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Research Office
Title: California Dropout Research Project
Principal Investigator:Russell Rumberger
Total Project Amount: $850,000
Agency: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, James Irvine Foundation & Walter S. Johnson Foundation
Project Dates: 12/14/2006 – 09/30/2008
Abstract:
A series of recent reports suggest that fewer than 75 percent of ninth graders in California graduate from high school, and the percentage in some districts is fewer than 50 percent. The social and economic welfare of the state depends on finding a solution to this educational crisis. The purpose of this project is to synthesize existing research and undertake new research to inform policymakers and the larger public about the nature of—and potential solutions to—the dropout problem in California. The project will produce a series of reports and policy briefs addressing four facets of the issue: (1) the measurement and incidence of dropping out; (2) the educational, social, and economic costs of dropouts for individuals and the state; (3) the shortterm and long-term causes of dropping out; and (4) proven interventions. Drawing on this information, a policy committee composed of researchers, policymakers, and educators will then draft a state policy agenda to improve California’s high school graduation rate. The project will run for 14 months beginning December 1, 2006 and is directed by Russell W. Rumberger, Professor of Education, UC Santa Barbara (dropouts@lmri.ucsb.edu). The project is being funded by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, and the Walter S. Johnson Foundation. For more information, visit the project website at: www.lmri.ucsb.edu/dropouts/.