouts. Tis

    pattern remained consistent or all dropouts, rom

    students dropping out or the rst time in grade 9

    to those who reached grade 12 beore dropping out

    or the rst time.

    Also evident or both reenrollees and or students

    who dropped out and did not return to school

    0

    25

    50

    75

    Grade 12Grade 11Grade 10Grade 9

    Percent of courses failed

    Grade of first dropout event

    Permanent dropoutsReenrollees

    21.4%

    30.5%

    42.2%

    60.4%

    15.2%

    23.5%

    30.2%

    45.3%

    igure 5

    ar rt r s

    brr ct uf s dtrt tt

    rt, r frt rt t,

    2001/022005/06

    Source: Authors analysis based on San Bernardino City Unifed School

    District, Department o Research/Systems Analysis, enrollment data

    or the 2001/02 grade 9 high school cohort, personal communication,

    June 14, 2007.

    a tt w

    r t r t

    frt t r 9,

    r

    tt r

    45.3 rt

    r r r

    r t, wr

    rt w

    t rtr t trt

    r 60.4 rt

    tr r

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    What are the academic and gr aduation ou tcomeS or reenrolleeS? 11

    was a declining trend in the percentage o course

    ailures as students dropped out or the rst timelater in their high school years. Te rate o course

    ailure beore dropping out was 45.3 percent

    or reenrollees who rst dropped out in grade

    9 and decl ined to 15.2 percent or students who

    rst dropped out in grade 12. For permanent

    dropouts within the study time rame the rate o

    course ailure beore dropping out was 60.4 per-

    cent or those whose rst dropout event was in

    grade 9 and declined to 21.4 percent or those

    who reached grade 12 beore their rst dropout

    event.

    Related to this nding are the results or the aver-

    age number o course credits accumulated beore

    dropping out, by grade level and reenrollment sta-

    tus (gure 6). Among students who dropped out o

    a district high school or the rst time in grade 9,

    those who eventually reenrolled in a district high

    school had accumulated an average o 33 credits

    at the time o the dropout event50 are needed

    to advance to grade 10. Permanent dropouts

    had accumulated only hal the required credits

    at the time o the dropout event. All reenrollees

    interviewed conrmed that credit deciency in

    academic courses is a common reason studentsdrop out o school.

    Te expected pattern o credit accumulation or a

    our-year, on-time graduation requires students to

    earn 50 credits in grade 9 and 60 credits each year

    thereaer in appropriate courses, accumulating

    230 course credits to graduate.

    At the time o the rst dropout event students

    who later reenrolled in the district had accumu-

    lated more course credits than students who haddropped out and ailed to reenroll. Tis pattern re-

    mained consistent across all grade levels. In grade

    12 permanent dropouts were short an average

    o 30 credits o meeting the districts graduation

    requirement at the time they dropped out and did

    not reenroll in a district high school.

    One-third o reenrollees ailed to complete

    even one course ater reenrollment

    For nearly a third (32.0 percent) o reenrolleesthe data show no course credit or grade inor-

    mation aer reenrollment, even though they

    completed courses beore dropping out, imply-

    ing that they reenrolled or too brie a period

    to complete even one course (table 3). Most

    reenrollees (61.6 percent) earned grades by

    completing some courses both beore and aer

    the reenrolling.

    Most reenrollees did not earn enough credits to graduate

    Reenrollees in the San Bernardino City Unied

    School District who earned credits beore and

    aer their rst dropout event had accumulated

    an average o 38 credits at the time o their rst

    dropout event and accumulated an average o 52

    additional credits during their reenrollment in the

    district (gure 7). Tus, even aer students who

    did not complete at least one course are excluded,

    0

    50

    100

    150

    200

    250

    Grade 12Grade 11Grade 10Grade 9

    Course credits

    Grade of first dropout event

    Permanent dropoutsReenrollees

    200

    139

    84

    25

    220

    152

    99

    33

    230

    170

    110

    50

    igure 6

    ar r r rt t

    s brr ct uf s dtrt

    tt rt, r frt rt t,

    2001/022005/06

    Note: The horizontal lines and the numbers above them indicate the

    credit requirements to advance to next grade.

    Source: Authors analysis based on San Bernardino City Unifed School

    District, Department o Research/Systems Analysis, enrollment data

    or the 2001/02 grade 9 high school cohort, personal communication,

    June 14, 2007.

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    12 reenrollment o high School dropoutS in a large, urban School diStrict

    reenrollees in grades 911 did not accumulate

    enough credits on average aer returning to

    school to earn the minimum 230 credits required

    or a high school diploma.

    On average, reenrollees who dropped out earlier

    in high school accumulated ewer credits overtheir high school years in the San Bernardino City

    Unied School District than did reenrollees who

    rst dropped out in the later high school years.

    Reenrollees accumulated an average o 90 credits

    beore and aer reenrollment i they rst dropped

    out in grade 9, 175 i they rst dropped out in

    grade 10, 198 i they rst dropped out in grade 11,

    and 257 i they rst dropped out in grade 12 (see

    gure 7). And i the credits were not earned in ap-

    propriate academic courses, students can still not

    graduate rom high school even with more thanthe required 230 course credits.

    Nearly one-fth o reenrollees graduated rom high school

    While most reenrollees in the San Bernardino City

    Unied School District during 2001/022005/06

    did not earn the credits required to graduate, some

    did (see gure 7). O the 419 district reenrollees

    77 (18.4 percent) obtained a high school diploma

    within our or ve years (table 4). Among the rest,

    more than hal dropped out beore graduating

    (54.2 percent), more than a h (21.0 percent)transerred to another district, and there were still

    22 (5.3 percent) reenrollees rom the 2001/02 grade

    9 cohort enrolled in district high schools who had

    neither ofcially graduated nor dropped out aer

    ve years.

    For the 18.4 percent o reenrollees who earned

    a high school diploma rom the district within

    our or ve years the graduation rate was higher

    or students who dropped out later in their high

    school years (gure 8). Only 9.5 percent o the 295grade 9 reenrollees graduated rom a San Ber-

    nardino City Unied School District high school

    during 2001/022005/06, whereas 35.4 percent

    o the 79 grade 10 reenrollees, 45.2 percent o the

    42 grade 11 reenrollees, and 66.7 percent o the 3

    grade 12 reenrollees did. (able B3 in appendix B

    shows the number o students by nal high school

    outcomes or each grade.)

    0

    100

    200

    300

    Grade 12Grade 11Grade 10Grade 9

    Course credits

    Grade of first dropout event

    230 credits required for a high school diploma

    90

    totalcredits

    175

    totalcredits

    198

    totalcredits

    257

    totalcredits

    After reenrollingBefore dropping out

    37

    220

    40

    158

    68

    107

    52

    38

    igure 7

    ar r r rt t

    s brr ct uf s dtrt

    tt rt r tr rrt

    Source: Authors analysis based on San Bernardino City Unifed School

    District, Department o Research/Systems Analysis, enrollment data

    or the 2001/02 grade 9 high school cohort, personal communication,

    June 14, 2007.

    table 3

    cr t s brr ct uf

    s dtrt rr, 2001/022005/06

    cs

    rs

    n p

    css

    258 61.6

    css

    134 32.0

    css

    15 3.6

    n ss

    12 2.9

    t 419 100.0

    Note: Determinations o course completion are based on available data

    on course credit and grades in the San Bernardino City Unifed School

    District database.

    Source: Authors analysis based on San Bernardino City Unifed School

    District, Department o Research/Systems Analysis, enrollment data

    or the 2001/02 grade 9 high school cohort, personal communication,

    June 14, 2007.

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    What iSSueS did the diStrict conront regarding reenrollment o dropoutS? 13

    WhaT issues did The disTRicT

    conRonT RegaRding ReenRollmenT

    o dRopouTs?

    With a cohort dropout rate o 35 percent or the

    San Bernardino City Unied School Districts

    high school class o 2005/06, one district leader,

    expressing sentiments shared by all the others

    interviewed, described conronting a tough

    dropout problem deeply rooted in community

    poverty and the personal struggles students

    ace. Part o the districts answer to improve

    graduation rates and lower dropout rates was

    to nd ways or dropouts to return to high

    school and then to provide the needed supports

    or them to graduate. While a ll district leaders

    viewed reenrolling dropouts as unquestion-

    ably the right thing to do, so we do it, they alsoreported disincentives to reenrollment. Tis

    section explores the policy consequences and

    practical challenges the district aced when high

    school dropouts returned to the enrollment

    rosters.

    San Bernardino City Unied School District

    administrators, high school principals, and

    reenrollees were interviewed to identiy issues

    related to the reenrollment o dropouts (appendix

    C contains the interview protocols). Intervieweesreported that the generally poor enrollment,

    attendance, and graduation rates o reenrollees

    adversely aected the districts resources in several

    ways. Interview responses were classied into our

    categories o concernsearly intervention, capac-

    ity, unding, and accountabilitythat describe

    the practical challenges the district aced when

    dropouts returned to school.

    0

    25

    50

    75

    100

    Grade 12Grade 11Grade 10Grade 9

    Percent

    Grade of first dropout event

    Graduated Dropped out Other outcome

    66.7%

    33.3%

    45.2%

    42.9%

    11.9%

    35.4%

    41.8%

    22.8%

    9.5%

    59.3%

    31.2%

    igure 8

    Rt f t r

    rr, r frt rt t

    Source: Authors analysis based on San Bernardino City Unifed School

    District, Department o Research/Systems Analysis, enrollment data

    or the 2001/02 grade 9 high school cohort, personal communication,

    June 14, 2007.

    table 4

    nr rt f t r rr s brr ct uf s

    dtrt, 2001/022005/06

    s

    rs

    n p

    d 227 54.2

    g s w s 77 18.4

    o

    ts s w ss v 88 21.0

    S s s 2005/06 22 5.3

    e 3 0.7

    e v 2 0.5

    t

    Source: Authors analysis based on San Bernardino City Unifed School District, Department o Research/Systems Analysis, enrollment data or the 2001/02

    grade 9 high school cohort, personal communication, June 14, 2007.

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    14 reenrollment o high School dropoutS in a large, urban School diStrict

    Early intervention concerns

    A key concern expressed by San Bernardino City

    Unied School District contacts was the inade-

    quate opportunities reenrollees had to earn credits

    quickly, and thus catch up, when they returned toschool (18 o 20 respondents). Interventions are

    needed to enable students to accumulate credits

    lost due to course ailures, to accelerate credit

    accrual to advance rom one grade to the next,

    and to meet the course credit requirements or

    graduation. Without early interventions to assist

    reenrollees in making up credit deciencies, one

    reenrollee described that they can lose hope, give

    up, and drop out again.

    All reenrollees interviewed explained that creditdeciency was the primary deterrent to staying

    in school. Tis was true at the time o their rst

    dropout event and at subsequent dropout events.

    I gave up when I ell behind in

    credits, explained a reenrollee

    who dropped out multiple times.

    In many cases (4 o 6 respon-

    dents) reenrollees bel ieved as

    early as grade 9 that gradua-

    tion was unattainable and that

    recovering rom ailed courses orcredit deciencies was an insur-

    mountable obstacle. o earn the

    credits needed to graduate, they

    described having to go to school

    day and night at lots o dier-

    ent places. One h-year senior

    recalled completing grade 9 with

    no credits and entering the ourth year o high

    school with only 10 o the 230 credits required to

    graduate. o make up this decit, this students

    school schedule entailed concurrent enrollmentin an accelerated credit recovery program at one

    o the districts continuation schools and courses

    at both a community college and an adult educa-

    tion school. Another student reported, [I attend

    high school] eight periods a day [six is ty pical]

    and on uesdays, Tursdays, and Saturdays I go

    to adult school to give me extra opportunities to

    get credits.

    Te ve traditional high schools had no credit

    recovery interventions. We have no viable plan to

    recover credits early on, when it matters, ex-

    plained one principal at a traditional high school.

    Eorts to oer additional courses in periods beore

    and aer school had allen short, according totwo principals, because o the difculty o getting

    teachers to take on these additional course loads.

    Accelerated credit recovery options were oered

    only at the continuation and adult education

    schools, which had minimum age requirements

    o 16 and 17.6 years and capacity limitations that

    restricted the enrollment o eligible students.

    Summer school, aer school, and Saturday school

    programs were described as primarily preparation

    or the high school exit examination or tutor-

    ing; they were not structured to make up credit-bearing courses.

    Capacity concerns

    According to many reenrollees and school prin-

    cipals (9 o 13 respondents), the demand to enroll

    in continuation schools exceeded the capacity to

    serve students requesting a transer rom tra-

    ditional high schools or reenrolling ollowing a

    dropout event. San Bernardino City Unied School

    District contacts reported a waiting period oone year, despite the districts decision to double

    enrollment capacity (by splitting the school day at

    continuation schools into morning and aernoon

    sessions).

    Reenrollees explained that continuation schools

    were oen considered a better option than

    traditional high schools or returning dropouts

    because o attributes that eased the transition

    back to school and strengthened their resolve to

    stay in school. Courses to make up ailed creditsand sel-paced accelerated credit programs, not

    oered at traditional high schools, were consid-

    ered especial ly important (5 o 6 respondents).

    Te more exible schedule at continuation schools

    allowed students concurrently to work, receive

    job training, or attend credit-bearing courses at

    adult education or vocational schools. Courses

    at continuation schools also accommodated

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    What iSSueS did the diStrict conront regarding reenrollment o dropoutS? 15

    the remediation needs o many reenrollees who

    struggled at traditional high schools because o

    missed instruction.

    Te limited enrollment capacity at the continu-

    ation schools meant that students aging out ocompulsory education or struggling to earn the

    required graduation credits were reerred to adult

    education schools. For students ages 18 and older

    there is no resource stream responsible or their

    schooling, and ar ewer students generally earn a

    high school diploma than an equivalency or other

    alternative high school credential. Reenrollees

    and principals did not consider summer school

    an option or accelerated credit recovery because

    o its ocus on preparation or the high school exit

    examination.

    Funding concerns

    San Bernardino City Unied School District lead-

    ers and school principals (10 o 14 respondents)

    expressed concern about how the districts average

    daily attendance is aected by dropouts and reen-

    rollees and by other transitory students. Average

    daily attendance is Caliornias base district per

    pupil unding ormula, determined by the total

    number o days o student attendance dividedby the total number o days in the regular school

    year. A districts average daily attendance de-

    creases with declining enrollments and irregular

    attendance, both o which are adversely aected by

    dropouts and reenrollees. As one principal plainly

    explained, Students who dont attend regularly

    dont generate much o their expected ull [average

    daily attendance].

    Since the unds a district receives rom the state

    or an upcoming year are based on the prioryears average daily attendance, high-poverty

    districts like the San Bernardino City Unied

    School District receive state unds that do not

    ully account or its total number o students.

    In such districts, where amilies move sud-

    denly seeking aordable housing and work

    and where large numbers o students drop out,

    reenroll, and drop out again, daily attendance

    or generating ofcial average daily attendance is

    unreliable.

    Te reenrollment o dropouts can limit district

    average daily attendance unds in other ways

    as well. For instance, the timing o reenroll-ment has unding implications. Dropouts who

    return to school aer the states April 15 average

    daily attendance cuto date are not counted in

    the districts average daily attendance or the

    remainder o the school year. And dropouts who

    reenroll in one o the districts charter schools

    instead o in a traditional or continuation high

    school lower the districts overall average daily

    attendance. When these reenrollees transer,

    their share o average daily attendance count is

    redirected to the charter school, and the statelowers the districts prior year guarantee, leaving

    the district with ewer unds than original ly

    awarded. Additionally, conventional enroll-

    ment projections or unding are based on the

    assumption that students graduate rom high

    school in our years, yet the San Bernardino City

    Unied School District accommodates a growing

    number o h-year seniors, mostly credit-de-

    cient reenrollees whose absences rom school did

    not generate their ull average daily attendance

    the prior year. Tis leaves the district with ewerunds to compensate or the cost o the extra

    year o schooling.

    Accountability concerns

    San Bernardino City

    Unied School District

    leaders and school prin-

    cipals reported chal-

    lenges meeting particular

    accountability provisions(13 o 14 respondents).

    Under the ederal No

    Child Le Behind Act

    o 2001 schools must

    demonstrate adequate

    yearly progress in educating all students to state

    standards in English language arts and mathemat-

    ics. In Caliornia progress is evaluated using the

    s r t

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    16 reenrollment o high School dropoutS in a large, urban School diStrict

    Academic Perormance Index, which measures the

    academic perormance and school growth based

    on a variety o state-required tests and establishes

    a statewide ranking based on those scores. In

    addition, to meet accountability requirements,

    schools must demonstrate 95 percent participa-tion on state-required tests, and high schools must

    meet state graduation targets.

    According to all the high school principals

    interviewed, high school enrollments uctuated

    considerably rom the enrollment census date

    near the opening o the school year to the testing

    date in the spring, challenging schools to meet

    the 95 percent testing rate. In 2005/06 three o the

    seven district high schools missed the test par-

    ticipation rate target (San Bernar-dino City Unied School District

    2007ag). Principals reported

    that this requirement can be a

    near-impossible target, result-

    ing in last ditch eortssuch as

    knocking on doors at students

    homes, rounding up students

    at the mall and juvenile hall,

    and arranging transportation

    to boost attendance on test day.

    Despite these eorts, one principalwhose school missed the target

    by nine students acknowledged

    that the absences o dropouts and

    the generally poor attendance o reenrollees were

    impediments.

    Another accountability measurement concern

    raised by district administrators was a kind o

    double, even triple jeopardy based on the way

    dropouts are counted (6 o 7 respondents). Since

    dropping out is counted as an event, a single stu-dent with more than one dropout and reenrollment

    event increases the number o dropouts, which in

    turn decreases the graduation rate. In Caliornia

    the high school graduation rate (dened as the

    number o graduates divided by standard gradu-

    ates plus dropouts over the previous our years)

    must be at least 82.9 percent or improve by 0.1 per-

    cent over the previous year or by 0.2 percent over

    the second previous year. School leaders acknowl-

    edged a perverse incentive not to reenroll dropouts

    because the likely outcomes or returning dropouts

    are poor attendance and additional dropout events,

    and because dropout rates count against the Aca-

    demic Perormance Index. During the nal yearcovered by this study, two o the seven district high

    schools missed the states graduation rate require-

    ment (San Bernardino City Unied School District

    2007ag).

    A nal accountability measurement concern

    involved reenrollees who earned the requisite 230

    credits to graduate but dropped out aer ailing

    the states exit exam. o retake the exit examina-

    tion to graduate, students must reenroll in school.

    Tree o the seven principals interviewed men-tioned that dropouts reenrolled at their schools

    to sit or the examination and then dropped out

    again, unwilling to take credit-bearing courses not

    needed to graduate. For high schools this results in

    higher absence and dropout rates, lower unding

    based on average daily attendance, and an added

    challenge to meet the 95 percent test rate account-

    ability requirement.

    WhaT do disTRicT sTa andsTudenTs suggesT oR changes

    in policies and pRacTices?

    While there are no simple solutions to the dropout

    problem and the reenrollment challenge, the San

    Bernardino City Unied School District reports a

    commitment to identiy, reach, and reenroll stu-

    dents who leave school beore graduating. Already

    in practice were daily attendance verications,

    home visits, and attendance blitzes or targeted

    at-risk students, programs to aid the transitionrom grade 8 to grade 9, and an open h-year se-

    nior option.9 With just an 18.4 percent graduation

    rate or reenrollees rom San Bernardino City Uni-

    ed School District high schools, district adminis-

    trators and reenrollees were asked in interviews to

    consider changes to current policies and practices

    to improve graduation outcomes. Te ollowing

    summarizes what they said:

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    SuggeStionS or urther reSearch 17

    Policies

    Create unding and program incentives as a

    counterbalance to the disincentives districts

    and schools experience when providing

    outreach to dropouts and reenrolling thesehigh-risk, high-need students.

    arget additional nancial resources or aca-

    demic, behavioral, and social interventions to

    support reenrollees when they return to school.

    Adjust the ormula or the dropout rate to ac-

    count or students who drop out and reenroll

    multiple times or who retake the exit exam

    and ail multiple times so that high schools

    are not penalized with an inated dropoutrate or returning these students to school.

    Increase the capacity o districts to oer more

    continuation school enrollment spots and

    more short-term credit recovery options at

    traditional high schools.

    Digitize and standardize the student enroll-

    ment process across all Caliornia districts,

    including reenrollment orms, using a linked

    student identier system to account or enroll-ment and attendance tracking o individual

    students across time and jurisdictions.

    Develop outreach, reenrollment, attendance,

    academic, and other counseling interventions

    to meet the needs o reenrollees and their

    amilies throughout the high school years.

    Practices

    Enroll all grade 9 and 10 students who ail at

    least one academic course or earn ewer course

    credits than are required to advance to the

    next grade in school-based rapid credit recov-

    ery interventions because it becomes increas-

    ingly difcult or students to make up credits.

    Coordinate course credit accrual plans or

    individual reenrolleesincluding computer-

    assisted courses, beore and aer school

    classes, concurrent enrollment in adult

    education or vocational schools or community

    colleges, weekend or evening academiesto

    ensure that credits align with graduation re-

    quirements and that plans are manageable orstudents returning aer a dropout event.

    Expand grade 9 academic interventions or

    students who perorm at basic level or below

    on standardized tests to prevent course ailure

    and credit deciency.

    Oer non-credit-bearing courses or re-

    enrollees who complete all necessary courses

    and credits to graduate and reenroll in school

    solely to retake the high school exit exam.

    Designate counseling

    resources to support

    the special academic

    and developmental

    needs o dropouts,

    reenrollees, h-year

    seniors, and students

    aging out o school

    without earning a

    diploma.

    Reevaluate the district practice o assigning an

    F to students who drop out beore completing

    a course, with no opportunity to regain course

    creditsreplacing it with a grade o incom-

    plete and the ability to recover course credits

    upon reenrolling and receiving a passing grade.

    Develop alternatives to out-o-school sus-

    pensions that require students with behav-

    ioral problems to attend school and receiveinterventions.

    suggesTions oR uRTheR ReseaRch

    Te research on high school dropouts is silent on

    reenrollees and lacks longitudinal cohort stud-

    ies that track the on-time high school graduation

    T rr

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    18 reenrollment o high School dropoutS in a large, urban School diStrict

    outcomes o students who reenroll in their districts

    o origin. Tis study begins to ll that inormation

    gap. Some research issues that emerge specically

    rom its ndings include contrasting the graduation

    outcomes o reenrollees who return to their schools

    o origin and those who reenroll in traditional highschools or continuation high schools, examining

    the trend and outcomes o a h- or sixth-year time

    rame or high school enrollment, and disaggregat-

    ing the characteristics and outcomes o conrmed

    dropouts with those who purportedly transerred

    to another district, but or whom there was no

    evidence o reenrollment. More general questions

    include investigations o approaches to address

    course credit deciencies and actors that explain

    the varying graduation and dropout rates o reen-

    rollees across racial/ethnic groups.

    New primary data could oer more detailed in-

    ormation about certain key issues raised but not

    addressed in this study, such as the high school

    experiences and graduation outcomes o reenroll-

    ees who enroll in adult education and the charac-

    teristics o reenrollees who subsequently drop outagain beore earning course credit or graduating.

    Also needed are policy studies to recommend solu-

    tions to the disincentives to reenrolling dropouts.

    Finally, extending this study to larger geographic

    areas, such as contiguous school districts or the

    state, would allow the investigation to address the

    high school enrollment and graduation outcomes

    o students who transer out o their district o

    origin.

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    appendix a 19

    appendix a

    meThodology

    Tis study was conducted in San Bernardino City

    Unied School District, Caliornias seventh largest

    school district, with about 59,000 students, locatedin Southern Caliornias Inland Empire (Caliornia

    Department o Education 2007a). Te district was

    selected as the study site mainly because it main-

    tains a linked, longitudinal student-level dataset

    that tracks dropout and reenrollment histories

    across district schools. In addition, the district

    recognizes its dropout problem and demonstrates

    a commitment to identiy, reach, and reenroll

    students who leave school beore graduating. Spe-

    cic district practices included daily attendance

    verication, home visits, and attendance blitzesor targeted at-risk students; instant reenrollment

    procedures;10 remediation and test preparation

    courses; programs to aid the transition rom grade

    8 to grade 9; and an open, h-year senior option.

    As a convenience sample San Bernardino City

    Unied School District provides a large, urban,

    and racially diverse setting, subject to the same

    state policies that govern all other Caliornia

    districts.

    Data sources

    Data sources or this mixed-methods, single case

    study included a district dataset with linked, lon-

    gitudinal student-level data or 2000/012006/07

    and interviews with 20 San Bernardino City

    Unied School District contacts. Since data on

    students rom 2000/01 were incomplete, this study

    used data on 9th graders who began high school in

    2001/02.

    District dataset o school enrollment, demographic,

    and course data. Te San Bernardino City Unied

    School District dataset contained all students en-

    rolled in all district high schools between 2000/01

    and 2006/07. Te longitudinal dataset included

    unique student identication numbers that al-

    lowed tracking students across schools over time.

    Te dataset contained each students enrollment

    history in the district. It also contained an activ-

    ity le or 2000/012005/06 that was updated

    annually or students who experienced events

    that would change their enrollment status in the

    district (or example, dropping out, graduating,

    transerring to another district with transcriptsbeing sent to that district, and transerring to

    another district without transcripts being sent).

    Te longitudinal nature o the dataset and the

    unique student identier allowed researchers to

    calculate a cohort dropout rate and a reenrollment

    rate among dropouts. Finally, course-level data or

    2001/022005/06 provided inormation about all

    courses that students took at district high schools

    during the period under examination. Key demo-

    graphic characteristics o the cohort are summa-rized in table B2 in appendix B.

    Interviews. Drawing on the preliminary analysis o

    the district dataset, interviews were conducted to

    clariy, afrm, or challenge the study ndings and

    to explore state and district policies and practices

    that aect reenrollment and students experiences

    dropping out and reenrolling in San Bernardino

    City Unied School District high schools. In all

    2007 interview data were collected rom 20 district

    contacts during a weeklong, in-person site visit.Each interview lasted 3045 minutes.11

    Te San Bernardino City Unied School District

    assistant superintendent identied seven district

    administrators to be interviewed based on their

    proessional roles and knowledge o dropout and

    reenrollment issues. Tey were interviewed using

    the semistructured protocol in appendix C. Te

    ve principals o the districts traditional high

    schools and the two principals o the districts

    continuation schools were then interviewed aboutschool perspectives on reenrolling dropouts, also

    using the semistructured protocol in appendix C.

    Te principals then identied dropouts who re-

    enrolled in district schools or the student interview

    sample. Six students, each rom dierent high

    schools, were interviewed about their dropout and

    reenrollment experiences, using the semistruc-

    tured protocol in appendix C. Te interview with

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    20 reenrollment o high School dropoutS in a large, urban School diStrict

    the seventh student rom one o the traditional

    high schools was canceled because o a scheduling

    conict with the administration o the state exit

    exam.

    Data analyses

    Cohort selection. o ollow a cohort o students

    through high school, beginning with students who

    were rst-time 9th graders in 2001/02, researchers

    constructed a sample rom the San Bernardino

    City Unied School District dataset.12 Tere were

    5,674 students enrolled in district public high

    schools in grade 9 during the 2001/02 school year.

    Dropped rom the sample were all second-time

    9th graders (students who were enrolled in grade

    9 the previous year, but who had not accumu-lated enough credits to advance to grade 10).

    Also dropped rom the sample were all students

    younger than age 13 or older than 17 on Septem-

    ber 1, 2001, the year they entered high school (41

    students), so that the analysis would examine only

    students o typical high school age and, presum-

    ably, o typical high school behavior. Te nal

    sample consisted o 3,856 rst-time 9th graders.

    Graduates, dropouts and reenrollees, and others

    Based on the exit codes used by the San Bernar-

    dino City Unied School District to classiy the

    enrollment status o students, the grade 9 study

    cohort was split into three broad categories: stan-

    dard graduates, dropouts, and others (table B1 in

    appendix B). Students are classied based on the

    exit code o their rst interruption o continuous

    enrollment in the district.

    Standard graduates are students who earn a regu-

    lar high school diploma rom a San BernardinoCity Unied School District high school in our or

    ve years between 2001/02 and 2005/06 without

    any interruption in enrollment in the district

    (through a dropout event, transer to another

    district, or expulsion). Tis study distinguishes

    between standard graduates and high school

    graduates, which include dropouts and other

    students who experienced an interruption in their

    enrollment but graduated in the district within the

    study time rame.

    Dropouts are students whose rst withdrawal rom

    a district high school met one o three criteria that

    align with the dropout and graduation guidelinesestablished by the National Governors Associa-

    tion and the Caliornia Department o Education

    (2005, 2007):

    High school students who withdrew rom

    school beore graduating but were not known

    to have been in an education program that led

    to a high school diploma or its equivalent but

    have not died.

    High school students who did not ormally

    withdraw rom school beore graduating but

    were under the compulsory school attendance

    age o 18 and stopped attending school and

    could not be located.

    High school students who reported trans-

    erring to another district without having

    their transcripts sent to the receiving district

    and were not known to be in an education

    program that led to a high school diploma or

    equivalent.

    Reenrollees are students within the dropout cat-

    egory who reenroll in high school. Tey are high

    school dropouts who reenroll at least once in the

    district between 2001/02 and 2005/06 (see table

    B2 in appendix B or reenrollment rates by key

    characteristics).

    Others are primarily students who transer to

    other districts beore graduating or dropping out

    between 2001/02 and 2005/06 (see table B1 inappendix B), and there is no way to know the out-

    comes or these students since complete inorma-

    tion about their education histories is unavailable

    to the San Bernardino City Unied School District.

    Tis category also includes students who were ex-

    pelled, died, or earned an alternative high school

    completion certicate beore dropping out or

    graduating or who were continuously enrolled in

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