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Monongalia County Schools

Monongalia County Schools. Special Education Drop Out Committee Year 3 Update March 2013 NDPC SD and WVDE. Our County. As of the 2 nd month report, Monongalia County Schools has 11,029 students enrolled:. Our Team. Starting Points (before the project)….

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Monongalia County Schools

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  1. Monongalia County Schools Special Education Drop Out Committee Year 3 Update March 2013 NDPC SD and WVDE

  2. Our County As of the 2nd month report, Monongalia County Schools has 11,029 students enrolled:

  3. Our Team

  4. Starting Points (before the project)… • Following the CSADA 2008, (Comprehensive Self-Assessment Desk Audit) a committee was formed to address drop out rate. • The following trends were observed by the committee: • Dropout rate for special education students was too high-especially from high functioning ID and low functioning LD populations. • There was a high likelihood of dropout from low socio-economic families. • Truancy is a problem. • Students struggle mainly in the core areas: Math, English, and Science. Many students do not participate in Phys. Ed. • Students state that the subject matter is not interesting to them and that school takes too long. They know others who have their GED and they are doing “just fine.”

  5. Starting Points Continued... • Learning Strategies Classes • Afterschool Tutoring • Co-Teach Classes • ID Core Classes • In-school suspension • Some early MTEC entry • Modifications through IEP

  6. Starting PointsThe beginning of a required exit interview They must schedule an exit interview with the principal Complete withdrawal form Student says, “I want to drop out.” Interview is conducted Student returns to school Student continues to drop out Complete GED Form Send to adult learning center for follow up

  7. Required Exit Interview

  8. NDPC-SD Technical Assistance Professional Development/Interventions

  9. Professional Development/Interventions… in correlation with the 6 factors

  10. Professional Development/Interventions… in correlation with the 6 factors

  11. Professional Development/Interventions… in correlation with the 6 factors

  12. Professional Development/Interventions… in correlation with the 6 factors

  13. Professional Development/Interventions… in correlation with the 6 factors

  14. Professional Development and Interventions…in correlation with the 6 factors

  15. Research • Overall data indicates that students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders are the most likely candidates for dropout. Monongalia County’s data suggests that students with Specific Learning Disabilities are at a high risk as well. • Between the years of 2008-2012 an average of 45.4% of students with disabilities each year were able to graduate with their cohort. Each year, the highest graduating percentage comes from CBHS.

  16. Initial Plan • The initial focus was on Morgantown High School, the largest high school in the county. Students with Disabilities (specifically Intellectually and Learning Disabled) and those coming from low socioeconomic families were targeted for interventions. Exit interviews were conducted and the main reason students gave for wanting to drop out were: • Lack of interest in school • They were behind on credits • They felt no emotional attachment to the school • Truancy or Discipline Issues • A small group of students were identified as at-risk for dropping out and interventions created by the committee were implemented.

  17. Initial Plan • The selected interventions were: • Citizenship 101: a course for repeat offenders of safe school violations during which they would meet with law enforcement agencies such as police, judges, prior offenders, etc. • Principal’s Pin-awarded for random acts of kindness and responsible behavior • Mentor Training: to assist other students who are new to the school • Principal’s Challenge: a behavioral contract between the student, teachers, and principal • School Activities: make all students aware of events happening at the school and encourage participation • Team Academies: students who are identified as “at-risk” by feeder schools are placed with modified schedules in core classes with specific teachers.

  18. Plan Revisions The interventions were reviewed with the following results: • There was no hard data to support the initiatives’ effectiveness • The committee was restructured to include a wider range of county resources including psychological services and a transition specialist. • The team wanted to focus on early intervention-potentially middle school students. • The learning strategies classes are being reviewed to match CSO’s to the class components. • The team wishes to include a teacher-to-student mentoring program

  19. Final Plan • D.O.T.S. • “Depending on Outreach and Teacher Support” • Students are identified using the early warning system. • Beginning with a smaller school to determine effectiveness before branching out to larger schools. • Teachers volunteer to mentor a “dot.” • Students are unaware that they are being targeted for intervention.

  20. Plan Evaluation and Adjustments • Phase I: Initial Plan • Some interventions are still in place (Principal’s Challenge and Freshman Academies). The committee felt the school was too large and the data relative to the plan’s components and their effectiveness was too difficult to obtain. • Phase II: Revised Plan • Additional academic supports (credit recovery, learning strategies/support classes, Intensive Reading programs at elementary and middle school levels) • Additional Behavioral supports (CICO, advisory, agency collaboration) • Phase III: Final Plan • Truancy and probation officers were integrated • Use of the Early Warning System targets at-risk students • Virtual School, GED option program, Alternative Education sites at all levels. • D.O.T.S. mentor program

  21. County Developed Resources/Tools • Exit Interview • Data wall for each high school based on the three indicators of drop out.

  22. WVDE: Cohort Document and Data 2011-2012 2010-2011 Cohort Grad. % Rate County: SWD 49.2 ALL 77.3 CBHS: SWD 61.5 ALL 86.4 MHS: SWD 44.8 ALL 77.6 UHS: SWD 50.9 ALL 74.8 Cohort Grad. % Rate County: SWD 49.3 ALL 72.7 CBHS: SWD 63.6 ALL 88.1 MHS: SWD 43.1 ALL 69.7 UHS: SWD 54.4 ALL 73.9 2009-2010

  23. WVDE: Early Warning System Tool • Access has been given to administrators, counselors, and IEP specialists in order to facilitate collaboration. • We have just begun utilizing the early warning system this year. It is being used to identify students who are good candidates for the D.O.T.S. program. • Since Clay Battelle is a small school, all students are used when applying the system. • The tool, and the information gleaned, is utilized monthly at every school to align interventions with trends shown by the data.

  24. Use of Funds • 2011-travel for WVDE trainings and professional development • 2012-travel for WVDE trainings and professional development, The Last Dropout ordered for book study • 2013-travel for WVDE trainings, Learning Strategies class organizational supplies purchased

  25. Data Trends-Graduation Data Trends-Drop Out

  26. Data Trends-Graduation and Exceptionality

  27. Data Trends-Other

  28. Projected Graduation/Dropout Results

  29. Moving Forward and Next Steps • Continue with monthly review of EWS data • Continue D.O.T.S. program • Monthly meetings of the county’s Drop Out Committee • Review data monthly to determine effectiveness

  30. Key Components of Plan Development • Additional mentor training and strategies in order to assist at risk students • Increase attendance/truancy and parent engagement strategies

  31. Key Components for Maintenance • Annual Review of Data • Consistency in Team Membership • Support from Central Office Staff • Professional Development for Teachers/Counselors/Administrators • Vertical Teaming (Elementary to Middle, Middle to High) • Celebrate Successes

  32. Lessons Learned • You must have buy in from the committee members and people working in the schools directly with students. • Large scale ideas are difficult to implement and determine effectiveness. • As a team, you must determine how, when, and why you are collecting data. • Committee members must be able to take the ideas back to their schools and mold them to fit their student population’s needs.

  33. Contact Information Tiffany Barnett, Director of Special Education tcbarnet@access.k12.wv.us Rhonda Bolyard, Transition Specialist rlbolyar@access.k12.wv.us Gina Romme’, IEP Compliance Specialist gromme@access.k12.wv.us Katie Neal, IEP Compliance Specialist kneal@access.k12.wv.us

  34. Thank you !

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