A five-year, independent study conducted by ICF International that was completed in late 2010 reviewed the entire dropout problem. This includes:

• The number of students who drop out of school; and
• The number of students who continue to attend school but still fail to receive a standard diploma by the end of their senior year.

ICF International found that Communities In Schools is:

1. The most effective dropout prevention program in the United States; and
2. The ONLY dropout prevention program in the nation proven to increase graduation rates, graduating students on time with a high school diploma.

Other ICF International findings include:

• The Communities In Schools model resulted in the strongest reduction in dropout rates of any existing fully scaled dropout prevention program that has been evaluated;
• Communities In Schools is unique in having an effect on both reducing dropout rates and increasing graduation rates;
• The Communities In Schools model is effective across states, school settings, grade levels and student ethnicities.