The consequences of not graduating from high school are increasingly serious for both individuals and society as a whole. As a result, policymakers and the federal requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) have placed a new focus on increasing graduation rates and reducing dropout rates. While the dropout problem has generated research and new programs, the dropout rate has remained relatively unchanged (about 30 percent) for several decades. Students drop out of school for many reasons, and it is often difficult to know which students will leave school without receiving a diploma. In 2005 the Washington State Legislature passed Substitute House Bill 1708 requiring the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to report on promising school-wide and targeted practices and programs that can help reduce dropout rates. This report provides information to meet this requirement. Specifically, it contains information on: (1) Comprehensive strategies that help prevent students from dropping out; (2) Promising dropout prevention and recovery programs; and (3) Implications for educators and policymakers. Information about career and technical education is included in each section of the report. A bibliography and the following two appendices are included: (1) Profiles of Selected Dropout Prevention and Recovery Activities; and (2) Dropout Prevention and Intervention Initiative. (Contains 5 footnotes and 3 figures.)