Graduation for All: A Practical Guide to Decreasing School Dropout

Camilla A. Lehr, Ph.D., is a Research Associate with the Institute on Community Integration (University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities) at the University of Minnesota. She is the Principal Investigator and Director of the Alternative Schools Research Project, a three-year federally funded project studying alternative schools across the nation and the role they play in preventing dropout, providing quality education for students at risk, and serving students with disabilities. Prior to directing the Alternative Schools Research Project, she co-directed a truancy prevention/student engagement project for children and youth in elementary and middle schools (Check & Connect). She has held interim and adjunct faculty positions at the University of Minnesota (School Psychology Program) and at Hamline University (Education Department) respectively. Prior to returning to the University in 1988, Dr. Lehr worked as a licensed school psychologist in a large suburban school district. Dr. Lehr has worked in the educational arena for nearly 20 years. Her research interests are focused in the areas of dropout prevention, engaging children and youth placed at risk in school, and promoting positive school climates. She is lead author on several recent products in the area of dropout prevention including an integrative review of interventions focused on dropout described in the professional literature, and an Essential Tool on Dropout Prevention published by the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition. Dr. Lehr has presented at a variety of local and national conferences. She has co-authored research reports, journal articles, book chapters, and other documents with national impact.