Preventing Early School Leaving: Practical Strategies for Student Success

Course Objectives

• To provide participants with a clear understanding of the causes and risk factors associated with early school leaving.
• To present practical strategies to foster student engagement, motivation, and a sense of belonging in school.
• To equip educators with tools to build positive relationships with students, families, and communities.
• To promote inclusive and supportive teaching practices that address diverse learning needs.
• To guide participants in developing action plans to prevent early school leaving and improve student success.

Schedule

Module 1 – Understanding Early School Leaving

• Main causes and risk factors for student disengagement.
• Social, emotional, and academic impacts of early school leaving.
• Identifying early warning signs in everyday school life.
• Inspiring case studies of successful prevention initiatives.

Module 2 – Identifying and Supporting At-Risk Students

• Practical tools to detect students at risk of dropout.
• How to build trust and positive relationships with vulnerable students.
• Effective mentoring and tutoring strategies.
• Working with multidisciplinary teams to provide targeted support.

Module 3 – Motivation and Student Engagement Strategies

• Techniques to increase participation and motivation in class.
• Using active learning and project-based approaches to re-engage students.
• Practical ideas for creating meaningful and relevant learning experiences.
• Empowering students through voice, choice, and responsibility.

Module 4 – Family and Community Involvement

• Building strong partnerships with families to support at-risk students.
• Strategies for engaging parents with low school participation.
• Community-based initiatives that support school success.
• Real examples of schools that successfully reduced dropout rates.

Module 5 – Inclusive and Flexible Teaching Practices

• Adapting teaching to meet the needs of diverse learners.
• Differentiated instruction and personalised learning plans.
• Preventing disengagement through flexible assessment and feedback.
• Integrating social-emotional learning into everyday teaching.

Module 6 – Digital Tools to Support At-Risk Students

• Apps and platforms for student mentoring, feedback and progress tracking.
• Digital engagement tools (Padlet, Mentimeter, Edpuzzle, ClassDojo).
• Online collaboration projects that foster inclusion and motivation.
• Using e-portfolios and goal-setting platforms to track progress.

Module 7 – Whole-School Approaches to Dropout Prevention

• Developing a positive school climate to reduce dropout.
• Policies, routines, and school-wide initiatives that foster belonging.
• Peer mentoring programmes and student-led projects.
• Examples of sustainable prevention models from European schools.

Module 8 – Designing an Action Plan for Your School

• Framework for creating a practical plan to prevent dropout.
• Defining objectives, roles, and support strategies.
• Peer review and improvement of participants’ plans.
• Sharing final projects and building a collaborative network.

Module 9 – Implementation and Next Steps

• How to integrate new strategies into everyday practice.
• Overcoming barriers and resistance to change in schools.
• Building partnerships for long-term sustainability.
• Final reflections and course wrap-up.