+

Early Decision MakingEarly Help &Early Warning Signs

Leisa GallagherDirector, Reaching & Teaching Struggling LearnersCoordinator, Superintendent’s Dropout Challenge

+3 2 1 Grounding Activity

3 things your building has done to add relevance to students’ educational plan

2 non-academic data sources that your buildings use to help students stay on track

1 miracle story about a student who beat the odds and had a positive post-secondary outcome

+As a group, can you determine:

The 3rd , 8th, and 11th grade proficiency level for youth with IEPs in math? In literacy?

What is the state cohort dropout rate for all students? And the cohort rate for youth with IEPs?

+The previous metrics beg for a cluster of data that describes the whole child-Early Warning SignsAt the state level, how many days of instruction were lost to suspension/expulsion decisions?

At the local level, how do we operationalize behavior? Office Disciplinary Referrals (ODRs)

+These questions cluster into three areas, the ABCs, called the Early Warning Signs A-Attendance-measured differently at the elementary and secondary level

B-Behavior-measured in Office Disciplinary Referrals-ODRs

C-Course Proficiency-measured in grade points, failure, and curriculum benchmark scores

+The EWSs are as predictive and reliable for youth with IEPs as they are for their peers 10 days of absence in 30- 80% likelihood of failure to

dropout

2 days absence in September 65% likelihood to be chronically absent

1 fail in core course in first marking period in 9th grade-80% likelihood of failure not to graduate in 4 years

Retention due to behavior in middle school, risk of dropping out

GPA below 1.2 in first marking period of 9th grade, 80% risk of not graduating in 4 years

+Deepest risk of Dropping Out

Two grade levels below proficiency in 6th grade

Children with an emotional impairment

Children of color, living in generational poverty with an emotional impairment

+GPA, Course Fails, and Attendance Reveal….

Recent research available at National High School Center indicates:

With 90% accuracy we can predict a freshman will graduate in four years based on the early warning signs.

With 80% accuracy, we can predict which freshman will take more than 4 years or will dropout.

+Early Warning Signs of Dropout:

Attendance-80/85/90%, absent 10 days in first 30 days of school

Behavior-0-1/2/3 office disciplinary referrals (ODRs)

Course Proficiency- fail in core course in first marking period, 2 fails in two courses

+Within a cradle to career framework, focus on middle schools…. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/educ

ation/dropout-nation/middle-school-moment/

+Let’s look at the Early Warning Sign Tool for Middle and High SchoolCustomizable

Holds Interventions and Risks

Works for an individual, for a group, and for a grade level of students

Free for everyone

+IES Practice Guide Recommendations (within and Response to Intervention framework)

Use of Longitudinal Data

Support for Social and Emotional Skills

Use of Adult Advocate

Personalized Learning Environment and Instruction

Academic Supports and Enhancements

Rigor and Relevance (Career and College Readiness)

+As you watched the Frontline clip, list practices you noticed

1. Use of an adult advocate

2. Use of longitudinal data-attendance, behavior, course proficiency

3. Use of academic supports and enhancements

4. Use of social and emotional supports

5. Use of rigorous and relevant curriculum (career and college ready)

6. Use of personalized learning strategies

+Let’s look at the Early Warning Sign Tool for Middle and High SchoolCustomizable

Holds Interventions and Risks

Works for an individual, for a group, and for a grade level of students

Free for everyone

+Falling off track in 9th grade….

4 reasons youth drop out of school

1. Attraction to risk: drugs, criminal behavior & violence

2. Academic frustration

3. Bureaucratic organization of the school

4. Lifestyle reasons: teen pregnancy, employment to support the family

+The organizational design is an area within our sphere of influence:

Deep Leadership• Organizational

Design• 21st Century

Learners/Workforce Development

Deep Support-• Advising and

Guidance• Mentoring and

Coaching

Deep Experience• Curriculum• Technology

Deep Learning- • Student Voice• Assessment for

Learning• Learning to Learn

+NHSC recommended practices to support Youth with IEPs

Family Engagement

Community Engagement

Tiered Approaches

Tutoring as an academic support

+NHSC recommended practices to support Youth with IEPs

Advisories and team teaching

Small learning communities and personalization

Partnerships between high schools and feeder schools

9th grade transition programs

+NHSC recommended practices to support Youth with IEPs

Achievement in core courses

Career and college readiness

Content recovery courses

Support for students with IEPs outside of school

+Take a look the outcomes….

What observations do you have about exit data?

+Resources

IES Practice Guide: Dropout Prevention

http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/practice_guides/dp_pg_090308.pdf

Middle School Early Warning Sign System

http://www.betterhighschools.org/EWS_middle.asp

High School Early Warning Sign System

http://www.betterhighschools.org/EWS_tool.asp

+Contact Information

Leisa Gallagher

Coordinator, Superintendent’s Dropout Challenge MDE

Director of Reaching and Teaching Struggling Learners, MDE-OSE

E-mail lgallagher@cenmi.org

Work phone 517-908-3921

Cell phone preferred 616-446-6115