About Us
The Office of Dropout Prevention and Student Re-Engagement was launched in 2009 and was created to expand efforts in reducing the dropout rate, increasing the graduation rate and advancing credential attainment.
This effort is authorized by Colorado Revised Statute 22-14-101 and builds on the state’s commitment to ensure graduation and school success for all students and re-engaging out of school youth.
There are five components to this work:
- Analyzing student data pertaining to dropout, completion rates, truancy, suspension and expulsion rates, safety and discipline incidence and student growth.
- Coordinating efforts across CDE and leading initiatives to address dropout prevention, student re-engagement and adult education.
- Identifying and recommending best practices and effective strategies to reduce student dropout rates and increase student engagement and re-engagement.
- Tracking progress and results.
- Securing and managing resources to fund services and supports.
The Dropout Prevention and Student Re-Engagement Unit includes five programs that support communities, local education agencies, and schools.
Latest News and Updates
State's Graduation rate improves to 80.7 percent
- Interactive map and graduation data
- Full press release of Graduation and Dropout Rates
- Dropout Data
- Graduation Data
- Overview of Graduation and Dropout Calculations (PDF)
- Colorado Graduation and Dropout Rates from 2010 to 2018 (PDF)
- Graduation, Completion, and Still Enrolled Rates: connection to CDE Strategic Plan (PDF)
Dropout Prevention
School Attendance Matters
Daily attendance is essential to student success at all grade levels, too many absences can lead to students falling behind and ultimately dropping out. An area of focus is the state’s chronic absenteeism rate, which is when a student misses 10 percent or more of a school year or approximately 18 days a year. This is equivalent to two days every month.
Visit the Attendance Data webpage to see how your school or district compares to the state attendance, truancy and chronic absenteeism data.
Attendance Resources and Materials
- 2018 Student Attendance Fact Sheet (PDF)
- 2018 Attendance Works Toolkit
- The Forum Guide to Collecting and Using Attendance Data
- School Nurse’s Role in Chronic Absenteeism (PDF)
NEW School Attendance Task Force Recommendations
The School Attendance Taskforce (SATF) was formed to address the rise in chronic absenteeism and truancy in Colorado, it included a cross-sector team of 50 leaders representing more than 26 schools, districts, organizations, judicial districts, and state agencies. Collectively SAFT teams conducted a statewide scan of intervention strategies, and identified common themes, which led to the six recommendations:
- Create a multi-step process before a truancy court referral
- Leverage funding from multiple sources
- Focus attention on awareness of importance of attendance, truancy, and prevention and intervention supports that are available
- Build collaborative communities to help families navigate and more quickly access resources in the community
- Improve school climate
- Increase the value of education
The SATF completed its work in December 2018 and released a PowerPoint presentation of their recommendations and attendance resource materials to assist school districts.
Training and Supports
- National Dropout Prevention Network (NDPN)
- You're Invited: National Dropout Prevention Center Training in Colorado (March and April 2019)
- Save the Date: National Dropout Prevention Conference to be held in Colorado, October 5-8, 2019
- Join the Colorado Re-Engagement Network hosted by Colorado Youth for a Change (CYC). Includes Network calls with schools and communities.
Take the School Attendance Survey Today!
The purpose of this survey is to inventory school attendance practices, programs and policies in Colorado.
Who: Schools, Districts, Courts, State Agencies, and Service Providers are invited to complete the survey
- It is recommended that groups complete the survey together and assign a representative to input and submit survey responses.
- PDF copy of survey questions is provided to help determine who should complete the survey from your group.
Time Needed: The survey may take 15 to 30 minutes to complete depending on your expertise and role.
Closing Date: Survey will remain open to allow for more schools and districts to participate in this inventory.
Background: The survey was developed to help prioritize training and assistance designed to reverse alarming student attendance trends.
- 1 in 5 Colorado students are chronically absent. In ninth grade, attendance is a better predictor than test scores that a student will leave before completing high school.
- Since 2012, there has been a 42 percent increase in the number of habitual truants. More than 115,000 Colorado students were habitually truant in 2016-17.
