Effective instruction - An inconspicuous strategy for dropout prevention

Although researchers have clearly connected dropping out of school to prolonged low achievement, to date, effective teaching practices are largely absent from the milieu of interventions and programs that are employed by schools to address dropout prevention. As such, effective instructional design and delivery as a focus for keeping students with disabilities in school appears to be an inconspicuous strategy for dropout prevention. We provide an overview of dropout prevention efforts by researchers and federal, state, and local educators; a rationale for connecting effective teaching principles to the challenge of graduating students with disabillties and a brief overview of 10 effective teaching principles and how they relate to academic success that leads to school completion. Practical strategies that teachers can use to make their instruction more effective are also included.