jay smink, d.ed. executive director national dropout prevention center/network clemson university 1...

Jay Smink, D.Ed.Executive Director

National Dropout PreventionCenter/Network

Clemson University

www.dropoutprevention.org1

WASA 1

2

I. Understanding the Problem

II. Strategies That Work

III. IES Practice Guide

IV. Trends and Tips

4

Family Income Level Dropout Rate

Quintile 1 38%

Quintile 2 22%

Quintile 3 15%

Quintile 4/5 8% (Jobs for the Future, 2006)

5

Earn less Pay less in taxes Rely more on public health More involved in criminal justice system More likely to use welfare services

(Rotermund, California Dropout Research Project, Statistical Brief 5, September 2007)

1. Classes were not interesting 47%

2. Missed too many school days 43%

3. Friends not interested in school 42%

4. Excess freedom/too few life rules 38%

5. Failing school 35%(Rotermund, California Dropout Research Project, Statistical Brief Number 2, May 2007)

6

Retention of one grade – increases risk by 40%

Retention of two grades – increases risk by 90%

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9

Pregnancy and family responsibilities—33% of dropouts are pregnant before exiting

Attendance rates—9% more girls than boys cite attendance as a factor

Academics—African American, Hispanics & Native Amer./Alaskan Natives

drop out at a higher rate than males or Caucasians

Discipline—12th grade Hispanic females’ dropout rate skyrockets

Family structure and rules(When Girls Don’t Graduate, We All Fail, 2007)

■ Individual

■ Family

■ School

■ Community

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Attendance Reading Level Free and reduced lunch Academic achievement Discipline referrals

11

Individual Factors Elem. Middle High

Has a learning disability or emotional disturbance ✔ ✔

High number of work hours ✔ ✔

Parenthood ✔

High-risk peer group ✔ ✔

High-risk social behavior ✔ ✔

Highly socially active outside of school ✔

Low achievement ✔ ✔ ✔

Retention/overage for grade ✔ ✔ ✔

Poor attendance ✔ ✔ ✔

Low educational expectations ✔ ✔

Lack of effort ✔ ✔

Low commitment to school ✔ ✔

No extracurricular participation ✔ ✔

Misbehavior ✔ ✔ ✔

Early aggression ✔ ✔

13

Family Factors Elem. Middle High

Low socioeconomic status ✔ ✔ ✔

High family mobility ✔

Low education level of parents ✔ ✔ ✔

Large number of siblings ✔ ✔

Not living with both natural parents ✔ ✔ ✔

Family disruption ✔

Low educational expectations ✔

Sibling(s) has dropped out ✔ ✔

Low contact with school ✔

Lack of conversations about school ✔ ✔

Key: ✔ One (1) research study

✔ Two (2) or more research studies

■ Low achievement

■ Retention/overage for grade

■ Poor attendance

■ Low family socioeconomic status

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% G

rad

uat

ed in

Fou

r Y

ears

Days Absent Per Semester

Course cutting counted as partial days

(The Consortium on Chicago School Research at the University of Chicago, 2007)

Attendance Affects Graduation

15

Grades Affect Graduation

% G

rad

uat

ed in

Fou

r Y

ears

Average Freshman Grades

Rounded to the nearest 0.5

(The Consortium on Chicago School Research at the University of Chicago)

16

While no one factor (or even

several factors) puts students

at risk, combinations of factors

can help identify potential

dropouts.

DEWS

17

Basic Core

Strategies

InstructionalPractices

Early

Interventio

ns

School-Community

Collaboration

Syst

emic

Ren

ewal System

ic Renew

al

Systemic Renewal

School-Community

Collaboration

Early

In

terv

entio

ns


Basic

Core

Strategies

19

■ Systemic renewal

■ School and community collaboration

■ Safe learning environments

20

What is systemic renewal?

■ Continuous, critical inquiry into current practices

■ Identifying needed educational improvements

■ Removing organizational barriers

■ Providing a system structure that supports change(Schwartzbeck, 2002)

21

Truancy Homework Retention Suspensions Zero Tolerance

22

■ Policies

■ Populations

■ Personnel

■ Programs

■ Practices

■ Partners

■ Pennies

Programs

PracticesPartners

SystemicRenewal Pen

nies

Policies

Popu

lati

ons Pers

onnel

23

Collaboration is defined in many ways:

through programs and services

■ School-to-work

■ Integrated Services

■ Extended learning

■ Public-private partnership (Boyd, Brown, & Hara, 1999)

24

Impact of School-Community Collaboration

■ Significant community changes leading to improved student outcomes

■ Heightened awareness about problems of at-risk youth

■ New dialogue among decision-making leaders(Center for the Study of Social Policy, 1995)

25

A safe learning environment:

■ Provides a warm and welcoming atmosphere that fosters a spirit of acceptance and caring

■ Is free of intimidation, violence, and fear

■ Clearly communicates behavior expectations consistently enforced and fairly applied

26

A comprehensive plan includes:

■ A caring, cooperative, cohesive culturewith respect for diversity

■ Character education coupled with a fair discipline program

■ A conflict resolution curriculum, anger management techniques, bullying prevention, and peer mediation 27

Basic Core

Strategies


Early

Interventio

ns

School-Community

Collaboration

Syst

emic

Ren

ewal System

ic Renew

al

Systemic Renewal

School-Community

Collaboration

Early

In

terv

entio

ns

Instructional

Practices

Basic

Core

Strategies

28

■ Early Childhood

Education

■ Early Literacy

Development

■ Family Engagement29

Impact of Early Childhood Education…

Perry Preschool Study – High-quality Head Start programs

■ Decreased level of school dropouts

■ Lowered truancy

■ Reduced teen pregnancy

■ Lessened need to be in Special Education

(Barnett, 1995)

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One dollar invested in high-quality early childhood education programs by policy makers results in a return of thirteen dollars in preventative costs associated with incarceration, truancy, school dropout, and teen pregnancy.

(Belfield et al. The Journal of Human Resources, 2006)

31

Research

■ At-risk students who have a strong reading teacher for two consecutive years can be successful readers.(Wren,

2003) ■ Reading aloud to children is the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for success in reading.(Armbruster, Lehr, & Osborn, 2002)

32

Quality program and start early

Use child's affinity for technology

Use data to drive instruction

Extra support of disadvantaged

Engage entire community(Education Week, p 23, R. Lauer, May 7,

2008)

33

When families are engaged in children’s learning, students are more likely to:

■ Attend school regularly

■ Display more positive attitudes about school

■ Graduate from high school and enroll in postsecondary programs

■ Refrain from destructive activities such as alcohol use and violence

(Henderson & Mapp, 2003)

34

Dropping out of school is the result of

a long process of disengagement that

may begin before a child enters

school.

35

Basic Core

Strategies


Early

Interventio

ns

School-Community

Collaboration

Syst

emic

Ren

ewal System

ic Renew

al

Systemic Renewal

School-Community

Collaboration

Early

In

terv

entio

ns

Instructional

Practices

Basic

Core

Strategies

36

■ Mentoring

■ Service-Learning

■ Alternative Schooling

■ After-School Program Experiences

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Mentoring is …

A caring and supportive

relationship between a mentor

and mentee that is based on

trust.

38

Mentoring has many formats …

Traditional:One adult with one student

Peer: One older youth with a younger youth

Group/Team: One or more adults with several youth

Telementoring: One adult with one youth using the Internet

39

Service-learning programs

involve students doing meaningful

service—usually a project they

select based on real community

need—linked to academic and

personal learning.(Shumer & Duckenfield, 2004)

40

Essential Elements of Good Service-Learning Programs…

■ Is integrated into the curriculum

■ Utilizes active learning

■ Is interesting and exciting

■ Is connected to community

41

Traditional schools can no longer

meet the diverse needs of every

student.

42

Alternative Education is a perspective, not a procedure or program.

■ Maximum Teacher/Student Ratio of 1:10

■ Small student base not exceeding 250

■ Caring faculty and ongoing staff development

■ High expectations from school staff

■ Flexible school schedule with community involvement and support

■ Heavy emphasis on credit recovery and catching up 43

Students involved in after-

school programs are three

times as likely to continue

their education and receive an

award or honor at graduation

(Newman, Fox, Flynn, and Christeson, 2000)44

Components of Successful Programs

■ Academic focus

■ Enrichment and accelerated learning

■ Supervised recreation

■ Community service

■ Collaboration and partnerships

■ Active family involvement45

Basic Core

Strategies


Early

Interventio

ns

School-Community

Collaboration

Syst

emic

Ren

ewal System

ic Renew

al

Systemic Renewal

School-Community

Collaboration

Early

In

terv

entio

ns


Basic

Core

Strategies

46

■ Professional development

■ Active learning

■ Educational technology

■ Individualized instruction

■ Career and technical

education

47

The single largest factor

affecting the academic growth

of students is the difference in

the effectiveness of individual

classroom teachers.(Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System, Sanders, 1998)

48

Effective Professional Development Strategies….

■ Sustained, rather than one-shot presentations (Garet, Porter, Desimone, Birman, & Kwang, 2001)

■ Tied to student achievement and school improvement goals (U.S. Department of Education, 2003)

■ Focused on deepening teachers’ content knowledge and pedagogical skills (Sparks, 2002)

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. . . Teaching and learning

strategies that engage students

by providing opportunities for

students to listen, speak, write,

construct, and reflect as they

solve problems, perform new

skills, and work in teams.

50

Differentiated Learning Strategies:

Cooperative learning

Multiple intelligences/learning styles theory

Project-based learning

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Research on the Use of Technology in schools…

■ Is a positive influence on students at risk of failure (Day, 2002)

■ Teaches “real-world applications” to help students succeed outside the classroom

■ Increases student motivation, raises the success rate of students performing complex tasks, and changes classroom roles and organization

(Means, 1997)

52

Best Practices

■ Activities are student-centered, not teacher-controlled

■ Technology is integrated into the curriculum, not an add-on or reward

■ Engaged learning that helps students acquire critical thinking and problem-solving skills (Schmitz, Prescott, & Hunt, 1996)

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Encourages the learner to be the producer of knowledge with...

■ Problem-based learning & reciprocal teaching

■ Peer tutoring ■ Cooperative learning■ Journaling ■ Hands-on projects ■ Role playing and simulations 54

Major Components

■ Individualizing learning: to recognize and build upon each child's unique past experiences and prior knowledge

■ Individualizing motivation: to recognize and use the keys to a child's interests, goals, and confidence

(Keefe & Jenkings, 2000)

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Career and Technical Education (CTE) includes a wide array of career-based

instruction

■ K-12 career education

■ A comprehensive guidance program

■ School- and work-based experiences

■ Internships and apprenticeships

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Career academies enhance motivation and enjoyment which result in:

■ Increased attendance■ Better grades■ Fewer failed courses■ Lower dropout rates■ Better college entrance rates■ A positive attitude toward school■ Increased planning for the future

(Grubb & Stern, Making the Most of Career-Technical Education: Options for Calif., 2007)

57

■ Utilize data systems that support a realistic diagnosis of the number of students who drop out as well as help to identify individual students at high risk of dropping out (diagnostic)—(DEWS)

■ Assign adult advocates to students at risk of dropping out (targeted intervention)

■ Provide academic support and enrichment to improve academic performance (targeted intervention)

(IES Practice Guide on Dropout Prevention)http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/practiceguides/dp_pg_090308.pdf

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■ Implement programs to improve students’ classroom behavior and social skills (targeted intervention)

■ Personalize the learning environment and instructional process (schoolwide intervention)

■ Provide rigorous and relevant instruction to better engage students in learning and provide the skills needed to graduate and to serve them after they leave school (school-wide intervention) 59

1 2 3 4 5 6

Districtwide Interventions Targeted Interventions Schoolwide Interventions

Student, grade-level, school and district analyses

Staff actions for student improvement Broad-based actions to improve school environment, instruction, and career information

1. Analyze student data 2. Assign adult advocates

3. Provide academic support

4. Improve behaviors, social skills, and relationships

5. Personalize the learning environment

6. Provide rigorous and relevant instruction with multiple pathways to graduation and beyond

Check Sheet For Check Sheet For RecommendationsRecommendationsRecommendation 1. Utilize data systems that support a

realistic diagnosis of the number of students who drop out and that help identify individual students at high risk of dropping out

Presence Level of Success Restudy

Checklist Yes No VG G A P Yes No ?

Use longitudinal, student-level data to get an accurate read of graduation and dropout rates.

Use data to identify incoming students with histories of academic problems, truancy, behavioral problems, and retentions.

Monitor the academic and social performance of all students continually.

Review student-level data to identify students at risk of dropping out before key academic transitions.

Monitor students’ sense of engagement and belonging in school.

Collect and document accurate information on student withdrawals.

Comments:

Legend: VG=Very Good, G=Good, A=Average, P=Poor

Check Sheet For Check Sheet For RecommendationsRecommendations


Recommendation 2. Assign adult advocates to students at risk of dropping out Presence Level of Success Restudy


Choose adults who are committed to investing in the student’s personal and academic success, keep caseloads low, and purposefully match students with adult advocates.

Establish a regular time in the school day or week for students to meet with the adult.

Communicate with adult advocates about the various obstacles students may encounter—and provide adult advocates with guidance and training about how to work with students, parents, or school staff to address the problems.

Comments:

Recommendation 3. Provide academic support and enrichment to improve academic performance



Provide individual or small group support in test-taking skills, study skills, or targeted subject areas such as reading, writing, or math.

Provide extra study time and opportunities for credit recovery and accumulation through after school, Saturday school, or summer enrichment programs.

Comments:



Recommendation 4. Implement programs to improve students’ classroom behavior and social skills



Use adult advocates or other engaged adults to help students establish attainable academic and behavioral goals with specific benchmarks.

Recognize student accomplishments.

Teach strategies to strengthen problem-solving and decision-making skills.

Establish partnerships with community-based program providers and other agencies such as social services, welfare, mental health, and law enforcement.

Comments:

Recommendation 5. Personalize the learning environment and instructional process Presence Level of Success Restudy


Establish small learning communities. Establish team teaching. Create smaller classes.

Create extended time in classroom through changes to the school schedule.

Encourage student participation in extracurricular activities.

Comments:



Recommendation 6. Provide rigorous and relevant instruction to better engage students in learning and provide the skills needed to graduate and to serve them after they leave school



Provide teachers with ongoing ways to expand their knowledge and improve their skills.

Integrate academic content with career and skill-based themes through career academies or multiple pathways models.

Host career days and offer opportunities for work-related experiences and visits to postsecondary campuses.

Provide students with extra assistance and information about the demands of college.

Partner with local businesses to provide opportunities for work-related experience such as internships, simulated job interviews, or long-term employment.

Comments:

Practice Guide

Recommendation #5:

Personalize the learning

environment and instructional

process• Establish small learning

communities

• Establish team teaching

• Create smaller classes

• Create extended time in classrooms through changes to the school schedule

• Encourage student participation in extracurricular activities

Effective Strategies

Individualized Instruction• Flexible instructional and

motivational strategies

• Take each child’s uniqueness into account

Active Learning• Engage students, address multiple

intelligences and adapt to students’ learning styles

Mentoring/tutoring• Provide one-on-one, caring,

supportive relationships through mentoring

Crosswalk of Practice Guide and Effective StrategiesCrosswalk of Practice Guide and Effective StrategiesCrosswalk of Practice Guide and Effective StrategiesCrosswalk of Practice Guide and Effective Strategies

■ Alternative Schooling and Recovery Programs

• Virtual credit recovery• Private contract schools

■ Attendance and Truancy Reduction Program• Aggressive attendance programs by school

districtsand communities

• Court-based programs aligned with school efforts

■ Increased Role of “Counselors”• Graduation coaches (GA)• Guidance technicians (St. Paul, MN) 66

■ Individualized Learning Plans• Individual Graduation Plan (South Carolina)• Six-Year Plan (St. Paul, MN)

■ Smaller Learning Communities• Ninth grade academies• Smaller “houses” within high schools

■ Transition Programs• Formal programs between 8th and 9th grades• Transition counselors throughout multiple grade

levels67

How would you rate your school as it is

today in each of these categories?Absenteeism

Active Learning

Alternative Education Options

Community Involvement

Discipline Policies

Overall School Climate

Parent/Family Involvement

Personalize Learning Environment

Relevant Curriculum

Retention Policy

Safe School Environment

Student Involvement (Sports/Arts/Clubs)

Student/Teacher Relationship

Students Academic Achievement

Transition Programs

Use of Technology

68

E=Excellent A=Average N=Needs Improvement

■ What data sets should we review?

■ What populations should we focus on first?

■ What policies tend to push kids out of school?

■ What critical checkpoints should be the highest priority?

■ What current “safety net” programs have marginal impact?

69

70

Drop Out of

School

Stayin

School

70

jay smink, d.ed. executive director national dropout prevention center/network clemson university 1...

Documents

chicago school research

school key

school days43

low contact

family factorselem

family responsibilities

school lack of conversations

attendance rates