Many news stories come together because of a news tip, a suggestion from a source or are the result of an idea from a report or a speech or a conversation.

Other stories come about because a beat reporter collects ideas, sources, resources and information day in and day out. Good ideas that may or may not be a story on their own also can be the start of a long-term project.

One of those longer-term projects was Advertiser staff writer Beverly Creamer's package last week on ninth grade, and how it has become a focal point as educators struggle to keep at-risk students in high school.

For the past year or so, Creamer had been reading reports in education journals and other publications about efforts across the country to stem the dropout problem, to find ways to keep teens in school and interested in learning.

She knew it was no different in Hawai'i and began collecting information about the problem and efforts to counter it while working on daily stories as well as other projects.

For example, when social researcher Emmy Werner was in town earlier this year for a public lecture on at-risk children and resiliency, Creamer interviewed her for the story we ran on Feb. 16 about a Kaua'i study that showed children with certain characteristics can succeed even when faced with adversity. In addition, she talked with Werner about the problems teens face when they reach the critical first year of high school. Creamer knew that for the ninth-grade project she was envisioning, she would want a national perspective from a top sociologist.

Creamer and her editor began talking about how to go about the story a couple of months ago and planned publication for late May to coincide with the graduation season, a time when many who are dropouts would have been getting their diplomas had they stayed in school and finished.

Once Creamer had the go-ahead for the story, she contacted a number of O'ahu schools to talk with educators about the problem — and about alternative programs to try to keep teens in school.

Again, Creamer also had been collecting other information along the way. She had heard about Paul Onishi's culinary program several months ago from Farrington principal Catherine Payne. And previously she had talked with Campbell principal Gail Awakuni about what that school is doing to support transition into the ninth grade.

School officials also helped Creamer get in touch with counselors, who in turn helped us get in touch with teens who had dropped out of school.

Reports and statistics and officials talking about programs can provide the big picture and define the issues. They can talk about trends and statistics and the poor prospects facing teens who don't get their high school diplomas.

But the only way to get the perspective from a dropout's point of view is to talk with teens who have left school. Nothing can convey the hopelessness that faces them better than the teens themselves.

Creamer and Advertiser photographer Bruce Asato spent a number of hours talking with the teens in the story as well as to adults who have devoted a lot of time toward finding alternatives to help these kids get back on their feet and succeed.

In the end, it was those stories that became the most compelling part of the project.

Reach Anne Harpham at aharpham@honoluluadvertiser.com.