Will raising high school graduation requirements cause more students to drop out?

2. Will raising high school graduation requirements cause more students to drop out? • Momentum is building among states to raise graduation requirements to better prepare students for college and work. • 20 states have aligned or plan to align their course requirements to the college- and work-ready level. • Yet dropout rates are unacceptably high, especially in large, urban school districts. • As other states and communities consider raising requirements, a concern commonly arises: Can we raise graduation requirements without increasing already high dropout rates?

3. Too many U.S. students drop out of the education pipeline Source: National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, Policy Alert, April 2004. Data are estimates of pipeline progress rather than actual cohort.

4. The problem is even worse for minority students Source: Swanson, Christopher. Projections of the 2003–2004 High School Graduates: Supplemental Findings from Who Graduates? Who Doesn’t? Education Policy Center, The Urban Institute, June 2004. Adapted from The Education Trust.

5. Why do students drop out?

6. Top five reasons dropouts identify as major factors for leaving school Classes were not interesting Missed too many days and could not catch up Spent time with people who were not interested in school Had too much freedom and not enough rules in my life Was failing in school Source: Civic Enterprises, The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of High School Dropouts, 2006.

7. Challenging students will cut back on dropouts • Nearly 90 percent of high school dropouts report having passing grades. • 70 percent believe they could have graduated if they had stayed in school. • Even those with lower GPAs thought they could have graduated. The No. 1 one reason they left? They were bored. Source: Civic Enterprises, The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of High School Dropouts, 2006.

8. In their own words “A lot of the teachers give you one worksheet a day, and after that, you’re sitting there the rest of the day. Students want to go to school and learn things.” — Deloris Johnson, 15, student at South Philadelphia High School Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, “Boredom Cited as a Reason for Thoughts of Dropping Out,” Aug. 6, 2003.

9. Does raising standards lead to increased dropout rates?

10. Raising standards does not lead to increased dropouts • During the last decade, a number of states and districts have raised graduation standards without seeing a decrease in graduation rates.

11. High school graduation rates generally remain steady — or rise — as states raise expectations Sources: Greene, Jay P. Leaving Boys Behind: Public High School Graduation Rates, Manhattan Institute, Civic Report No. 48, April 2006; Greene, Jay P. Public High School Graduation and College-Readiness Rates: 1991–2002, Manhattan Institute, Education Working Paper No. 8, February 2005.

12. The Louisiana Experience • LA has a unique opportunity to explore the impact of increased standards and high stakes testing and its impact on drop outs • 8th grade class of 1999: old GEE • 8th grade class of 2000: 8th grade high stakes testing; English & Math portions of new GEE • 8th grade class of 2001: 8th grade high stakes testing, English & Math portions; Science or Social studies

13. Definitions • Panel - A panel is a specific sample or group of individuals that are studied or tracked over time. In a panel study, individuals who leave (legitimate leavers) reduce the number of persons eligible for inclusion in the final statistic and student movement is in one direction only—outward. • Three Panels of 8th graders • Entered 8th graded for first time in 1998-99, 1999-00, & 2000-01 • Graduated in 2003, 2004, and 2005 respectively • Tracked students for 5 years

14. Exit Patterns of Three 8th Grade Panels

15. Percent Scoring Basic or Higher on 8th Grade LEAP in ELA and Math for Three 8th Grade Panels by Exit Reason

16. GEE 21: Basic and AboveMore students scoring Basic1st Time Test Takers

17. Policy Implications • Increased Standards at 8th grade increased student performance and did not increase the drop out rate • While the drop out rate increased for the 8th grade class of 2001, it did not increase for the class of 2000, suggesting something other than high stakes testing influenced the results • The policy led to improved academic performance, both of graduates and drop outs • Improved 8th grade academic performance did not reduce drop outs • From 1999 to 2001 classes, the percentage of dropouts who scored Basic doubled from 10% to 20%. • Indicates a “High School Problem”

18. Program Implications • Students who are academic failures long before entering high school • Students who are academically on-track in the 8th grade, but become disengaged after entry to high school

19. Prior Academic Achievement Not Best IndicatorALGEBRA I GRADES OF 2004-05 9TH GRADERS STUDENTS SCORING BELOW BASIC ON 8TH GRADE LEAP MATH STUDENTS SCORING BASIC OR HIGHER ON 8TH GRADE LEAP MATH

20. Reform Efforts Should Initially Focus on 9th Grade—a “Make-or-Break” Year for Students • 9th grade retention is the single most powerful dropout indicator • Nationally, students retained in the 9th grade are 5-11 times more likely to dropout than students promoted to 10th grade • In Louisiana, of the first-time 9th graders in 2002-03 who were not promoted to 10th grade, 77% did not complete high school.

21. BESE funding 9th grade Initiative 8 (g) • 40-50 schools • Targeting the 9th grade transition/experience • Up to $100,000 over three years

22. Barriers to 9th Grade Student Success • Going from small middle school to large high school • Transition from being known by teachers and staff to virtually anonymous • 9th Grade teachers typically less experienced • Lack of skills, habits, and attitudes needed for high school success • Transition from being oldest on campus to youngest • Typical adolescent struggles • Lack of motivation, interest and support WE MUST HELP SCHOOLS FIND WAYS TO BETTER ATTEND TO THE PERSONAL NEEDS OF STUDENTS WITHOUT COMPROMISING A COMMITMENT TO HIGH ACADEMIC STANDARDS

23. Effective Strategies to Increase Student Success in 9th Grade • Separate orientation time, including study skills assistance • 9th graders have their “own space” • Assign separate time for 9th graders to have lunch/break • Examine Teacher Assignments • Group of teachers dedicated to freshman • Schedule classes so that groups of students are assigned to same teachers • Adjust schedule so Teachers have common planning time • Assign each student a teacher advisor/adult mentor • Extra instructional time for students struggling in math and/or reading • Provide after school, in school and/or Saturday tutoring • Provide innovative credit recovery programs • Consider honors courses for the average 9th grader • Conduct special freshman activities so students can bond with school

24. Redesign of the 9th Grade Must Be Comprehensive to Produce Significant Results • Rethink the 9th grade experience: • Isolated redesign strategies have shown little or no positive impact • A coordinated and comprehensive set of reforms are necessary • Lead to dramatic improvement in the 9th grade “promotion power,” reduction in drop outs and improved academic performance • A Johns Hopkins study found that comprehensive 9th grade redesign can be especially successful in schools with high poverty/high minority populations • Three years of implementation are generally required before maximum positive benefits can be realized

25. IT CAN BE DONE!!Grady High School in Atlanta (77% minority population and 44% free and reduced lunch) SOME OF THE REFORMS IMPLEMENTED • 8th - 9th grade summer bridge program • Modified block schedule • Smaller classes • Best teachers assigned to 9th grade • Monthly advisory program • Mentoring Programs • Scheduled after school tutorial sessions • Saturday credit recovery program • More rigorous courses for all students • Literacy training for teachers SREB/HSTW Case Study, Grady High School, Atlanta, Georgia

26. IT CAN BE DONE!!Grady High School in Atlanta 77% minority population and 44% free and reduced lunch SUCCESS OF 9th GRADE REFORM EFFORTS • 9th grade course failure rates dropped from 35% in 1995 to 11% in 2004 • 9th grade passage rates in college-preparatory English rose from 51% in 2000 to 98% in 2004 • 9th grade passage rates in college-preparatory Algebra I rose from 40% in 2000 to 93% in 2004 • 9th grade retention dropped from 18% to 11% • The high school graduation rate rose from 56% in 2002 to 89% in 2005 SREB/HSTW Case Study, Grady High School, Atlanta, Georgia

27. Other Initiatives Underway (see handout) • HS Pilot Redesign Projects (8 Schools) • Curriculum Review: rigor and relevance • Lighthouse Schools grant (5 schools) • Up to $125,000 / school • HS Redesign Planning grants (12 schools) • $25,000/school • Catch up Curriculum pilots • 10 Schools piloting reading/12 schools piloting math • Comprehensive literacy pilot • 5 districts/16 schools

28. Other Initiatives Underway (cont’d) • JAG: Dropout Prevention/Recovery • $1 million- 21 districts/1,029 students • HS Principals Leadership Team • 26 outstanding Louisiana Principals • Dual Enrollment • 25 College-District Partnerships/ 7,000 students • End-of-Course Tests • Algebra 1 – Field Test/May 2007 • 9th Grade Initiative

29. $15 Million Funding Request to the Governor • Continuation of Lighthouse School Grants • Expand dual enrollment • Systemic investment in Professional Development, beginning with math (tied into end of course Algebra tests) • Expand LA virtual school • Monies for new course design, expansion of AP • Funds for remediation, credit recovery