supporting students for high school graduation and beyond introduction judy delgado

Supporting Students for High School Graduation and Beyond

Introduction

Judy DelgadoIndian Education Program

California Department of Education

Webinar for California Indian Education Programs

Supporting Students for High School Graduation and Beyond

Rose Owens-West, Ph.D.Region IX Equity Assistance Center at WestEd

Webinar for California Department of EducationIndian Education Program

3

Supporting Students for Graduation: The Early Warning System for Dropout

PreventionToday’s Purposes

During this session we will discuss:• what we have learned about students who drop out•effective strategies for drop-out prevention•the Early Warning System - a process to support students who are at risk of dropping out.

4

Region IX EAC at WestEd

Launched October 1, 2011

Arizona, California, Nevada

The Region IX EAC at WestEd

Federally funded center:

• Protect Human and Civil Rights of students• Ensure equity of Access, Opportunity and

Outcomes• College and Career Readiness, High Quality

Instruction and Positive School Climate

5

6

Region IX EAC at WestEd

Our commitment is to assist

districts throughout Arizona, California,

and Nevada to maintain an equity focus; influencing the development and

implementation of solutions to improve access, opportunities, and outcomes

for all students.

7

Region IX Equity Assistance Center at WestEd

www.Wested.org/EAC

[email protected]

510-302-4246

300 Lakeside Drive, 25th floor

Oakland, CA 94612

http://www.Wested.org/EAC

mailto:[email protected]

Research and Prevention

Our presentation today, and the work we will be doing with CDE and districts is based on

the Early Warning System

developed by the

National High School Center at the

American Institutes of Research.

9

Agenda

1. Contributing Factors

2. What Works

3. Specific Attention to Students

4. The Early Warning System

10

CONTRIBUTING FACTORSSection 1

Contributing FactorsThe Key indicators that researchers have

identified as indicators of who is most likely to drop out are:

•Poor grades in core subjects•Low attendance•Failure to be promoted to the next grade•Disengagement in the classroom•Behavioral problems

Contributing Factors

Most future high school dropouts may be identified as early as sixth grade and many can be identified even earlier!


Being retained, particularly in the middle grades, but even in elementary school,

is associated with dropping out.


Some key research indicated that more than half of sixth graders that attend

school less than 80 % of the time eventually left school.

Balfanz and Herzog, 2005


Some key research indicated that more than half of sixth graders that receive a

low final grade from their teachers in behavior eventually left school.



Some key research indicated that more than half of sixth graders that fail either Math or English eventually left school.



Research has shown that students with prior behavior problems are most likely to

fail during the transition years and eventually drop out.

Does this resonate with you?


Students’ lack of safety, connectedness,

and support from caring adults also contribute to students not achieving and

eventually dropping out


Students who experience violence and harassment in the school setting

are more likely to disconnect from school.

But there is hope…..

There appears to be a window of opportunity in reaching middle grades

students with behavior issues but who are not yet failing academic subjects.

21

QuickwriteWhich of these contributing factors are a

challenge for your students? • Poor grades in core subjects• Low attendance• Failure to be promoted to the next grade• Disengagement in the classroom• Behavioral problems

Please elaborate.

22

WHAT WORKSSection 2

What Works

Most future dropouts can be identified in the first year of high school when a sense

of urgency about reaching out and supporting these students is critical before

they disappear from school.

What WorksSchools and tribal communities can work together to provide support for students

and prevent them from dropping out.

25

What Works

Establish a data system that tracks individual student attendance,

grades, promotion status and engagement indicators such as behavior as early

as fourth grade.

26

What Works

Determine criteria for who is considered off-track for graduation and establish a

continuum of appropriate interventions.

Does this strategy make sense to you?

27

What Works

Keep track of ninth grade students who miss 10 days or more of school in the first 30 days. The first month of high school

provides important information about who is at risk of dropping out.

28

What Works

Monitor first quarter freshman grades

paying particular attention to failures

in core academic subjects.

29

What Works

Monitor Fall semester freshman grades

paying particular attention to failures

in core academic subjects.

30

What Works

Monitor end-of-year grades. They provide information about failure rates, reveal grade

point averages, and providing detailed information about who is likely to struggle in

later years and is the best indicator for predicting non-graduation.

31

Quickwrite

What are the advantages that you can list for having members of the community

work with students?

32

SPECIFIC ATTENTION TO STUDENTS

Section 3

33

Specific Attention to Students

Programs that work provide specific support to identified students to help them succeed

academically and ultimately graduate.

34


Proven dropout prevention programs

feature the following key components:

35


•Attendance and behavior monitoring•Tutoring and counseling•Personalization•Engaging catch-up courses

In your experience, have you seen that these interventions help keep students in school?

36


•Homerooms•Benchmarking•Progress monitoring•Tiered interventions•Equal access to rigorous coursework•High expectations

37


•Career and college awareness•Community Engagement•Transition programs•Ninth grade academies

38

Quickwrite

What are some ways in which you

work with tribes and districts to pay more specific attention to students who are

at risk of dropping out?

39

THE EARLY WARNING SYSTEM

Section 4

40

The Early Warning System

A process and tools for identifying and monitoring students who are at risk of

dropping out of high school.

41


Enables the District and the Tribal Community to work together to improve student success in high school and for

dropout prevention.

42


SEVEN STEPS

Based on what we have learned from research and best practice.

43

Seven Steps

1. Establish district and tribal community roles and responsibilities

2. Use the Early Warning Tools

3. Review the Early Warning Data

4. Interpret the Early Warning Data

Do these steps seem “doable”?

44


5. Identify, assign and provide supports and interventions

6. Monitor students: supports and interventions

7. Evaluate and refine the Early Warning Process

45

Quickwrite

What are some key supports that you provide to students who may be

at risk of dropping out?

46

Specific Focus on Students

In order to resolve the dropout issues

the district/school/community must specifically attend to and support

those students at risk of dropping out.

47

Final Reflection

Please share any reflections or questions you still have.

48

Region IX Equity Assistance Center at WestEd

www.Wested.org/EAC

[email protected]

510-302-4246

300 Lakeside Drive, 25th floor

Oakland, CA 94612

http://www.Wested.org/EAC

mailto:[email protected]

49

References

Approaches to Dropout Prevention: Heeding Early Warning Signs with Appropriate Interventions

National High School Center

Betterhighschools.org

Balfanz, R. and Herzog, L. (2005). Keeping middle grades students on-track to graduation: Initial analysis and implications. Presentation at the second Regional Middle Grades Symposium, Philadelphia.

supporting students for high school graduation and beyond introduction judy delgado

Documents