DROP OUT REDUCTION PROGRAM (DORP)

The Drop Out Reduction Program (DORP) is a project by the Bureau of Secondary
Education (BSE) under the Department of Education (DepEd) Central Office. It aims to curb the
high dropout rates in public schools by offering alternative modes of education for students at the
risk of dropping out (SARDO).

First implemented in 1998, the DORP is already perceived to have achieved some
success, with a decrease in the dropout rate from 12.51% in AY 2005-2006 to 7.45% in AY 2007-
2008

Three Major Components of the DORP

 Open High School Program (OHSP) - a formal, structured distance learning program for high
school
 Project EASE - a program for regular high school students who intermittently miss classes
due to various reasons
 School Initiated Interventions (SII) - other programs implemented by schools, often informal
and unrecorded

OPEN HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM:

Despite being a distance-learning program, the OHSP is still considered as a “formal and
structured” program with students' learning structured around the eight core subjects (English,
Filipino, Math, Science, Araling Panlipunan and MAPEH). Students also take the same exams
and other evaluation measures to proceed to the next year level.

There are three ways of distance learning available through the OHSP: modular, Internet-based,
and blended technology. In the modular setup, teachers use modules in teaching students on
their agreed schedule

PROJECT EASE:

‘The Effective Alternative Secondary Education Project, or Project EASE, is a program

designed by the Department of Education and in coordination with the Southeast Asian Ministers
of Education Organization - Regional Center for Educational Innovation and Technology
(SEAMEO-Innotech). It targets regular high school students who intermittently miss classes due
to various reasons. Unlike theOpen High School Program, Project EASE is not a total replacement
for regular classes; rather it is designed for students who will only miss a part of the school year
(such as planting and harvesting season) to be able to continue their studies.

Project EASE uses a module-based approach - students are given modules for them to take home
and be able to study their lessons outside the classroom. It was launched in 1997, with Davao
City National High School among the first pilot schools to implement this program. The program
is now available in public high schools nationwide, and is now part of the Drop Out Reduction
Program (DORP).

Other DORP programs and activities

 Project Jumpstart! – A one-month summer remedial program for incoming high school
freshmen that have difficulty in reading, writing and mathematics.

 Attendance incentives - Monthly awards for SARDOs who complete a whole month of
schooling without any incident of tardiness or absence.

 Re-Connect – Encouraging SARDOs to participate in school-based special interest clubs and

other co-curricular activities to help keep their interest in school.

 Project Graduation – An incentive program running from the first year of secondary
education to the last, wherein classes that have achieved the highest completion rates are
awarded incentives.

 Differentiated Instruction – Training teachers in different teaching strategies to develop the

multiple intelligences of their students as well as a recognition of their diverse learning styles
brought about by factors such as gender differences.

 Home visits by teachers

 Cross-Age Tutorials – Peer-teaching tutorial programs wherein excelling senior students are
tapped as tutors for SARDOs from lower year levels.

 Adopt-A-Student Program - Well-off families are asked to support the schooling of SARDOs
who are at the risk of dropping out because of poverty.

 Guidance Program
 Work-Study Program - Older SARDOs who are at the risk of dropping out due to poverty
are given employment opportunities within the community so that they can support
themselves through the