School dropout is a central issue in European policies (OECD, 2024). The Lisbon European Council (2000) highlights the need to invest in education. The goal is to ensure that everyone is adequately prepared and to promote social inclusion. This awareness led EU member states to set a common goal: reduce the school dropout rate to less than 10% by 2010. Despite efforts, some countries did not achieve this target. Therefore, it was reintroduced in the Europe 2020 strategy with the following goals: a) ensure at least 15% of adults participate in lifelong learning; b) increase the percentage of people aged 30-34 with a higher education degree to at least 40%; c) reduce the dropout rate to below 10%; d) ensure at least 95% participation of children aged four to the start of compulsory education in early childhood education.

In Italy school dropout is a significant issue. It has implications for the realisation of Article 34 of the Constitution. It asserts the right to an equitable and inclusive education for all citizens.

Equity means ensuring all individuals acquire the same basic competencies (Eurydice, 2020). This is regardless of personal and social circumstances, such as gender, socioeconomic status, or origin. Key legislative measures aim to make the educational system more equitable. These include the D.P.R. 275/1999 (School Autonomy) and Law 107/2015 (Good School). This decentralised model emphasises the role of the local community and its specific needs. It fosters collaboration between schools and local entities to develop educational strategies (Ferrero, 2023).

The issue of school dropout can be analysed using Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological systems model. This model describes reality as a continuous and reciprocal interaction. It involves students, their families, the educational context, and the broader historical and cultural environment. The model is important for understanding how various factors influence school dropout (Barone, 2017; MIUR, 2013; 2018). Scientific literature highlights the complexity and multifaceted nature of the problem (MIUR, 2013; 2018; Barone, 2017). School dropout is not homogeneous. It includes explicit and implicit dropouts or Early Leavers from Education and Training (ELET). The literature categorises several factors contributing to dropout into three main types (INVALSI, 2019): ascribed factors, such as socio-economic background; contextual factors, such as school characteristics and geographical location; and psychological and motivational factors.

Literature suggests the need to address school dropout earlier by intervening when signs of difficulty appear (Heckman, 2001). So, research focuses on preventive actions and utilising the concept of implicit dropout (Ricci, 2019; Vertecchi, 2012). Anti-dropout actions highlight different types of educational alliances. In some cases, the school takes the initiative while in others the drive is taken by local authorities. The literature analysis has revealed two research questions: 1) How are educational alliances, where the Local Authority takes the lead role, structured? 2) Which strategies should be employed in each context? The overarching goal is to provide pragmatic and effective guidelines for school dropout prevention. This objective is defined in three fundamental dimensions: first, the formulation of guidelines to support agreements and collaboration among local stakeholders, backed by a pedagogical and educational vision; second, the promotion of local policies and actions to prevent dropout by addressing it early; third, the involvement in participatory design and support for developing the territory as an educational community.

The research design best suited to address the research questions is Design Research (DR) (Jacobsen & McKenney, 2024; Van der Akken, 1999). This research design is structured in three main phases: the first phase involves exploratory analysis of documents, the second phase focuses on design, and the third one is evaluation, aimed at improving interventions or formulating a new conceptual framework. This research design aims to generate effective interventions and useful theories to guide design (Van der Akken, 1999; Bielaczyc, Collins & Joseph, 2004). The case selected for the analysis is the city of Bergamo. The inclusion/exclusion criteria defined a priori are: a) Medium-small-sized cities (up to 250,000 inhabitants) for the study of territorial dynamics that are manageable and replicable, without excluding more complex urban realities. b) Presence of active alliances between schools and the local community • Collaborations between schools, local authorities, associations, and communities are documented by: o Formal agreements and memoranda of understanding between schools and the local community o Ongoing initiatives involving multiple actors from the educational system o Indicators of stability and continuity over time c) Local Authority as a promoter of school-community alliances. The local administration acts as the leader or coordinator of educational initiatives within the territory. d) Presence of a structured program for involving schools in the local community • The "Scuola Aperta" program or equivalent initiatives must be active and monitored • Contexts that adopt similar models, to expand the case study The exploratory analysis phase will entail the examination of documentation produced by the Local Authority (Municipal Register) to establish educational alliances, in addition to the schools' PTOF and RAV, INVALSI and ISTAT data. This will be undertaken to gain an overview of the context under study. In the planning phase, the process that led to the relationship between the partner subjects will be reconstructed to outline guidelines that can be utilised in territories with a similar configuration. The formulation of guidelines will be informed by focus groups or interviews with relevant stakeholders in the Bergamo area, thereby facilitating a bottom-up approach to developing local practices. The third evaluation phase will address future developments.

The research aims to develop territorial guidelines to prevent early school leaving (ESL). The main expected outcomes are as follows: 1. Building Territorial Pacts from a Pedagogical and Educational Perspective This outcome focuses on creating formal partnerships among local communities, schools, and volunteer organisations. The goal is to promote collaboration and coordination among all involved actors to reduce early school leaving. This aims to strengthen support within the educational system. 2. Developing local strategies to prevent early school leaving. This outcome translates the research findings into concrete actions tailored to local contexts. It focuses on identifying and addressing the factors behind school dropout and applying targeted interventions based on data and evidence collected at the community level. 3. Participatory design with the educational community The goal is to develop shared solutions co-designed with active participation from all stakeholders, such as students, schools, associations, and local institutions. The aim is to foster a collective sense of responsibility and ownership of the strategies to prevent early school leaving while strengthening cooperation among the various actors involved. Through these three outcomes, the research aims to provide practical guidelines to reduce early school leaving. The proposed integrated approach combines educational policies and local practices, promoting active participation and shared responsibility among all stakeholders in the educational system.

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