Cori Canty, Office of Dropout Prevention and Engagement

1. Don’t Call Them Dropouts: The Role of Bilingual Education in the State’s Dropout Prevention Framework and Student Engagement Cori Canty, Office of Dropout Prevention and Engagement September 25, 2014

2. Note: Many of the slides in this PowerPoint presentation contain overlapping animation. The presentation is therefore best viewed as a slide show. Select the “Slide Show” tab at the top of your screen, then click on “From Current Slide”. Use the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard to advance through the slides and the animation on each slide. 2

3. Today’s Presentation • What? • Why students leave school before graduation • Colorado’s Dropout Prevention Framework, Tools and Resources • Understanding Student Engagement, Tools and Resources • So what? • What information should you take back to your colleagues? • Why does this information matter, especially in your school and/or district context? • Now what? • What are the next 2-3 things you would propose that your school and/or district do to support struggling students based on today’s presentation? 3

4. Bilingual Education Where the inability to speak and understand the English language excludes national origin minority group children from effective participation in the educational program offered by a school district, the district must take affirmative steps to rectify the language deficiency in order to open its instructional program to these students. (35 Fed. Reg. 11595) 4

5. Guiding Principles 1) School districts will implement LIEPs with a focus on access, equity and quality. 2) The effective acquisition of academic English to promote student achievement will be a priority regardless of the LIEP selected. 3) Assessment will use valid and reliable measures systematically to determine progress in attaining English proficiency (including the level of comprehension, speaking, listening, reading and writing skills) and student academic achievement standards. 4) Instruction and accountability will be based on meaningful data related to student performance. 5) All instructional staff assigned to educate ELs will be professionally prepared, qualified and authorized to teach this population. 6) Parents will be encouraged and provided opportunities to collaborate actively with schools to support their children’s learning and to increase their own language and literacy skills. 5

6. Equity and Access 6

7. Equity and Access: Dropout Prevention and Student Engagement What is a ‘dropout’? What can we do to support students who have left school? How can we prevent dropouts and keep students engaged in their learning? 7

8. Dropout Definition “Person who leaves school for any reason, except death, before completion of a high school diploma or its equivalent, and who does not transfer to another public or private school or enroll in an approved home study program.” Not a dropout: Students that transfer to an educational program recognized by a district, complete a GED or register in a program leading to a GED, or are committed to an institution that maintains educational programs, or they are so ill that they are unable to participate in a homebound or special therapy program. Students who reach the age of 21 before receiving a diploma or designation of completion (“age-outs”) are also counted as dropouts. For more information, visit www.cde.state.co.us

9. Understanding Why Students Leave School http://gradnation.org/report/dont-call-them-dropouts 9

10. Understanding Why Students Leave School 10

11. Five Conclusions Students who leave school before graduating are stronger than popular opinion and current research literature describe. These strengths could, with the right supports, allow them to stay in school; and these abilities do, ultimately, help many to re-engage. Students who leave school before graduating are often struggling with overwhelming life circumstances that push school attendance far down their priority lists. Young people who leave high school need fewer easy exits from the classroom and more easy on-ramps back into education. Young people who leave high school emphasize how much peers, parents, and other adults matter. Everyone in a young person’s life and community can do something to help. 11

12. Five Recommendations Listen. Surround the highest-need young people with extra supports. Create a cadre of community navigators to help students stay in school. Follow the evidence. Place young people in central roles in designing and implementing solutions that will work for their peers. 12

13. Colorado Dropout Prevention Framework 13 http://www.cde.state.co.us/dropoutprevention/cgp_framework

14. Identification • Statewide Projects: • Early Warning Systems Research with McREL • Early Warning Systems Survey (Fall, 2013) • Early Warning Systems Implementation Support Project with American Institutes of Research • DropOut Data Analysis Display (DODAD) • District and School Tools: • DropOutData Analysis Display (DODAD) • PWR Toolkit Data Analysis Early Warning Systems Tracking Out-of-School Youth Assess School Climate 14

15. Digging Deeper into state and local data – An example using dropout rates The DropOut Data Analysis Display (or DODAD) is an analytic tool designed to help administrators and staff from Colorado high schools interpret, investigate and understand the dropout rates for their school. • Graphic (chart-based) display of data makes it easier to identify trends and potential issues and to communicate findings to stakeholders • Puts the data in context by comparing a school’s data to aggregated averages for a similar group of schools (Alternative Education Campuses or Non-AEC schools) • Requires no additional data reporting – uses existing data already provided to CDE by schools or districts 15

16. The DODAD tool generates 12 charts based on previously reported data for your school • Is the school’s dropout rate declining or increasing? • How does the school’s dropout rate compare to other high schools in the state? 1. Overall Dropout Rate – Five Year Trend 1. Overall Dropout Rate – Five Year Trend 6. Dropout Rates by Race/ Ethnicity 6a. Gaps between Racial/Ethnic Groups 7. Dropout Rates by Instructional Program Service Type 7a. Gaps between IPST Groups 8. Dropout Rates by Gender • How do the dropout rates for students in specific sub-groups compare to the rates for their peers? Are there large gaps between groups that should be addressed? • How do the dropout rates for student sub-groups at this school compare to the state as a whole? 2. Percent of School’s Dropouts by Grade 3. Dropout Rate by Grade 4. Percent of School’s Dropouts by Age 4a. Count of Dropouts by Age 2. Percent of School’s Dropouts by Grade 3. Dropout Rate by Grade 4. Percent of School’s Dropouts by Age 4a. Count of Dropouts by Age • At what “stage and age” do students typically drop out? • In addition to the dropout rate, what other student outcome data will shape the graduation rate for future cohorts? • Does the number of reported dropouts increase at certain times during the school year? • Is this pattern unique to this school? 5. Dropouts by Month 5. Dropouts by Month 9. Exit Types likely to count against the graduation rate Each school can be compared against Colorado’s Alternative Education Campus schools (blue tabs) or against all non-AEC schools (yellow tabs) as appropriate.

17. Limitations of the DODAD • Information is exclusively quantitative vs. qualitative – findings from the tool can help answer questions regarding who dropped out and when, but not why. • The accuracy of the information in the DODAD tool is limited by the accuracy of the student records submitted by the district via the Student End of Year data collection. • Data are aggregated from the prior three years • Aggregation of multiple years of data helps address issues with groups of students that have a small single-year sample size or schools with a small student population overall. • Aggregation also compensates for single year “anomalies” in the data. 17

18. Accessing the tool To download a copy of the DODAD: Access the CDE Office of Dropout Prevention and Engagement web page: www.cde.state.co.us/DropoutPrevention/CoGraduationPathways_index or go to: bit.ly/DODAD Look under the “Tools and Resources” section and click on the link titled “DropOut Data Analysis Display” 18

19. Regardless of the absolute rates for these sub-groups, are there gaps between groups that should be addressed? 19

20. Besides the dropout rate, what other student outcome data will shape the graduation rate for future cohorts? 20

21. Institutional Change • Statewide Projects: • Policy and Practices Assessment • Best Practices Guide • Family Engagement for Secondary Schools online course • Community Partnership online course • District and School Tools: • Policy and Practices Assessment • Best Practices Guide Enhance School Climate Policies and Practices Review Community Engagement Family Involvement 21

22. District and School Tools Policies and Practices Assessment http://www.cde.state.co.us/dropoutprevention/cgp_policiespracticesreview Best Practices Guide for School and District Leaders http://www.cde.state.co.us/dropoutprevention/bestpractices/index 22

23. Intervention and Support • Statewide Projects: • Credit Recovery Project with iNACOL • Student Transitions Pilot Project • Regional Reengagement Infrastructures • Alternative Education Supports • Alternative Education School Counseling Supports • District and School Tools and Resources: • ICAP Implementation Support with Colorado Community College System • Alternative Education Supports • Alternative Education School Counseling Supports Community Engagement Family Involvement Transition Programs Multiple Pathways to Graduation Reengagement of Out-of-School Youth Enhanced Counseling and Mentoring Credit Recovery Options 23

24. Student Engagement What is Student Engagement? • Colorado statute defines student engagement as: “a student's sense of belonging, safety, and involvement in school that leads to academic achievement, regular school attendance, and graduation,” (CRS 22-14-102(13)). • Student engagement is visible in the quality of students’ interactions with peers and adults as they engage in learning activities and academic tasks. 24

25. Three Dimensions of Student Engagement • Behavioral – involvement in academic, social, and extracurricular activities (positive conduct, absence of disruptive behavior, participation in learning tasks) • Emotional – positive and negative reactions to teachers, classmates and school/school activities (sense of belonging, enjoyment or attachment to school) • Cognitive – mental efforts directed toward learning, use of self-regulated strategies to learn and master complex concepts and difficult skills (investment in learning, perseverance in the face of challenge) (Fredricks, Blumenfeld, and Paris, 2004, p. 60) Note: Cognitive Engagement can be considered evidence of student motivation for learning.

26. Related Concepts Grit Student Motivation for Learning Student Engagement Growth Mindset Self-Regulation

27. Why does student engagement matter? Students must engage for learning to occur. Student engagement correlates with measures of student learning/performance. Student disengagement has been directly linked to student decisions to drop-out of school. Student engagement is something educators and schools can influence.

28. Visual Representation WHY: External Factors Response: Referral (MTSS tiered approach) Student Response: Referral & Partnerships External Factors: Outside of School Control (ie – homelessness, abuse/neglect, divorce, etc.) Emotional Engagement Behavioral Engagement Cognitive Engagement WHY: Internal Factors External Factors: Within School Control (ie – culture & climate, learning environment, etc.) UIP Root Cause(s) Measure/ Indicators 28

29. Student Engagement: ICAP Implementation http://www.coloradostateplan.com/ICAP.htm 29

30. Student Engagement: Alternative Education http://www.cde.state.co.us/dropoutprevention/alternativeeducation 30

31. Student Engagement:Migrant Education Program The MEP supports students to reach high standards of academic achievement and is the level of interstate cooperation through the transfer of migrant students' education and health records. This high priority activity helps assure that migrant students are placed appropriately when they enroll in a new school. The dropout rate among migrant students is high because of the frustration and hopelessness these students encounter when schools are not able to meet their academic needs. RESOURCES! http://www.cde.state.co.us/cde_english/elau_migrant 31

32. What does this mean to you? • What? Equity and Access • Why students leave school before graduation • Colorado’s Dropout Prevention Framework, Tools and Resources • Understanding Student Engagement, Tools and Resources • So what? • What information should you take back to your colleagues? • Why does this information matter, especially in your school and/or district context? • Now what? • What are the next 2-3 things you would propose that your school and/or district do to support struggling students based on today’s presentation? 32

33. Thank you! Cori Canty Dropout Prevention & Engagement (303) 866-2266 canty_c@cde.state.co.us