Dropout Recovery Project

The Indiana Department of Education is not responsible for the content, opinions and advice expressed on external web sites. The content, opinions and advice are those of the web pages in question, not The Indiana Department of Education. Linking to a web site does not constitute an endorsement by The Indiana Department of Education or any of its employees of the sponsor of the site or the products presented on the site.

Indiana Code 20-33-2-22:

(a) Not later than fifteen (15) school days after the beginning of each semester, the principal of a public high school shall send to the superintendent with jurisdiction over the school a list of names and last known addresses of all students:
       (1) not graduated; and
       (2) not enrolled in the then current semester who were otherwise eligible for enrollment.
(b) Each superintendent immediately shall make available all lists received under this section to an authorized representative of:
       (1) Ivy Tech State College; and
       (2) an agency whose purpose it is to enroll high school dropouts in various training programs.
(c) Each representative authorized to receive a list prepared under subsection (b) shall stipulate in writing that the list will be used only to contact prospective students or prospective trainees. If a list is used for any other purpose, the college or agency that the recipient represents is ineligible to receive subsequent lists for five (5) years.

Agencies participating in this project to date are Adult Educational Programs of public schools, IVY Tech, and other agencies providing education and training to dropouts. If you want to participate contact the Office of Student Services at this email address: gnettles@doe.in.gov

The Indiana Department of Education Dropout Recovery Project

In 1991, The Indiana State Attendance Officer initiated the Dropout Recovery Project (DRP) as a program to facilitate contact between authorized programs and agencies, which are equipped to provide adult education services, and youth who have dropped out of school who may benefit from them. See Indiana Code 20-33-2-22.

Each year the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) documents dropouts whose names and addresses are entered into a database, which may be accessed free of charge, through the DRP. These names are available only to those who have established programs to serve the returning student, and may be retrieved by county or school corporation number. Agencies providing such programs are contacted by the IDOE with an invitation to participate in the Dropout Recovery Project. Agencies wishing to participate must return the Dropout Recovery Project Information Form to request designation as an authorized agency. Once authorized, agencies are provided with a user name and password by Educational Information Systems. Participants are then able to go online to access the names and addresses of those students who have dropped out.

In order to gather some data regarding the effectiveness of this project, participants are now asked, in the follow-up letter, to document the number of solicitations made, the number of students who responded, and the number of students who completed the program or training.

Currently more than 50 adult education programs across Indiana have responded and are participating in the program, including Job Corps, Ivy Tech. and Workforce Development.

The National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS: 88) is a biennial study of 8th graders from 1988 to the present day. The NELS reported in 1994 that, of those students who dropped out of high school, 16% had completed a high school diploma, 29% had completed a General Educational Development (GED) or equivalency certificate, and 24% were working on a diploma or GED. These numbers illustrate that students who drop out of school can ultimately be academically successful and that it is important that such students be made aware of alternative routes to success.

Adult Education Programs wishing to participate in this program should contact Dee Kempson at dkempson@doe.in.gov or 317-232-9135.

Request for authorization