Essential Strategies to Reduce Student Dropouts Handouts

1. Essential Strategies to Reduce Student Dropouts(Handouts) Louisville, Kentucky July 22, 2010 One Hour Sessions (10:30 and 1:15)

2. Who Am I and How Can I Be of Assistance?

3. Topics For Our Session The role of the principal in dropout prevention How punitive measures in the name of discipline drive students further out Punitive measures we practice unknowingly

4. Paradigm Shift The Fundamental Organizational Unit of Education Source: Tom Bentley (2005), Learning Beyond the Classroom: education for a changing world From ‘done to’ to ‘done with’, from passive to (pro)activeFrom ‘done to’ to ‘done with’, from passive to (pro)active

5. There is No Such Thing as a School Dropout…

6. Values and Beliefs

7. Johnson and Johnson: Tylenol

8. What Does our School Care Most About? There Should be a Pervasive and Consistent Answer.

9. Take a Tour: What are the symbols and the artifacts that convey what your school values?

10. Watch People And Describe What Is Valued At Your School What are the topics of conversations? What is said about our professional practice? How do we talk to our kids? How do we describe our kids? How do we work together or separately? Do we share our practice? Do we really value learning or just learning for kids?

11. Our Varsity Step Team

12. Important Research

13. What We Know Improve instruction and support for struggling students Build a school climate that fosters academics and is safe Ensure strong adult-student relationships within the school Better school-parent communication Offer different school/class experiences for different students Create early warning systems (dropping out of school isn’t a sudden act, but a slow process of disengagement -- academic and social). Engage parents in school with individualized graduation plans Mobilize adult advocates to get the kids the support they need – literacy programs, mentoring, tutoring, after-school help, school and peer counseling Source: Bridgeland, John M., DiIulio, Jr., John J., Burke-Morison, Karen. (2006) The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of High School Dropouts, A Report by Civic Enterprises, LLC. for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 13

14. Important Research Journal of the American Medical Association (2007) Longitudinal study on adolescent health Survey of over 90,000 youth Findings: two key indicators for lowering the risk of a child's involvement in negative behavior and improvements in academic achievement: _____________________ _____________________

15. Key Predictor of Problem Behavior Based upon the federally-funded national (United States) longitudinal study of behavior of at risk youth, the single most common risk factor for: crime, substance abuse, violence, teen pregnancy and educational performance is _____________ Source: Research from-America’s Promise, Communities in Schools, OJJDP, and Title V

16. What would help all students be better students?Take three minutes to answer this question.

17. What Would Help All Students Be Better Students? What students said: Source: Results of a five year study of students’ ideas on improving learning, school safety, risk prevention and relationships. James & Ciurczak. February 2004.

18. The Role of the Principal in Dropout Prevention

19. The 7 Principles Identify Students Early; Closely Examine New and Existing School Policies and Procedures; Build Strong Community Partnerships and Personalize Your School; Reduce Social Isolation; Manage Student Transitions; Create Options and Implement Creative Interventions; and Build Parent/Family Relationships

20. Principle One: Identify Students Early Who are they? What does your data tell you? From what sources? When do we identify a child at risk? What are the risk factors in your school/community? Pyramid of intervention See Pyramid in the book

21. Principle Two: Closely Examine New and Existing School Policies and Procedures How are your current policies/procedures impacting your most vulnerable population? What data do you have on the impact of the policies and procedures on subgroups within your school? How could modifications in policies and procedures have a positive impact on the success of ALL students?

22. How Punitive Measures in the Name of Discipline Drive Students Further Out Discipline vs. punishment Policies that punish the most vulnerable Unrealistic “accountability” standards for children and youth

23. How Punitive Measures in the Name of Discipline Drive Students Further Out Design policies with context and data in mind Proactive vs. reactive measures We are often our worst enemy

24. What are the Punitive Measures that we Practice Unknowingly

25. Punitive Measures We Practice Unknowingly Failing to challenge our own assumptions External locus of control vs. internal locus of control Teaching based on our life experiences, not the experiences of our students Holding children accountable for the failings of their parents Institutional racism

26. Principle Three: Build Strong Community Partnerships and Personalize Your School Engage key agencies, organizations and businesses Create win-win partnerships Personalize by making relationships a priority

27. Principle Four: Reduce Social Isolation Exposure to opportunities Connect to the business community Resources Services Internships Opportunities to serve

28. The Power of Relationships In Reducing Isolation

29. Relationships Students-5/day Staff-1/day Classes-5/day Parents-5/day Eat in the cafeteria Join the animal groups Engage the disengaged

30. Reach the “Unreachable”

31. Principle Five: Manage Student Transitions From year to year From level to level Throughout the day Be proactive with transitions

32. Principle Six: Create Options and Implement Creative Interventions Both academic and non-academic Looking at extending the time for students to complete graduation requirements Menu of options The five year plan Interventions must match identified needs

33. Pyramid of Interventions: Applying the 80/15/5% Principle

34. Essentials Within the school day Structured collaborative time for teachers Remediation for students built into the school day

35. Principle Seven: Building Parent/Family Relationships Over communicate Be proactive Work from the parent/family perspective

36. Developing a Plan Where are you now? Know your context Be data driven Your data Be honest with your self and your school community

37. Implementing the Seven Principles Do not try to do everything at once Look at multiple phases Start with an evaluation plan in mind--how will you measure success? Keep in mind the core values and beliefs of your school

38. The Knowing-Doing Gap

39. Accountability: A Definition “An attitude of continually asking what else can I do to rise above my circumstances and achieve the results I desire? It is a process of seeing it, owning it, solving it and doing it. It requires a level of ownership that includes making, keeping and proactively answering for personal commitments. It is a perspective that embraces both current and future efforts rather than reactive and historical explanations.” Source: The OZ Principle

40. Are You Above or Below the Line?

41. Grief-to-Benefit Ratio

42. Questions/Comments

43. For More Information Contact: Edwards Educational Services, Inc. Phone: 703-837-0223 Website: www.realityedservices.com Email: steve@realityedservices.com