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Dropout Recovery is National Recovery: How Federal Policies Can Support the Spread of Back on Track Through College Pathways

Even in the early days of the recession, over six million young adults were both out of school and lacked a high school diploma, according to the Center for Labor Market Studies 2009. Most of these young people understand all too well the value of a postsecondary credential in the emerging economy, but few have the good fortune to find a pathway that helps them attain their goals.

Across the country, national youth-serving networks, low-income school districts, and community colleges have begun to put in place Back on Track pathways that are two to three times more successful in graduating vulnerable young people and supporting their persistence in the first year of college.

This brief explains how school districts, national networks, and community colleges can maximize their potential to spread these pathways.