The early childhood years set the stage for later success in school and life, but at-risk children are less likely to receive the supports they need to prepare them for success.  Each year there are 10,000 live births in Douglas and Sarpy Counties.  3,500 of these infants are born into poverty.  Of the 3,500 born in poverty:

• Few will reach preschool or kindergarten ready to learn
• About one-third will not be able to read or do math at grade level by mid-elementary school
• Nearly half of this group will drop out of high school

In adolescence, some students become disengaged and unmotivated to continue. At some point, they cease to see education as a vehicle for their future success.  While many students drop out of school in the ninth grade, the process typically begins earlier.  Absences in middle school are a key predictor of dropping out of high school.  Students who fail to develop strong attachments to school by the time they reach the middle grades are very likely to drop out of high school.

Students who miss school fall behind academically, fueling a self perpetuating cycle of poor attendance and low achievement.  On standardized achievement tests, Omaha students in 8th grade who had more than 10 absences scored 14 percentile points in reading, 18 percentile points in language and 35 percentile points in math below their peers who attended school more regularly (2007-2008).

Students who struggle as they leave middle school are at risk of failure in high school, and students who fail courses in the ninth grade are off track for graduation.  In Douglas and Sarpy Counties, there are about 850 eighth-grade students each year who do not meet proficiency standards in reading or math.