Eff Effects of Prevention and Intervention Programs on t f P ti d I t ti P School Completion and Dropout Results from a Systematic Review Results from a Systematic Review Sandra Jo Wilson Peabody Research Institute b d h The Campbell Collaboration www.campbellcollaboration.org The Campbell Collaboration www.campbellcollaboration.org
Acknowledgments • Funding provided by the Campbell Collaboration and the Peabody Research Institute • My co ‐ authors: – Mark W. Lipsey Mark W. Lipsey – Emily E. Tanner ‐ Smith – Chiungjung Huang Chiungjung Huang – Katarzyna Steinka ‐ Fry – Jan Morrison – Nianbo Dong The Campbell Collaboration www.campbellcollaboration.org
Overview • Discussion of different kinds of interventions that target school dropout. • Systematic review methodology. • Preliminary results from the systematic review • Preliminary results from the systematic review. The Campbell Collaboration www.campbellcollaboration.org
Risk ‐ oriented Programming • There are a great variety of strategies for preventing school dropout. • The different strategies are generally developed out of different theories about the causes of dropout. p • The biggest risk factors for school dropout are pregnancy low school attendance and poor academic pregnancy, low school attendance, and poor academic performance. The Campbell Collaboration www.campbellcollaboration.org
Risk ‐ oriented Programming Risk Factor for Dropout Targeted Program or Strategy Teenage pregnancy Provide child care services or financial assistance to young mothers. Poor attendance Monitor and reward attendance. Poor academic performance P d i f P Provide supplemental academic services. id l t l d i i Lack of support for higher education Provide college ‐ oriented curricula and advising for students. g Family and personal problems Connect students with appropriate services through case management, provide mentors or counselors provide mentors or counselors. Traditional school structure doesn’t work Restructure or reorganize the school day, for some students curriculum, etc. to better fit the needs of different types of students. Students lack purpose, goals, Create career/work oriented courses; understanding of the purposes of g p p involve students in community. y education The Campbell Collaboration www.campbellcollaboration.org
Objectives of the Review Objectives of the Review • Summarize the available evidence on the effects of prevention and intervention programs aimed at increasing school completion or reducing dropout. c eas g sc oo co p et o o educ g d opout • Primary emphasis on the comparative effectiveness of different types of programs in the context of different different types of programs, in the context of different methodologies, different levels of implementation quality and different configurations of student quality, and different configurations of student characteristics. The Campbell Collaboration www.campbellcollaboration.org
Inclusion Criteria • Interventions are school ‐ based, school ‐ affiliated, or community ‐ based programs. • Outcomes must be dropout, graduation, or attendance. p g • Students are between the ages of 4 ‐ 18. – Recent dropouts (18 ‐ 22) are eligible if school completion is Recent dropouts (18 22) are eligible if school completion is explicit goal. – For students under the age of 12, dropout must be assessed. For students under the age of 12 dropout must be assessed • Experimental and quasi ‐ experimental designs are included. l d d • 1985 and later, any language, any publication type. The Campbell Collaboration www.campbellcollaboration.org
Literature Search • Comprehensive literature search of major educational databases, including grey literature. databases, including grey literature. • Search of international databases not yet completed. • Identified 16,962 reports Id ifi d 16 962 – 2,627 reports were deemed potentially relevant and retrieved – 878 reports were determined to be eligible 878 reports were determined to be eligible • 416 studies (188 with dropout; 228 with attendance) – 164 coded studies (so far) 164 coded studies (so far) – 450 dropout effect sizes from 302 independent study samples The Campbell Collaboration www.campbellcollaboration.org
Study Coding Study Coding • Study coding included information about the programs • Study coding included information about the programs under evaluation, the students in those programs, and the methods used to evaluate the programs. methods used to evaluate the programs. • Outcomes indexed using odds ratios. – Ratio of the odds of completing school for treatment Ratio of the odds of completing school for treatment participants to the odds of completing school for control participants participants – Odds ratio < 1 means control groups are favored; Odds ratio > 1 means treatment groups are favored; Odds ratio > 1 means treatment groups are favored; Odds ratio = 1 means odds are equal for the two groups. The Campbell Collaboration www.campbellcollaboration.org
Treatment Types yp • The 302 independent samples were divided into two The 302 independent samples were divided into two groups – 269 general programs 269 general programs • 299 effect sizes measuring dropout, graduation, GED, or enrollment for general population & at ‐ risk samples. e o e t o ge e a popu at o & at s sa p es – 33 teen parent (mostly teen mothers) programs • 150 effect sizes measuring dropout, graduation, GED, or 150 effect sizes measuring dropout, graduation, GED, or enrollment for teen parents. – NOTE: enrollment defined as not dropped out, not yet pp , y graduated, and still attending school. The Campbell Collaboration www.campbellcollaboration.org
How effective were dropout programs overall? Lower Upper Mean OR CI CI n es K samples Q tau 2 General Tx G l T 1 68 1.68 1 52 1.52 1 88 1.88 300 300 269 269 1712 3* 1712.3* .23 23 Teen Parent Tx 1.75 1.41 2.17 150 33 191.3* .37 Random effects analysis Mean Odds Ratios Translated to Percentages Mean Odds Ratios Translated to Percentages TX % CT % General Tx Programs (Percent dropped out) 33% 45% Teen Parent Tx Programs (Percent enrolled) 41% 28% The Campbell Collaboration www.campbellcollaboration.org
How effective are dropout programs overall? • After treatment, the odds of completing school were significantly better for students in prevention significantly better for students in prevention programs than for students who received no special programming programming. – Treated students were less likely to drop out, and more likely to graduate, obtain a GED, or stay enrolled in likely to graduate obtain a GED or stay enrolled in school. • Heterogeneity was evident for both the general Heterogeneity was evident for both the general programs and for the teen parent programs. • What study characteristics are associated with that heterogeneity? The Campbell Collaboration www.campbellcollaboration.org
Characteristics of the Research • Literature on dropout largely unpublished; 71% of the studies were technical reports (66%) or dissertations (5%). • Evaluator role & routine practice p – Some evaluators were closely involved in the research; other programs had independent evaluators. other programs had independent evaluators. – About 50% were routine practice programs. • 55% of the studies used random assignment. 55% of the studies used random assignment The Campbell Collaboration www.campbellcollaboration.org
Characteristics of the Students • 88% were high school aged samples; 12% were middle school or younger samples. • Mixed ethnicity groups of students were common. y g p 75% of the student samples were mostly minority students. • With the exception of specialized programs for teenage mothers most programs were delivered to teenage mothers, most programs were delivered to mixed gender groups. • Nearly all students were at risk for dropping out and N l ll t d t t i k f d i t d were from low socioeconomic status families. The Campbell Collaboration www.campbellcollaboration.org
Characteristics of the Dropout Programs Characteristics of the Dropout Programs • Community ‐ based programs make up 15% of the sample; the remaining 85% are school ‐ based or school ‐ affiliated. • Duration averaged 90 weeks (typical school year was coded as 38 weeks). ) • Frequency of treatment varied, but over half of the programs involved daily contact programs involved daily contact. • Implementation quality also varied: 32% experienced clear problems, 15% alluded to possible problems, l bl 15% ll d d t ibl bl and 53% experienced no problems or mentioned no problems. bl The Campbell Collaboration www.campbellcollaboration.org
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