Does intensive coaching reduce school dropout?

Research done in the Netherlands has shown that one year of intensive coaching is likely to reduce school dropout by more than 40 percent and yield a net social gain. The target group of students was the general population of students starting in intermediate vocational education. Results suggest that the largest gains are made in the first year of coaching and effects are largest for students with a larger ex-ante probability of school dropout. Examples of coaching are working on study skills (e.g., planning and organizing), counselling in case of personal problems and contact with parents. Both preventive (before study dropout) and curative actions (among study dropouts) of the coaches have been effective and together resulted in a substantial reduction of school dropout.

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