From Data to Results in Preventing Dropouts in the Portland Public Schools

Many school district leaders, particularly those in urban areas, struggle to reduce dropout rates, but find themselves overwhelmed by the dimensions of the problem. There are, however, a few districts making notable progress towards reducing the number of dropouts and ensuring that students earn high school diplomas in a timely manner.One of these is the Portland, Oregon, Public Schools (PPS). In the course of a single calendar year (2007-2008) PPS began to have a positive impact in addressing its dropout problem. Bridgespan partner Daniel Stid interviews Leslie Rennie-Hill, former Chief of the PPS Office of High Schools, and Carole Smith, current Superintendent of the Portland Public Schools to find out more.