Balfanz, Robert, Lisa Herzog and Douglas J. MacIver, Preventing Student Disengagement and Keeping Students on the Graduation Path in Urban Middle-Grades Schools: Early Identification and Effective Interventions, Educational Psychologist, 42(4), 223–235, 2007.

This study examines the application of an early identification and intervention system for students in the middle grades to prevent student disengagement and increase graduation rates. The authors use follow a cohort of students to demonstrate how indicators reflecting poor attendance, misbehavior and course failure in sixth grade can be used to identify 60% of the students who will not graduate from high school. by combining effective whole-school reforms with attendance, behavioral, and extra-help interventions, graduation rates can be substantially increased.