April 8, 2010

The University of Arizona, Dept. of Educational Psychology Unveils Successful Outcome from a Two-year Dropout Prevention Pilot:  the First Job Program

Tucson, AZ – New research shows on-time high school graduation rates among low-income students increased by up to 16.4% through a Tucson, Arizona dropout prevention program. The University of Arizona’s Department of Educational Psychology, Amphitheater School District and Tucson Unified School District released results this month from the two-year First Job pilot project, a dropout-prevention model funded and administered by Youth Education Security, Inc. (Y.E.S!), a local non-profit corporation.

The First Job Program seeks to prevent low-income students (the most at-risk student population) from dropping out of school by providing conditional financial incentives designed to: increase attendance, improve academic performance and achieve graduation. In addition to graduating on time, First Job students are more likely to increase school attendance, reduce the number of unexcused absences and less likely to transfer to other schools.

Lead investigator of the First Job pilot, Amy Olson, stated, “Even though the amount of money given to students seemed to be rather small, First Job students showed surprising benefits.  They were more likely to graduate than their peers who did not participate in the project.”

Most impressively, the research reports that the initial investment of $124,000 made by Y.E.S! has the potential to result in an increase of $5.7 million in funds for First Job students, their families, and the local economy. The data support the hypothesis that conditional financial incentives re-engage many students in the process of attending and succeeding in school. First Job programs are currently running in Sunnyside Unified School District, Tucson Unified School District and Amphitheater School District.

“The First Cohort of our First Job Program has shown to be a very promising investment in terms of our student attendance, stability, and graduation rate,” says Superintendent Vicki Balentine of Amphitheater Public Schools. “We look forward to the continuation of this important dropout prevention effort.”

The current economic crisis has caused a tremendous reduction of resources for schools in Arizona. Cuts to K-12 education since the beginning of the 2009 fiscal year total $424 million. Now more than ever schools are in need of innovative solutions to the dropout problem.

Lou Barsky, founder of Youth Education Security, Inc., invites Tucson community support to continue important dropout prevention work of Y.E.S!.  "The University of Arizona report makes a compelling case for continuing our program, says Barsky. “Positively influencing the lives of low-income students through the First Job Program enriches all of us. Education Secretary Arne Duncan please take note."