The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the effectiveness of individualised support measures within the Dropout Prevention Model (DPM) after two years of implementation in 10 pilot schools in the seven most vulnerable municipalities in Serbia. The core activities within the DPM identification of students at risk of dropping out were the calculation of the Risk Index (RI) for each of them, and the development of the Individual Plans for Dropout Prevention (IPDPs) as a tool for sustainable planning and provision of support to at-risk students. The sample consisted of 450 students with IPDPs from the pool of 5,884 students with the calculated RI. The evaluation of individualised support measures was conducted through quasi-experimental design at different time points, a qualitative analysis of structural aspects of IPDPs and the examination of the relationship of categories of measures and risk factors, RI and key indicators. Results demonstrate desirable effects of the individualised measures on the prevention of dropout. The Instrument for identification of students at risk of dropout showed high sensitivity for students at very high dropout risk. Only 5% of the students at very high dropout risk for whom IPDPs were developed dropped out of school after two years of implementation of the DPM. Further analysis of the correspondence between the types of support in IPDPs showed a good adjustment to the types of 1 The DPM has been developed during the UNICEF/Centre for Education Policy project "Combating early school leaving in Serbia through effective dropout prevention and intervention measures at the school level".

The paper focuses on investigating the dropout phenomena and the need for its prevention and reduction within Serbian pre-university education. Understanding dropout as a multidimensional and system-level phenomenon, we offer a model for dropout prevention and intervention. The model considers the characteristics of schools in Serbia, together with the diversity of children under risk. Based on the findings from primary and secondary voc ational schools 2 where the model was piloted, we focus on the model's effectiveness as related to a reduction in the dropout rate, absenteeism, and grade repetition, together with the rise in students' overall achievement at the school level. The results suggest the model is largely effective in the reduction of dropout rate, absenteeism, and grade repetition, with some ambiguous findings in regard to the rise of students' achievement in primary schools.