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Model Program

Diploma Plus, Inc.

100 Franklin Street, Unit 705
Boston, MA 02110
http://www.diplomaplus.net

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Contact Information:
Alexa Halberg
Finance and Administration Manager
617.443.0050
ahalberg@diplomaplus.net

Program Specification:

Emphasis:

Gender:

Rating:

Intervention
Recovery/Reentry

Both

Strong Evidence of Effectiveness

Age/Grade Level:

Target Settings:

Target Groups:

High School

Urban
Suburban
Inner City

Individuals

Ethnicity:

Other Participation Criteria:

All Ethnicities

Description:

Diploma Plus (DP) schools are small alternative high schools that integrate dropout recovery and prevention programs with college- and career-readiness initiatives. As stated by the program's mission statement, Diploma Plus seeks to create small high schools that "incorporate a supportive school culture, a performance-based approach, future focus, and effective supports in order to increase opportunities for students who have dropped out or are at risk of dropping out of high school so that they have the ability to graduate college- and career-ready." Instead of traditional grade levels, DP students move through three "phases" of the curriculum, with the final phase serving as a link between high school and post-secondary education.

Program Descriptors Include:
Academic Improvement, Attendance/Truancy, Charter School, Computer Assisted Instruction, Middle/Early College, Substance Abuse, Life Skills Training

Strategies for Locating Students:
Unspecified

Starting Date: 1996
Students Served Per Year: 500+
Reenrolled Students with Disabilities: N/A
Last Verified: 2010

Risk Factors:

Protective Factors:

Program addresses the following:

Individual factors

  • Low achievement
  • Poor attendance
  • Low educational expectations
  • Lack of effort
  • Low commitment to school

Program promotes the following:

Relationships

  • Presence and involvement of caring, supportive adults
  • Opportunities and rewards for pro-social involvement
  • Involvement with positive peer activities

Program Resources:

Annual Cost:

The annual cost range of the program is $25,000 - $100,000 or less than $500 per student.

Funding Sources Include:

Program Staff Includes:

State Agencies
Local/City/County Agencies
School Districts
Foundations

Teachers
Counselors
Volunteers

Materials Used:

Supporting / Partner Organizations:

Unspecified

Unspecified

Evaluation Information:

Diploma Plus students' program completion and graduation rates were higher than the average rates for alternative high school programs. In New York, DP schools had higher retention rates and Regents exam passing rates than other similar schools. Participants reported higher rates of engagement, effort, and interest in their DP classes than in their previous schools, and reported that the program helped them plan for post-secondary success.

How evaluation data was collected:
Outside experimental studies
Data collected and analyzed at school/district level

Additional Evaluation Information:
http://www.aypf.org/publications/SuccessAtEveryStep.pdf