duval county public schools dropout prevention plan 2017-2018 · monitoring of high school grading...
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Duval County Public Schools
Dropout Prevention Plan 2017-2018
Page Number
School Board Leadership 2
Letter from the Board 3
District Profile 4
Introduction 5
Graduation Coaches 7
Bridge to Success Academy 10
Bridge to Success Program Data 15
Support Services 18
The Student Enrichment Program 22
Dropout Retrieval Schools 24
Dropout Retrieval School Data 25
Alternative Education Schools 27
GED Waiver Process 31
Youth Development Programs 32
Dropout Prevention Team 33
Table of Contents
Duval County Public Schools Jacksonville, Florida
The Honorable Paula D. Wright Chairman, District 4
The Honorable Ashley Smith Juarez
Vice Chairman, District 3
The Honorable Cheryl Grymes District 1
The Honorable Scott Shine District 2
The Honorable Warren A. Jones District 5
The Honorable Becki Couch District 6
The Honorable Lori Hershey
District 7
Dr. Patricia S. Willis Superintendent of Schools
School Board Leadership
Dear DCPS Stakeholder:
The Duval County School Board is committed to providing high-level programs for our students
and teachers. This plan strives to develop a culture which ensures all students have access to high-quality dropout retrieval programs and alternative education settings which are staffed with
excellent leaders, teachers, and support personnel.
The Dropout Prevention Plan provides insight into our areas of strength, and those areas which
are in need of improvement for the 2017-2018 school year. Each section explores the
accomplishments, strategies for implementation, areas of opportunity, and the three year forecast associated with each aspect of dropout prevention. This overall plan will serve as a blue print for
this division’s way of work and program options during the school year.
Embedded in each of the alternative education or over age programs is information which clearly identifies our current status and provides actionable next steps that will assist with impacting our
graduation rate and dropout rate through transforming programs and support within our schools.
Our district remains committed to providing high quality programs to all students and parents
through the Dropout Prevention and Alternative Education Department. This document continues
to allow all stakeholders involved in areas of dropout prevention to reflect on past work, assess
current practices, and make plans for moving our dropout prevention program forward.
Sincerely,
Paula Wright
Board Chairman
Letter from the Board
DCPS is the 20th largest
school district in the nation
and the 6th largest school district in Florida.
To provide educational
excellence in every school,
in every classroom, for every student, every day.
Every student is inspired
and prepared for success in
college or a career and life.
198
8284
128,702
Ms. Vicki Schultz, Chief of Schools
District Profile
Our Profile Our Mission Our Vision
Schools
Teachers
Students
For many years, it has been said that obtaining an education is not only necessary to
survive, but attainable. However, for some, getting an education is not that simple.
Therefore, dropping out of school continues to be a challenge that many students contemplate. Duval County Public Schools is committed to developing ways to help our
students stay in school and provide them with the support they need to be successful. Together with our community-based partners, local business leaders, and faith‐based
organizations, we continue to strive toward meeting two overarching goals:
Increase the overall and at‐risk graduation rates for the district.
Decrease the dropout rate in Duval County Public Schools.
These goals are directly aligned with our district’s Strategic Plan, in that it addresses
our ability to engage parents, caregivers, and the community as well as our desire to
develop the whole child. This is done through efforts to ensure that existing programs are revised to include research‐based curriculum and support services. New programs
and over age academies have also been added to fulfill the unmet needs of our most at‐risk population. In addition, an Early Warning and Response System has been
developed to identify students as early as sixth grade who are most at‐risk for dropping
out of school. These indicators include:
Failing grades in English Failing grades in Mathematics
Earning a Level 1 performance on Reading and/or Math FSA
Absences in excess of 20 days
Our district continues to provide support services to all schools with the goal of reducing truancy and chronic absenteeism, reducing suspensions and providing models for positive
behavior supports. Full-time Social Workers dedicated to responding to the urgent
student needs, have helped to open the lines of communication for our schools and
families. Other wrap-around support services now in place in numerous schools include the Student Enrichment Program, Communities in Schools, the I’m a Star
and district-based services. These programs exist to provide case management,
mentoring for students of all ages, and tutoring before, during, and after-school
hours.
The Dropout Prevention Plan aligns directly with the mission of the Florida Department of
Education to strategically increase academic engagement, the graduation rate, and post-
secondary participation while decreasing risk factors associated with students dropping out of school prior to earning a high school diploma. The commitment to the use of school-
based and district support staff, and positive behavior interventions in combination with
Introduction
K-12 wrap-around support systems allows our district to make great strides in overall
student success. Our district continues to analyze causal relationships between student
achievement and at-risk behaviors. Duval County Public Schools is committed to serving
our at-risk, over age student population and will continue to provide the necessary tools that will lead to student success in academies, career, and life.
The table below reflects the district’s performance over the past six years regarding the
graduation rate, dropout rate, and 21+ days absent. Improvements in all areas suggest the district’s focus has proven positive. The table shows data for 2010-2016, there was a
consistent graduation rate increase, resulting in a 20.5 percentage point difference. Also,
during this timeframe there was a declining average of 2.85% for the dropout rate.
Implementation of interventions and strategies, such as Graduation Coaches, The Bridge to Success Academy, Support Services, Dropout Retrieval Schools, Alternative Education
Schools, Youth Development Programs, among others, are outlined in this document to
forge toward continued gains.
Table 1
The Graduation Coach is an essential member of school leadership. Their role is
strategically designed to assist with implementing secondary district initiatives and the
monitoring of high school grading components such as the graduation rate, dropout
rate, and college readiness performance. Graduation Coaches collaborate with school leadership to identify targeted groups of students and implement programs designed
to support their academic needs. Currently, Graduation Coaches are housed at the
following high schools: Andrew Jackson, A. Philip Randolph Academies of Technology,
Baldwin Middle/High, Edward H. White, Englewood, First Coast, Frank H. Peterson Academies of Technology, Grand Park, Jean Ribault, Robert E. Lee, Terry Parker,
Westside, William M. Raines, Samuel W. Wolfson, and our Youth Development
Programs. In addition, a Graduation Coach is assigned to support the work of charter
schools.
Accomplishments
Through the notable impact of Graduation Coaches, the district saw an increase in the
graduation rate. In 2015-2016, the graduation rate improved to 78.8%. This reflects a 2.2% increase from the previous year. This accomplishment is attributed to the
DUVAL 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
GRADUATION RATE 67.7% 72.1% 74.0% 76.6% 78.8% TBD
DROPOUT RATE 2.9% 4.1% 2.9% 2.7% 4.5% TBD
21+ DAYS ABSENT 6.0% 6.5% 7.3% 6.7% 12.37% TBD
Graduation Coaches
execution of an intentional plan and on-going professional development through the
district’s Office of School Counseling for principals, graduation coaches, and school
counselors. Principals and school teams participated in frequent graduation check
meetings to maintain a pulse on the progress of the graduation cohort.
Strategies for Implementation
Graduation Coaches utilize a number of reports to accurately identify student
populations and monitor school-based progress. They conduct data analysis on individual students and subgroups in an effort to implement appropriate tiers of
support and maximize accessibility to district interventions. Graduation Coaches assist
schools with ensuring students have access to ACT and SAT assessments, applicable
fee waivers and test preparation opportunities with the intent of securing passing scores on required graduation assessments, offering test preparation opportunities,
and conducting data chats with students to progress monitor their performance
towards meeting graduation requirements. The goal is to ensure students secure
passing scores on required graduation assessments, attain college readiness scores, and pursue college/career financial aid opportunities. In addition, bi‐monthly meetings
are held with the Assistant Superintendent of Accountability and Assessment and the
Office of School Counseling. These meetings focus on reviewing data, sharing of best practices, and problem‐solving. Graduation Coaches also provide an update to district
staff on the status of their graduation cohort.
The Office of Accountability and Assessment utilizes the Graduation Tracker (see Table
2) to remotely monitor and initiate assistance with schools as needed. This software
program monitors data points to determine graduation eligibility for students. Data
points include, but are not limited to, program of study, grade level, eligibility of services for student with disabilities, passing graduation assessments, college
readiness scores, cumulative grade point average as well as the latest enrollment date.
The Graduation Tracker is accessible to the Principal, Graduation Coach and the
district’s Office of School Counseling.
Through the partnership with the Office of School Counseling, district level support is
provided through, but not limited to, academic advising, periodic review of academic
histories, and ensuring accurate coding. In addition, district level support collaborate with school-based leadership to ensure strategies that support student credit
acquisition, application of grade forgiveness, and the evaluation of students’ grade
point average calculation are maximized.
Table 2:
Areas of Opportunity
There are a few areas of opportunity for this intervention. There is a need to expand the number of Graduation Coaches across all high schools, comprehensive and charter, which
will allow for consistency in task implementation and support of district initiatives. Another
area of opportunity is the re-engagement of students who are no longer attending school
and inspire them to complete their education. In response to this opportunity, truancy
officers will continue be deployed to schools in an effort to locate and support students who have indicated they do not plan enroll with the district in August and to follow-up with those
who did not attend the first few days of the school year. Last, the Graduation Tracker
currently monitors a single cohort as it relates to school grade indicators. Another
opportunity is for the Graduation Tracker to capture multiple cohorts at the same time. (Plans to resolve this concern are currently in progress.)
Three Year Forecast of What Can be Expected
Over the next three years, the district will continue its focus on timely graduation of the ninth-grade cohorts and continue to offer accelerated credit retrieval opportunities.
The district will continue to implement various tiers of support to increase the
graduation rate and reduce the dropout rate.
The Bridge to Success (BTS) Academy addresses barriers to graduation through a
comprehensive approach. The BTS program began during the 2013-2014 school year and
has provided an option for students that would have disengaged or dropped out of school.
By leveraging community partners, the district has developed a program that provides individual support to help students graduate on time and become ready to fulfill college and
career goals. The program provides a small classroom setting with caring teachers,
administrators, and staff. Through the collaborative work of the teachers, administrators,
and community partners, students are able to experience learning in an environment that
meets their needs. The Bridge to Success Academy provides services to students who are in 4th through 12th grade. The elementary/middle school main campus is located at 2115
Commonwealth Avenue. This campus serves grades 4th – 8th. The high school main campus
is located at 1157 Golfair Boulevard in the lower level of A. Philip Randolph Academies and
serves 9th through 12th grade.
Support services that enhance the academic experience include:
Rigorous face-to-face instruction aligned with district curriculum and instructional
resources Meaningful relationships with student advocates and mentors
Positive behavior support and interventions
Daily attendance monitoring
Quarterly parent forums and parent engagement activities
The BTS criteria seeks to support over age students with earning credits at an accelerated
pace. The selection pool includes students district-wide, who choose to apply.
Program eligibility includes: Two or more years over age and/or two or more retentions
Priority given to students attending the comprehensive satellite site high school
(if applicable)
Online and/ or Paper Application Interview with parent and prospective student
Assessment of GPA, behavior, and attendance records
Program Sites Program sites are located in area comprehensive schools identified as having a significant
number of over age students. The West Jacksonville main campus serves both elementary
and middle school students grades 4th through 8th. In addition to the main campus, there
are three middle school satellite sites that serve grades 6th – 8th grades at Arlington,
Matthew Gilbert, and Jeb Stuart Middle Schools. The high school main campus operates out of A. Philip Randolph Academy and Technology on the lower level. The high school satellite
The Bridge to Success Academy
sites support students in 9th-12th grade at William M. Raines High School and Westside High
Schools.
Program Implementation Upon enrollment, each student is scheduled in the core classes required to meet promotion
expectations. Virtual classes are available through Duval Virtual Instruction Academy
(DVIA) and Florida Virtual (FLVS) platforms. Students use district instructional materials,
curriculum, and technology as they complete coursework. Teachers utilize the latest technology of interactive, multi-sync monitors and access to laptop carts. When middle
school students enter the program, they complete one-grade level during the first semester
of school. Student then move on to coursework for the next grade level resulting in the
opportunity to complete two grade levels in one year. High school students are scheduled in their core classes based on the number of required credits remaining. A first-time 9th
grader would be scheduled in their 9th and 10th grade core classes with 1-2 electives. This
model allows high school students the opportunity to complete two years of coursework in
one school year.
Partnerships:
The Bridge to Success Academy is fortunate to have agencies that contract with the district
to provide services to BTS sites to increase attendance, reduce misbehavior, and foster
meaningful relationships. Communities in Schools (CIS) of Jacksonville provides a full-time site coordinator at each of the satellite locations. This staff member is responsible for
monitoring daily attendance, conducting home visits, and providing case management.
Previous years’ partnerships include The Bridge of Northeast Florida and I’m a Star
Foundation.
Bridge to Success – Elementary
The primary objective of the elementary over age program is to provide support to our most at-risk population of elementary students. This program offers a range of services and
experiences. Elementary students in 4th and 5th grade may enroll in the BTS program.
Accomplishments The 2016-2017 school year was the first year that elementary students were accepted in
the Bridge to Success Program. Approximately eighty students were enrolled in the
elementary program and were able to double promote to the next grade level. Many of
these students are returning to BTS to acquire additional coursework to get on track.
Strategies for Implementation
Students participate in face-to-face instruction in a small classroom environment. They are
introduced to the same coursework they would have received in their neighborhood school.
BTS staff adjusts the pacing such that students are exposed to two grade levels in one school year. District and school-based academic coaches work with teachers to develop
curriculum guides and instructional support. All students participate in state testing and
must meet the district student progression requirements in order to promote to the next
grade level.
Areas of Opportunity
The West Jacksonville Bridge to Success site is the only site that accepts elementary
students. There is an opportunity to create additional elementary sites that allow students
to acquire course work in an accelerated model.
Three Year Forecast of What Can be Expected
In the next three years, Bridge to Success will continue to offer its program to elementary
students. Unfortunately, there are students who are over age for their grade level in the K-5 grade band. BTS has proven to be a positive response to support academies and social-
emotional learning.
Bridge to Success - Secondary
During the past four years, the over age program – Bridge to Success (BTS), operated out
of two schools for secondary students. During the program’s inception, James Weldon
Johnson Academic & Career Training Center (JWJ-ACTC) served middle school students in
6th–8th grade and The School for the Future served high school students in 9th–12th grade. At the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year, the main campus of the BTS program
relocated to West Jacksonville Elementary, with enrollment opportunities for grades 4th –
12th.
Middle School:
Accomplishments
The middle school program of the Bridge to Success Academy has grown to an enrollment
of over 400 students in four locations—Arlington Middle, Jeb Stuart Middle, Matthew Gilbert
Middle, and West Jacksonville school. Students have shown a genuine interest in their satisfaction with the BTS program through their attendance and their survey responses.
The average daily attendance for the 2016-2017 school year was 91%. The attendance rate
is admirable compared to the comprehensive schools’ district average daily attendance rate
of 94%. Furthermore, Gallup survey responses indicate that students believe they are more likely to promote/graduate from BTS than their previous school. For the past three years,
the average number of credits earned has continued to increase from an average of 7.86
credits earned in 2013 to 10.5 credits earned in 2017. In addition to improvement in credit
acquisition, the middle school students also improved their behavior.
Strategies for Implementation
Students who are two years or more over age submit applications for enrollment to the
Bridge to Success program via a paper application. The enrollment process for middle school
students includes participating in an interview. The interview panel is comprised of
administrators, teachers, and community partners. Students and their parent/guardian are
required to take part in the interview. The interview gives the enrollment team an
opportunity to assess families’ genuine interest in the program. Students have the choice
to attend school at the main campus or at one of the satellite sites. The satellite site
locations are available to allow students to attend their neighborhood school and participate
in extra-curricular activities without losing the comprehensive school experience. Once
enrolled in elementary or middle school, students complete their first year of coursework in
the first semester and their second year of coursework in the second semester. Teachers
work diligently to assist students with demonstrating mastery; struggling students are
provided an opportunity to recover failed courses. Additionally, wrap-around services are
provided through community partners. Students receive support through monitoring and
incentives for attendance and academics.
High School
Accomplishments
Great improvements have occurred within the high school program of the Bridge to Success Academy as well. Tables 3 and 4 capture a four year comparison of the number of diplomas,
CoCs and the program’s graduation rate. Each year since inception, there has been
significant growth in the graduation rate; doubling from the 2013-2014 of 14% to 28% in
2014-2015. Remarkably, in 2015-2016, this was the first year that high school diplomas exceeded the number of certificate of completions earned. This success can be attributed
to district level focus on graduation rate and the effective leadership of the Bridge to Success
team of administrators, teachers, and students.
Table 3
Comparison of diplomas vs. certificates of completion
2013-2014* 2014-2015* 2015-2016* 2016-2017* Total
Diploma 50 70 110 39 269
Certificate of
Completion
37 98 69 17 221
Total 87 168 179 56 490
*Reflects multi-year cohort data
Table 4
Graduation rate comparison 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017
Grad Rate 14.1% 28.9% 35% TBD
Strategies for Implementation
Students who are two years or more over age submit applications for enrollment to the
Bridge to Success program via an online application. The high school selection process
involves a review of students’ academic history, grade point average, and the number of
credits still needed. High school scheduling allows the flexibility of scheduling students in
half credit courses. Through an accelerated delivery model, students are scheduled so that
they are able to attempt coursework in two grade levels simultaneously. The program
offers a complete selection of core courses for 9th – 12th grade (See Table 5). Elective
course offerings are available but limited. Students who need core or elective courses
outside of the ones described here are scheduled in the course through our district’s virtual
platform, Duval Virtual Instruction Academy (DVIA). With this design, students have an
opportunity to accelerate toward promotion to their correct grade and/or graduation. High
school students also benefit from small class sizes and passionate educators. The high
school satellite sites are located at A. Philip Randolph, William M. Raines and Westside High
Schools. The satellite site locations allow students to attend their neighborhood school and
participate in extra-curricular activities without losing the comprehensive school experience.
High school students receive wrap-around services to reduce barriers and increase student
attendance. The A.Philip Randolph BTS site serves as the main campus for the high school.
Table 5 - BTS High School Core Course Offerings
Math English Science Social Studies
Algebra 1 Geometry
Algebra 2
Math for College Readiness
English I English II
English III
English IV
Environmental Science Marine Science
Biology
World History US History
Economics
US Government
Areas of Opportunity for Middle and High School
Many students in the over age population are faced with the choice of attending school or
going to work. Too often, students opt to go to work in lieu of getting their education needs and demands of independence. There’s an opportunity to schedule students creatively
wherein they are able to attend a morning or afternoon session. This would afford the
students who are trying to balance school and work the flexibility to do both. Another area
of opportunity lies in improving measures to connect with students who have previously earned a Certificate of Completion (CoC). Generally, students who earn a CoC have met all
graduation requirements with the exception of the state testing requirements for Reading
and/or Math. Through the support of school-based administrators, school counselors, and
community partners, it is our intent to have students with CoCs connected to re-take test sessions, ACT/SAT administration dates, test prep materials and tutoring that will prepare
them to meet the state test requirement and assist in their receipt of a high school diploma.
Three Year Forecast of What Can be Expected
Over the next three years, it is expected that more students will matriculate through the
middle/high school academic option and draw closer to earning a standard diploma. It is
anticipated that Bridge to Success will continue to be an option for over age students. Plans to focus on both ends of the continuum – the elementary level to remediate before a student
receives a second retention and at the secondary level to assist students with recovering
and acquiring credits for graduation.
Bridge to Success Program Data
High School Data
The high school program of the Bridge to Success Academy has made a tremendous impact on the graduation rate of at-risk youth. The BTS program is an avenue for over
age students to graduate on-time or within one year of their kindergarten cohort. Students
benefit from the small classroom setting, instructional assistance and monitoring with
virtual classes, and face-to-face instructional program model.
Tables 6 and 7 show the four year evolvement of the enrollment and attendance of the
BTS program. The enrollment across BTS sites has declined over the past 2 school terms
due to several factors. While data reflects a demand for the over age program, students
are faced with environmental, familial, and interpersonal challenges that hinder their commitment to enrolling with BTS. The average daily attendance continues to be an area
of focus. Even after encouraging students to enroll in the BTS program, daily attendance
proves to be a struggle for them. Since the 2013-2014 school year, the average daily
attendance has declined by nearly 10 percentage points. As a result, an increased emphasis is being placed on improving the average daily attendance. Communities in
Schools’ Site Coordinators will use increased efforts to establish and maintain a close
relationship with students in the program by conducting home visits during the first
quarter and continue throughout the year for potentially truant students to establish and
maintain relationships, assess needs in the home, link to community services as needed, and follow-up on linkage. Table 6 Table 7 Enrollment Average Daily Attendance
2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017
817 619 449 217
2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017
86.55% 82.01% 79%
The high school Bridge to Success program’s data reflects significant improvements in the areas of credit acquisition and discipline (see Tables 8 and 9). For the past 3 years, the
percentage of students earning 3 or more credits has been between 86%-88%. To add,
the number of discipline infractions committed by BTS high school has decrease
significantly. During the 2015-2016 school year, the high school level decrease incidents
overall and across each of the referral levels. The decrease is directly attributed to the support of community partners, well-developed systems, as well as administrators and
faculty who take advantage of restorative justice to encourage the desired behavior.
Table 8 Academics Table 9 Discipline
3 year comparison - % of students earning 3+ credits
BTS High School
SY1415 SY1516 SY1617 +/-
*
% of students
earning 3+
credits
88% 85% 86% -2
*Reflects change from 2014 to 2017
Code of Conduct
High School
2014-
2015
2015-
2016
2016-
2017
**
# of overall
incidents 608 567
Class I 228 230
Class II 331 310
Class III 47 27
Class IV 2 0
Discipline comparison based off of day 180 across 3 years. *Reflects change from 2013 to 2015
**See Table 13a
Middle School Data
The middle school, Bridge to Success program continues to attract middle school families.
For the past three years, the enrollment for BTS middle school sites has been at capacity
prior to the first day of school (see Table 10). In reviewing the average daily attendance, BTS middle school’s average is comparable to the district-wide middle school attendance
(see Table 11). Table 10 Enrollment Table 11 Average Daily Attendance
2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017
414 333 424 383
2015-2016 2016-2017
92% 91%
Since the launch of the program, the middle school students of BTS have participated in
a mid-year promotion exercise to celebrate their accomplishments (Table 12) and a yearly formal promotional exercise for the eighth graders. They are recognized for promoting to
9th grade and individual student awards are given to students for their academic
performance in coursework and in blended learning platforms as well. Much like the high
school program, the middle school end of year discipline results reflect declines in most
areas shown in Table 13. There was a slight increase in the number of Level I offenses, with a significant decrease in overall incidents. Table 12 Midyear Promotion Table 13 Discipline
School Year Mid-Year Promotion by Grade Level
6th 7th 8th
2013-2014 72% 78% 57%
2014-2015 97% 95% 87%
2015-2016 76% 76% 71%
2016-2017 92% 94% 94%
Code of
Conduct
Middle School
2014-
2015
2015-
2016
2016-
2017
**
# of overall
incidents 885 1342
Class I 139 410
Class II 692 898
Class III 54 34
Class IV 0 0
Discipline comparison based off of day 180 across 3 years. *Reflects change from 2013 to 2015
**See Table 13a
Table 13a
Discipline Infractions 1617 thru School Day Number 180 Total Infractions Class I Class II Class III Class IV
1574 732 797 44 1
In the table above, the data reflects discipline infractions accrued by students for the elementary, middle, and high levels at BTS. While the data is not broken down by level,
the number of overall infractions for the 2016-2017 school year is 335 referrals less than
the combined total of both schools from the 2015-2016 school year. Through intentional
work around positive behavior supports, this program has played an integral role in assisting students with managing their behavior.
Survey Results
Annually, BTS students participate in a survey that captures their feelings about experiences in the program. In the tables below, the data shows the alignment of the
positive effects of the support services provided to students.
Table 14 Analysis of BTS Survey Results
Question SY1516 SY1617 +/-
I am experiencing more success in my classes at BTS
than I did at my home school. 68.9% 69.21% +.31
I am staying out of trouble more often at BTS than I
did at my home school 56.2% 65.5% +9.3
I believe that I am more likely to achieve my goals of
promoting/graduating at BTS than if I was still at my
home school.
70.5% 75.11% +4.61
*Results reflect students indicating they strongly agreed
Survey results (see Table 15) show the effectiveness of the Bridge to Success program
in the following areas:
Students experience more success in classes in the Bridge to Success program.
Due to student engagement, they have less discipline concerns.
Supportive wrap-around services helped students to feel more supported than at
their home school.
Table 15
Bridge to Success SY1617 Student Survey
Question Strongly Disagree
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly
Agree
I believe that my classes are as challenging in the Bridge to Success Program as they were at my home school.
10.04% 16.16% 31.88% 28.17% 13.76%
I am experiencing more success in my classes at BTS than I did at my home school.
6.33% 6.99% 17.47% 34.06% 35.15%
I have a closer relationship with the adults at my BTS site than I did at my home school.
12.88% 13.32% 31.00% 23.58% 19.21%
I am staying out of trouble more often at BTS than I did at my home school.
6.33% 6.33% 21.83% 29.69% 35.81%
I am attending school more often with BTS than I did when I was at my home school.
6.99% 7.64% 29.91% 29.48% 25.98%
Overall, I feel more supported at BTS than I did at my home school.
7.86% 9.17% 25.33% 29.48% 28.17%
I believe that I am more likely to achieve my goals of promoting/graduating at BTS than if I was still at my home school.
5.46% 3.71% 15.72% 32.53% 42.58%
I am more comfortable in classes with students who have also struggled before in school but who know they can succeed.
9.17% 6.55% 24.02% 31.00% 29.26%
Within the Dropout Prevention Office, district-level support services work to ensure
students receive access to the resources they need to be successful. Social workers advocate for students by serving as the link between Duval County Public Schools and
community agencies that are providing services to the student and family. These agencies
include Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), Family Support Services of
Northeast Florida (FSSNF), and other Community Management Organizations (CMOs).
Foster Care
The District Foster Care program seeks to support students who are no longer in the care of the parent due to being at-risk, neglected, or abandoned while in their parents’ care.
Support services are provided through district social workers and external agencies.
These staff members work collaboratively to assist students with home placement, school
enrollment, and transportation. Social workers monitor, attendance, discipline, and the
academic progress of children in care while they are enrolled in our district.
The Florida Department of Education requires that each District designate a Foster Care
Liaison. This person is responsible for supporting students in foster care district-wide.
Additionally, each school within our district has identified a school-based foster care liaison
Support Services
to assist with the enrollment and reducing barriers that impede students’ academic
progress.
Accomplishments In December, 2016, new federal guidelines outlined in the Every Student Succeeds Act
(ESSA) called for changes in the areas of enrollment, transportation, and school
placement. As a result, our district developed an ESSA Implementation Team comprised
of district staff from across all departments. This team is responsible for ensuring that our district is operating within the law and in the best interest of students.
Strategies for Implementation
The District Foster Care Liaison works collaboratively with the Department of Children and Families to maintain an accurate account of the number of students in our district who are
in foster care. Reports are generated daily, as placement for foster care students is just
that fluid. Enrollment procedures were provided to each principal and each school-based
liaison for foster care. Each school-based liaison is responsible for supporting students in
their building.
Areas of Opportunity
An area of opportunity is to acquire a data sharing agreement between the district and the
Department of Children and Families. This would allow for real-time data that accurately reflects the enrollment or change of placement for a student in foster care.
Three Year Forecast of What Can Be Expected
It is projected that our district will continue to support children in care. Through the quarterly meetings with the ESSA implementation team, it is expected that the partnership
between the district and external agencies will strengthen. There will be an increased
awareness through the exchange of ideas to make informed decisions about placement,
access to resources, and progress toward academic achievement.
Contact Information
Trina Lovett, Social Worker – District Foster Care Liaison
Data Comparison – Foster Care
Indicator SY1516 SY1617
# of students Survey 3 349 (419 EOY) 460 (466 EOY)
Average Daily
Attendance
91.2% 89.3%
Average Credits Earned 5.87 2.48
% promoted 79.9% 68.5%
# of Diplomas 4 TBD
# of CoCs 1 TBD
Families in Transition - Homeless The Stewart B. McKinney‐Vento Homeless Assistance Act authorizes direct services that
enable homeless children, including preschool‐aged children and youth, to enroll, attend,
and achieve success in school. The initiative that oversees this is Families in Transition.
The primary goal of this support service is to ensure that barriers are eliminated so that
the students served will be able to enroll and attend school with as much normalcy as possible.
The Families in Transition program has several goals to address students who do not
reside in permanent housing. To identify children and youth who are homeless To enroll homeless children in school
To provide intervention services to homeless students
To track homeless students To provide awareness training to School Board staff, students, parents, and
community agencies
Student Eligibility The McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children and youth as individuals who lack
fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence.
Referral Procedures
Each school has a dedicated Families in Transition liaison where school personnel or the student body can reach out to for connection to community resources. A variety of
sources may refer families for services: teachers, principals, school social workers,
parents, school psychologists, students, school counselors, and community agency staff.
Contact Information
Ms. Tricia Pough, Social Worker
Ms. Takiya Tillman, Social Worker
Accomplishments
During the 2016-2017 school year, approximately 3,000 homeless students were
identified as having been enrolled in a Duval County Public School. The increase is
attributed to elevated awareness, training, and collaborative partnerships. Internally,
each school has identified a school-based liaison for homeless students. This staff member
works collaboratively with district social works to assist families who are in transition.
Strategies for Implementation School-based and district staff work collaboratively to identify families in transition district-
wide. A referral process for homeless students allows school-based staff to collect
pertinent information and begin the steps toward linking families with housing, school
placement, and other resources. Social workers play a key role in the development of a plan to respond to the support services referral received from schools. After which, there
is case management follow-up to bridge the gap so that students can focus on academics
and not external environmental factors.
Areas of Opportunity
Although systems are in place to implement the referral process, there is a need to
improve the messaging of available services to stakeholders within the organization.
Schools within the district need an increased awareness of the menu options available to
families. District-wide, in-depth professional development is needed to equip school-based staff with best practices and current processes. Furthermore, there is a need for
sensitivity to our special at-risk populations using today’s resources, such as social devices
that are creative and analogically designed to create an endearing commitment of
academic excellence for all students.
Three Year Forecast of What Can be Expected
With continued growth in this area, we anticipate improving our practices in identifying
families in transition. In doing so, we hope to leverage students’ ability to focus on academics and graduation versus stable housing. We further intend to increase additional
personnel so that the delinquent, at-risk, and neglected students across our district can be
identified and supported.
Data Comparison – Homeless
Indicator SY1516 SY1617
# of students Survey 3 4321 2294
Average Daily
Attendance
83.5% 89.4%
Average Credits Earned 4.6 6.71
% promoted 89.1% 69.5%
# of Diplomas 72 TBD
# of CoCs 4 TBD
The Student Enrichment Program (SEP) is the initial program that Communities in Schools (CIS) began in Jacksonville schools more than 20 years ago. SEP places full and part‐time
site coordinators on school campuses throughout Duval County. Site Coordinators work with principals, teachers, and school counselors to stabilize students who are at risk of
falling behind or dropping out of school. Major funding for SEP sites comes from grants
provided by The DuBow Family Foundation, Duval County Public Schools, The Jim Moran
Foundation, and the United Way of Northeast Florida.
Currently, Site Coordinators are staffed in 10 public schools including a K-8 school, one
elementary school, one middle school, seven high schools (listed below). Each Site
Coordinator work individually with 100 to 150 students. These students are counseled
individually and in group sessions, throughout the year, enabling them to realize their potential and establish goals. They also provide students with life skills needed to reach
set goals. Home visits and parental involvement activities are essential components of the
program in to promote high attendance and establish relationships with
parents/guardians. Site Coordinators also connect students and families to needed community resources based on individual needs. While Site Coordinators work individually
with select students from the school’s student body, hundreds of others are reached through school‐wide services such as career fairs, parent seminars, and literacy programs.
Elementary Schools:
John E. Ford K-8 and Lake Forest
High Schools:
Andrew Jackson, A. Philip Randolph Academies
of Technology, Frank H. Peterson Academies
of Technology, Terry Parker, William Raines,
Jean Ribault, & Ed White
Middle Schools:
Arlington and John E. Ford K-8
Accomplishments
The Student Enrichment Program provides daily support to over 700 students in 10 schools
across the district. Within this population of students, 98% of them have missed less than
21 days of school at mid-year. This is equivalent to the 2014-2015 school year’s percentage at mid-year. The work of the Site Coordinators have impacted these results
through developing relationships with students, contacting parents and visiting the home
when necessary, and providing motivational incentives when students obtained academic
and attendance goals. CIS staff also hosted seminars to prepare students for college, career and life success, obtained additional grants for site specific activities, and took
students on college tours and community events.
Student Enrichment Program
Strategies for Implementation
The participant pool of SEP is consists of students who are referred by teachers,
counselors, parents, and administrators, and some are self-select. Site coordinators
provide case management services through parent contact, individual and group sessions and by referring students to other social service agencies. Through the support of CIS,
students participate in field trips exposure to cultural experiences and for recreation.
Participating schools benefit from school-wide activities led by the CIS site coordinator.
Over 460 families have been connected to their child’s school through family game nights, parent academies, grade level parent nights and open house events.
Areas of Opportunity
Understanding the importance of data, an area of opportunity rest in the ability to track students’ progress across multiple years of participation. Having an indicator in FOCUS,
our student information system, associated with a student’s participation in the SEP will
improve our ability to capture this data. SEP is being improved through better data
monitoring of attendance, behavior, and academic performance. Another area of
opportunity is to intentionally link the day to day work of the site coordinator to measurable objectives of the SEP contract.
Three Year Forecast of What Can be Expected
Over the next three years, it is expected that services provided through the Communities in Schools Student Enrichment Program will expand to serve more students. As a result
of the services delivered by CIS staff, at-risk students across the district will continue to
attend school regularly, manage their behavior and make progress toward graduating with
a high school diploma.
Data Comparison - Student Enrichment Plan Measureable Objectives Outcome
2015-2016 2016-2017
Met?
Maintain a 90% or greater end of year
promotion rate
97% 98% Yes
Maintain a minimum of 90% for students
who miss less than 21 days of school
98% 97% Yes
Increase the number of students who
received no referrals or suspensions by
10%
70% No referrals – 76%
No suspensions – 89%
Yes
Score a rating of 90% or greater on a
student survey in the area of partnership
effectiveness.
* 99% Yes
Catapult Academy
Duval County Public Schools contracts with Catapult Academy to offer flexible schooling
options to students who have withdrawn from traditional schools for various reasons. Catapult Academy is instrumental in helping the district reach students between the ages
of 16 to 21 and in grades 9 through 12, who are no longer enrolled in Duval County Public
Schools. Catapult’s enrollment during Survey 3 was approximately 1,200 students.
Students have an opportunity to complete their high credentials and earn a standard diploma. Credit recovery and test preparation are available at satellite campuses which
are distributed equally across the city in seven communities. Students attend five hours
each day, Monday through Friday, either in the morning or afternoon. The instruction is
computer-based, with additional instruction provided by certified teachers and para-
professionals. Catapult also performs a graduation ceremony for students and their families.
Catapult Academy is currently being offered at the following sites:
Arlington
Mandarin
Murray Hill
Riverview
Gateway
St. Johns
103rd Street
Other dropout retrieval schools in Duval County
Biscayne High School Grades: 9‐12
1680 Dunn Ave.
Jacksonville, Fl. 32218
904.301.4364
Lone Star High School Grades: 9‐12
8050‐1 Lone Star Rd.
Jacksonville Fl. 32211
904.725.5998
MycroSchool for Integrated Technologies Grades: 9‐12
1584 Normandy Village Pkwy
Suite 25
Jacksonville Fl. 32221
904.783.3611
SALTech (School of Accelerated Academics and Technologies) Grades: 9‐12
4751 Walgreen Rd.
Jacksonville Fl. 32209
904.328.5001
Dropout Retrieval Schools
Dropout Retrieval School Data
The data in tables below shows various aspects of performance for the district’s dropout retrieval schools. It is often the case that this population of students have experienced
limited success in the traditional school setting as it relates to attendance, discipline, and
credit acquisition. The data snapshot in the tables 17-21 reveal the five year performance
in enrollment, graduation, dropout rate, and average number of credits earned various dropout retrieval schools.
During the 2015-2016 school year, various schools participated in district-led graduation
check meetings. Under the leadership of the Assistant Superintendent of Accountability and Assessment and the district School Counseling Office, dropout retrieval school teams
met with district staff to monitor schools’ potential graduates. The grad check meeting
was a chance for each school to receive feedback about their cohort graduating students.
The district school counseling office offered troubleshooting strategies to assist charter
schools with reducing the number of negative cohort numbers and subsequently increasing the graduation rate.
Table 17 Survey 3 Enrollment
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Biscayne - - - - 140 203 227 245
BTS High School
- - 84 125 692 501 414 217
Catapult 792 779 713 598 407 714 1218 1222
JWJ-ACTC - - - 94 418 409 420 383
Lonestar - 252 353 282 343 327 261 223
Murray Hill - - 134 330 325 257
MycroSchool - - - 215 274 263 272 271
SALTech 198 174 161 152 137 135 137 219
Total 990 1205 1445 1796 2736 2809 2949 2780
Table 18 Six Year Comparison of Graduation Rate Percentages for Dropout Retrieval Sites
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Biscayne - - - - 7.70 15.10 9.7
BTS High School - - - - 14.10 28.90 36.4
Catapult 5.39 1.71 3.34 2.65 6.00 10.50 11.4
Lonestar - 5.26 2.11 1.23 8.70 14.50 24.2
Murray Hill - - 9.09 2.78 7.80 8.60 0
MycroSchool - - - 16.67 24.40 24.80 30.6
SALTech 27.71 38.10 25.00 33.33 30.00 29.20 6.3
Table 19 Six Year Comparison of Dropout Rate for Dropout Retrieval Sites
Dropout Rate
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Biscayne - - - - - TBA
BTS High School
- - 0.00 3.20 2.70 TBA
Catapult 27.32 14.30 24.40 45.90 44.1 TBA
Lonestar - 0.00 9.50 28.50 23.00 TBA
Murray Hill - - 13.20 31.00 21.90 TBA
MycroSchool - - - 0.30 7.4 TBA
SALTech 0.57 0.00 0.40 1.90 3.3 TBA
Table 20 Six Year Comparison of the Average Number of Credits Earned for Dropout Retrieval Sites
Average Credits Earned
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Biscayne - - - - 1.42 1.38 2.2 2.4
BTS High School
- - 6.21 5.87 5.87 6.26 5.9 6.0
Catapult 2.11 2.06 1.55 1.19 2.09 0.74 1.7 1.9
JWJ-ACTC - - - 7.86 7.65 9.24 9.6 10.5
Lonestar - 2.51 2.28 1.66 1.95 1.61 3.0 2.3
Murray Hill - - 1.58 1.70 2.53 1.58 0 0
MycroSchool - - - 2.56 3.45 2.73 3.0 1.7
SALTech 5.70 4.58 5.44 4.92 6.13 9.25 2.2 2.1
Accomplishments
Notable areas of accomplishment related to enrollment are the growing enrollment at
Catapult and James Weldon Johnson Academic & Career Training Center (JWJ-ACTC) also
known as Bridge to Success Middle School. The enrollment at BTS Middle has maintained
full capacity due to their effective academic, emotional, and social program model. Small
class sizes and caring staff has also contribute to the consistent maxed enrollment.
The graduation rate is another area of celebration for the Dropout Retrieval Schools. A
few of these schools increased their graduation rate from the previous year. In the 2015-
2016 school year, BTS high school doubled their graduation rate from the previous year. This increase is linked to the acquisition of credits through virtual classes that were not
otherwise attainable through face-to-face instruction. Another area of accomplishment is
the decline in the district dropout rate. While the overall dropout rate declined from 2.9%
in 2013 to 2.7% in 2014, four of the Dropout Retrieval Schools decreased their dropout rate from the previous year. Continued focus on academic advisement and non-traditional
program options are the reason for this decline. As shown in Table 20, the schools that
have the highest credits earned are BTS High School, JWJ-ACTC, and Biscayne. Over the
past two years BTS Middle/High School has led the pack in highest number of credits
earned.
Strategies for Implementation
School-based counselors and Graduation Coaches provide academic advisement to
students who are at-risk of dropping out. In cases where the student is at-risk of aging
out due to the few number of credits earned and GPA, counselors recommend an alternative learning environment. The dropout retrieval schools offer a variation of
academic settings as well as flexible and extended hours, a blended learning format, and
locations other than a comprehensive school setting. In some instances, students seek
assistance for alternative education options by contacting the district office. The Alternative Education and Dropout Prevention Office assists at-risk and over age students
with school placement in a setting that meets their individual learning needs. Such options
are discussed in this plan.
Areas of Opportunity
There is a need to improve awareness of the dropout retrieval program options. By doing
so, students and families will gain a thorough understanding of their academic alternative
choices, in lieu of dropping out. Messaging of dropout retrieval options will be done
through district counselor meetings, the school choice options, and the district web page.
Three Year Forecast of What Can be Expected
Dropout retrieval schools will continue to provide an alternative option for non-traditional
students. The Dropout Prevention Office in collaboration with the School Choice Office and
the District School Counseling Office will work with students and families to message the
menu of alternative educational options. Information is shared via walk-in visits, telephone
inquiries, and inter-office referrals. School-based counselors will extend dropout retrieval
selections to help students find the best environment for obtaining their high school
diploma.
Alternative Schools for Behavior
Duval County Public Schools offers an alternative setting for students who have committed behavior offenses in their neighborhood schools. Students are referred to the district
hearing officer who reviews the facts surrounding the offense. Based on criteria outlined
in the district student Code of Conduct, the hearing officer determines whether a student
is assigned to an alternative school. The district currently has two sites for alternative
education (Table 22). The behavior alternative schools underwent a re-design during the 2015-2016 school year, which included restructuring of grade levels and providing
additional services.
Alternative Education Schools
Table 22
District Alternative Schools for Discipline
Mattie V. Rutherford Grand Park
Grade Level 4th through 9th 6th – 12th
Criteria Students that exhibit repetitive
misbehavior
Students that exhibit a pattern of
continuous aggressive misbehavior
Length of
Assignment
45 to 90 days 1 calendar year
Support Staff Transition Specialist, Social Worker, & School Psychologist
Administrator Mr. Maurice NeSmith
1514 Hubbard St. | Jacksonville,
FL 32206
904.630.6782
Dr. Tyrone Blue
2335 W. 18th St. | Jacksonville, FL
32209
904.630.6894
Accomplishments The Alternative schools have experienced a decline in enrollment at both schools. This is
partly due to adding a full-time Social Worker, Transition Specialist, and School
Psychologist to deliver support in the alternative setting. These staff members play an
integral role in supporting teachers and students through the use of behavior interventions and de-escalation strategies. Another area of accomplishment is related to the alternative
schools’ rate of students who exit and return within the same school year. As shown in
Table 23, both Mattie V. Rutherford and Grand Park had a decrease in the number of
students who exit and re-enter the alternative school in the same school year. Table 23
Alternative Education Programs Re-entry Rate for Alternative
Schools 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017
Grand Park 5% 10% 0%
Mattie V. Rutherford 9.7% 5% 2%
Strategies for Implementation
Students are referred to the Hearing Officer by the administrator of a traditional school.
Based on the information provided, the Hearing Officer makes the determination to assign
a student to Mattie V. Rutherford or Grand Park. Students’ academic history and current grades are also reviewed. The alternative school counselors schedule students in classes
aligned with their original schedule from their previous school. Each student, and their
parent/guardian, must participate in an orientation before the student attends. The
orientation is conducted individually, and the parent and student are provided pertinent
information to ensure they are aware of the rules and regulations of the school. School
uniforms are required and transportation is provided, if needed, to alleviate non-
attendance and tardiness.
Areas of Opportunity While the alternative schools have improved in multiple areas, there are opportunities to
consider for improvement. The Code of Conduct has undergone significant changes over
the past two years, shifting a focus toward intervention design and meeting the needs of
the whole child. It is the desire of the Office of Alternative Education and Dropout Prevention to see The Code of Student Conduct include a behavior matrix for the
traditional school and the alternative school. Too often, students at alternative schools
continue to receive the same types of consequences applied in the previous school.
Additionally, there is opportunity to streamline the interventions students receive. This can be captured through improved behavior monitoring by teachers and school
administrators.
Three Year Forecast of What Can be Expected
Continuing with the existing model, it is expected that both alternative education centers will improve their implementation of Tier 3 support for the district’s most fragile students
as it relates to behavior. Through the use of professional development for staff and support
from the Office of Culture and Climate, the alternative education sites will have access to
the resources needed to support their students. It is further expected that the impact of the program will continue to reduce the re-entry rate and serve as a model of what positive
behavior supports can provide.
Alternative School for Vocational Training Marine Science Center
Duval County Public Schools offers an alternative education setting for students interested
in obtaining a high school diploma and vocational training. Students enrolled at the Marine
Science Center divide their day between academics and commercial fishing with the goal of earning a State of Florida High School Performance-Based Diploma and a vocational
certificate. To be eligible for the program, potential students must be over age for their
grade level, at least 16 years old, and must commit to attend the program for one school
year. Additionally, students entering the program cannot graduate prior to what would
have been their graduation date. Prospective students are first given a TABE test to assess their basic education skills, which may assist in determining their success in the program.
The Marine Science Center’s program is designed such that students who pass the GED,
10th grade reading and writing FSA, the Algebra 1 EOC or a concordant score on the ACT,
SAT or PERT exam will receive a Florida High School Performance-Based Diploma. Students that don’t obtain a passing score on their FSA and or the Algebra 1 EOC but pass
the GED will be awarded a GED High School Diploma only.
Accomplishments
As shown in Table 24, the Marine Science Center has proven to be promising academic
alternative setting. Through its delivery of education the Center has maintained an average GPA of at least 2.0 each year for the past four years. Additionally, they have
consistently graduated more students with a high school diploma than a GED, and has
maintained more than 40 total graduates each year for these same years, with 67 in 2016
alone. Table 24 4 Year Comparison of Marine Science Center’s Performance
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Average GPA – 11th
graders
2.48 2.5 2.58 2.1 2.86
Average GPA – 12th
graders
2.68 2.72 2.97 2.00 2.08
# of diploma graduates 42 40 38 58 67
# of GED graduates 15 11 7 9 5
Total # of graduates 57 51 45 67 72
Over the past three years, student enrollment at the Marine Science Center has averaged 67 students per year. In 2014-2015 there were 69 students, in 2013-2014 there were 62
students, and in 2015-2016 there were 71 students enrolled. The Marine Science Center
has also proven to be a viable option for students who are over age and interested in a
non-traditional setting. This continues to be a program that provides students an alternative option in a non-traditional setting.
Strategies for Implementation
Students are enrolled in the core classes and vocational classes. Through this delivery model, students have an opportunity to graduate with a State of Florida High School
Performance-Based Diploma and a vocational certificate. The program has two full-time
instructors, and thus there is an enrollment cap for students. The vocational teacher
assists in meeting the objectives for the commercial fishing course work. The academic
teacher works with students on their core coursework towards graduation.
Areas of Opportunity
Due to the location of the Marine Science Center, there is a limited number of students
who are able to access it. The vocational concept combined with academics could be
replicated in a centralized area to increase the number of students who benefit from the
non-traditional setting.
Three Year Forecast of What Can be Expected
The Marine Science Center continues to be one of the district’s best kept secrets. It is expected that the Center will continue to maintain high enrollment and students will thrive
due to the real-life experiences which are created through the commercial fishing
program.
Contact Information: Dean Ledford, Principal
When an underage DCPS student (age 16-17 years old) within the district* desires to
withdraw to take the GED® test, they must complete the following steps:
1. Parent and student must meet with the student’s School Counselor to receive
academic counseling. After which, student will complete an Exit Interview, Student Survey, Conduct Form, and Declaration of Intent to Terminate School
Enrollment form. School-based staff will fax all documents within 24 hours to
the Office of Alternative Education and Dropout Prevention.
Fax: 904.390.2260
2. An Age Waiver process with the Office of Alternative Education and Dropout
Prevention must be completed. The process consists of the following:
Contact Ms. Terri Jones at 904.390.2622 to schedule an appointment. Parent and student must bring a Government issued ID to 1701 Prudential
Drive 3rd floor on the day of the appointment
Select a GED Test Center; If attending Adult Education courses at Florida State
College at Jacksonville (FSCJ), the FSCJ Conduct Form will be completed by district staff member
Student will be officially withdrawn from Duval County Public Schools
Parent will receive copy of the Conduct Form and Proof of Withdrawal
document to submit to Mrs. Sharlene Chatham located at 601 West State
Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202 – 904.633.5962 or [email protected] An Age Waiver is submitted to the State of Florida GED Facilitator upon receipt
of the items above
*Students must be a Duval County resident. Out of county students must submit their requests to the county in which they reside.
Contact Information: Ms. Terri Jones
Supervisor, Dropout Prevention
GED Waiver Process
Schools in the Department of Juvenile Justice Facilities
The Youth Development and Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) programs are for
students who are in need of protective custody, assigned to a detention or commitment
program, or placed in a probationary or adjudicated program. All students are provided
instruction to enable them to demonstrate proficiency in the skills required for grade
progression/remediation and high school graduation. The educational program is based
on the contractual agreements between the Department of Juvenile Justice, the
Department of Education, and the Duval County School Board. The eight programs
provide instruction in reading, math, English/writing, science, and social studies. All
students receive basic academic instruction preparing them for a high school diploma or
the GED Exit Option. The current DJJ facilities receiving District educational services
include Duval Academy, Jacksonville Youth Academy (also known as Impact House),
Duval Detention Center, PACE Center for Girls, and AMIKids.
Specific Student Eligibility Criteria
According to Florida Youth Services Program or Department of Juvenile Justice State Board of Education Administrative Rule 6A‐6.0528.1, participation in a program may be assigned.
Assigned participation means that the school district, courts, or other agencies require the
placement. Students are at these sites under the following circumstances: neglect, court
appointment, or voluntary participation.
Specific criteria for student eligibility include any of the following:
exhibits a history of disruptive behavior, which interferes with his own or others’ educational program(s) OR results in frequent conflicts of a disruptive nature in or
out of the classroom while the student is under the jurisdiction of the school
threatens the general welfare of others
requires assistance in behavior modification beyond that which can be provided in the traditional class
commits an offense which would warrant out‐of‐school suspension or expulsion
placed in protective custody, a commitment program, or a detention center
Program Goals The Youth Development Programs desires to remain successful and has outlined program goals.
Despite the reason for the student’s enrollment, the program will provide instruction to
prepare all students to demonstrate proficiency in the skills necessary for successful
grade progression and high school graduation. The program will also provide a learning
Youth Development Programs
environment emphasizing personal growth, positive interpersonal skills development,
and responsibility for one’s own behavior. Additionally, the program intends to provide
strategies designed to individualize instruction for each student as prescribed by their
initial assessment. Looking to the future of each student the Youth Development
Programs intend to provide career awareness and improve employability skills.
Contact Information:
Edward Robinson, Principal [email protected]
Executive Director
Dr. Pamela Davis
District Supervisor
Ms. Terri Jones
District Specialist
Ms. Julia Samms
Support Technician
Ms. Wytana Patrick
Social Workers
Ms. Trina Lovett
Ms. Tricia Pough Ms. Takiya Tillman
Coordinators
Ms. Nora Miller Mrs. Floresha Woodley-Brown-Glaze
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” – Benjamin Franklin
Dropout Prevention Team