Building Bridges: A Dropout Prevention, Intervention and Retrieval System

The 2007 Washington State Legislature created “Building Bridges” (HB 1573) to support partnerships of schools and community agencies to develop locally defined dropout prevention, intervention, and retrieval programs. The program received funding for the 2011-13 biennia via HB 1599 (Pay for Actual Student Success) as well as proviso budget language and funding.

The Building Bridges Program awards grants to partnerships of schools, families, and communities and community agencies to build a comprehensive dropout prevention, intervention and retrieval system to identify students at risk of dropping out of school and provide timely inventions and supports. In addition, the programs must work to re-engage students who have already dropped out.

Currently there are three Building Bridges grantees that serve students in Granite Falls School District, ESD 113 (Mason County), and Vancouver School District. Each District, although very different demographically, provide very similar academic services, the focus of each to provide academic and non-academic supports to re-engage those students who may or have already left the public school system.

Evaluation results in 2009-11 indicate that students that receive support and assistance for basic needs (housing, food, transportation) are more likely to re-engage in their education. Additionally, programs that provide coaches and/or mentors, staff that coordinate the community partners and services, retrieval or re-entry activities, and alternative educational programming for students have seen improvement in attendance, behavior, and credit retrieval.

Data and Reports

Building Bridges Dropout Initiative - Report to the Legislature

Identifying Potential Dropouts: Key Lessons for Building an Early Warning Data System (PDF)

Developing a Dropout Early Warning and Intervention System (DEWIS) (PDF)

Graduation and Dropout Statistics for Washington's Counties, Districts, and Schools (PDF)

The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of High School Dropouts (PDF)

IES Dropout Prevention Practice Guide (PDF)

Addressing the Unmet Educational Needs of Children and Youth in the Juvenile Justice and Child Wefare Systems (PDF)

Educational Attainment of Foster Youth: Achievement and Graduation Outcomes for Children in Washington State Care (PDF)

Helping Students Finish School Why Students Drop Out and How to Help Them Graduate - Updated May 2006 (PDF)

Posters

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State-Level Workgroup

In 2007, the Washington State Legislature directed OSPI to create the Building Bridges state-level workgroup (HB 1573) to make recommendation on the development of a statewide comprehensive dropout prevention, intervention, and retrieval system. This workgroup has produced the following legislative reports:

In 2010, Superintendent Dorn put forward request legislation, based on the recommendations of the workgroup, resulting in the passage of ESSB 6403. This law requires OSPI, in collaboration with the Building Bridges workgroup, to develop and report recommendations to the Quality Education Council (QEC) and the Legislature for the development of a comprehensive K-12 dropout reduction initiative and the development of an infrastructure for coordinating services for vulnerable youth.