A nexus of social-emotional challenges had already caused Li to drop out of school. To get him back on track for graduation, he was going to need more help — and a more individualized degree of help — than his school could offer. But Li knew — and his supporters knew – that he could succeed if given the right combination of flexibility and support.
He wasn’t alone. According to researchers who study educational disengagement, only about a third of students who drop out of school do so because they are academically struggling.
That’s why Graduation Alliance works to help school leaders meet needs of students who cannot or will not return to a traditional classroom, with full-service dropout recovery programs that include re-engagement, social-emotional needs assessment, teachers specifically trained to work with at-risk students, personal academic coaching, 24-7 tutoring, local advocacy and 4G-enabled computers so that students like Li can engage in their studies anytime and anywhere.
It wasn’t easy, but that’s what it took to get Li to graduation.
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