The Montgomery County Dropout Prevention Project (MCDPP) through a joint effort by the Office of Student Services, MCPS, and the Child Study Center, Virginia Tech, under the auspices of Ms. Judy Rutherford and Dr. Thomas Ollendick. The initial aim of the MCDPP was to identify risk factors associated with school dropout - the ultimate goal was to recommend intervention programs to encourage school completion in our community. To accomplish these goals, several educational, psychological, and sociological instruments were administered. This comprehensive approach has produced a wealth of information collected through self- and peer-report data, school reports, and, most recently, the generation of dropout profiles from students. Specifically, the MCDPP gathered data on academic and school related performance, social status and interpersonal behavior, as well as psychological measures of anxiety, depression, aggression, and cognitive style. All students enrolled in the sixth grade were assessed during that year as well as at two-year intervals thereafter (i.e., in eighth, tenth, and twelfth grade). The assessments administered over the course of the study were designed to measure a variety of areas of student functioning, including:
Socio-Demographic Measures
- Family Background
- Student Characteristics
Measures of Psychological and Social Functioning
- Anxiety
- Attributional Style
- Adolescent Adjustment
- Hopelessness/Negative Future Expectations
- Locus of Control
- Mood Problems/Depression
- Reactive and Proactive Aggression
- Self-Worth/Perceived Competence
- Sociometric Status/Acceptance
- Victimization
Measures of Educational Functioning
- Academic Achievement
- Attendance
- Disciplinary Offenses
- Dropout Prediction
- Extracurricular Activity Participation