??? The Million Dollar Question ?????? The Million Dollar Question ???New Hampshire Dropout Prevention New Hampshire Dropout Prevention SummitSummit

Concord, New HampshireConcord, New Hampshire

April 10, 2009April 10, 2009

IES Practice Guide: Dropout PreventionIES Practice Guide: Dropout Prevention

Dr. Jay SminkDr. Jay SminkExecutive DirectorExecutive Director

National Dropout Prevention National Dropout Prevention Center/NetworkCenter/Network

Clemson UniversityClemson University

??? The Million Dollar Question ?????? The Million Dollar Question ???New Hampshire Dropout Prevention New Hampshire Dropout Prevention SummitSummit

AGENDAAGENDA

• IES Practice Guide

• Risk Factors for Dropping Out

• Relationship to New Hampshire’s Guiding Principles

• Develop Plan(s) Using Student Data

• 15 Effective Strategies

PURPOSE OF THE PRACTICE GUIDEPURPOSE OF THE PRACTICE GUIDE

Provide evidence-based recommendations to:

•Promote student engagement

•Prevent dropouts

•Provide “multiple pathways” to careers and higher education

LIMITS OF THE PRACTICE GUIDELIMITS OF THE PRACTICE GUIDE

• No early interventions—preschool or elementary grades

• No recovery programs—GED-related

• No “branded” interventions

• No community-based interventions

• Limited research on programs that focus on dropouts

FOCUS OF THE PRACTICE GUIDEFOCUS OF THE PRACTICE GUIDE

•Offer school-based practices to address student academic, behavioral, and

personal needs

•Recognize that program interventions have multiple components

INTENT OF THE PRACTICE GUIDEINTENT OF THE PRACTICE GUIDE

• Provide general guidance and ideas for school leaders

• Utilize research-based information available

• Use intervention programs for illustrations not endorsements

• Use expertise of panel and other related research

FORMAT FOR RECOMMENDATIONSFORMAT FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

• Recommendation—Statement

• Level of evidence

• Supportive information

• Implementation suggestions

• Potential roadblocks

• Suggestions to counter barriers

IES LEVELS OF EVIDENCE IES LEVELS OF EVIDENCE FOR RECOMMENDATIONSFOR RECOMMENDATIONS

Strong• Internal validity—support causal conclusions of treatments and

outcomes

• External validity—support generalized results in similar settings

• Randomized controlled trials or quasi-experimental

 Moderate• Internal validity (High)

• External validity (Moderate)

• Experiments or quasi-experiments

Low• Based on expert opinion

• Strong findings in related areas

WWC-RATED INTERVENTIONSWWC-RATED INTERVENTIONSSHOWING POSITIVE OR SHOWING POSITIVE OR

POTENTIALLY POSITIVE EFFECTSPOTENTIALLY POSITIVE EFFECTS

• Achievement for Latinos with Academic Success (ALAS)

• Career Academies

• Check and Connect

• High School Redirection

• Talent Development

• Talent Search

• Twelve Together

??? The Million Dollar Question ?????? The Million Dollar Question ???GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE OF GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE OF RECOMMENDATIONSRECOMMENDATIONS

1 2 3 4 5 6

Districtwide Interventions Targeted Interventions Schoolwide Interventions

Student, grade-level, school and district analyses

Staff actions for student improvement Broad-based actions to improve school environment, instruction, and career information

1. Analyze student data 2. Assign adult advocates

3. Provide academic support

4. Improve behaviors, social skills, and relationships

5. Personalize the learning environment

6. Provide rigorous and relevant instruction with multiple pathways to graduation and beyond

??? The Million Dollar Question ?????? The Million Dollar Question ???IES RECOMMENDATIONSIES RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendation 1. Utilize data systems that support a realistic diagnosis of the number of students who drop out and that help identify individual students at high risk of dropping out

Recommendation 2. Assign adult advocates to students at risk of dropping out

Recommendation 3. Provide academic support and enrichment to improve academic performance

Recommendation 4. Implement programs to improve students’ classroom behavior and social skills

Recommendation 5. Personalize the learning environment and instructional process

Recommendation 6. Provide rigorous and relevant instruction to better engage students in learning and provide the skills needed to graduate and to serve them after they leave school

Individual Factors Elementary Middle High

Has a learning disability or emotional disturbance

✔ ✔

High number of work hours ✔ ✔

Parenthood ✔

High-risk peer group ✔ ✔

High-risk social behavior ✔ ✔

Highly socially active outside of school ✔

Low achievement ✔ ✔ ✔

Retention/overage for grade ✔ ✔ ✔

Poor attendance ✔ ✔ ✔

Low educational expectations ✔ ✔

Lack of effort ✔ ✔

Low commitment to school ✔ ✔

No extracurricular participation ✔ ✔

Misbehavior ✔ ✔ ✔

Early aggression ✔ ✔

RISK FACTORS BY SCHOOL LEVELSRISK FACTORS BY SCHOOL LEVELS

Family Factors Elementary Middle High

Low socioeconomic status ✔ ✔ ✔

High family mobility ✔

Low education level of parents ✔ ✔ ✔

Large number of siblings ✔ ✔

Not living with both natural parents ✔ ✔ ✔

Family disruption ✔

Low educational expectations ✔

Sibling(s) has dropped out ✔ ✔

Low contact with school ✔

Lack of conversations about school ✔ ✔

Key: ✔ One (1) research study

✔ Two (2) or more research studies

RISK FACTORS BY SCHOOL LEVELSRISK FACTORS BY SCHOOL LEVELS

CHECK SHEET for RECOMMENDATIONSCHECK SHEET for RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendation 1. Utilize data systems that support a realistic diagnosis of the number of students who drop out and that help identify individual students at high risk of dropping out

Presence Level of Success Restudy

Checklist Yes No VG G A P Yes No ?

Use longitudinal, student-level data to get an accurate read of graduation and dropout rates.

Use data to identify incoming students with histories of academic problems, truancy, behavioral problems, and retentions.

Monitor the academic and social performance of all students continually.

Review student-level data to identify students at risk of dropping out before key academic transitions.

Monitor students’ sense of engagement and belonging in school.

Collect and document accurate information on student withdrawals.

Comments:

Legend: VG=Very Good, G=Good, A=Average, P=Poor

CHECK SHEET for RECOMMENDATIONSCHECK SHEET for RECOMMENDATIONS

Legend: VG=Very Good, G=Good, A=Average, P=Poor

Recommendation 2. Assign adult advocates to students at risk of dropping out Presence Level of Success Restudy

Checklist Yes No VG G A P Yes No ?

Choose adults who are committed to investing in the student’s personal and academic success, keep caseloads low, and purposefully match students with adult advocates.

Establish a regular time in the school day or week for students to meet with the adult.

Communicate with adult advocates about the various obstacles students may encounter—and provide adult advocates with guidance and training about how to work with students, parents, or school staff to address the problems.

Comments:

Recommendation 3. Provide academic support and enrichment to improve academic performance

Presence Level of Success Restudy

Checklist Yes No VG G A P Yes No ?

Provide individual or small group support in test-taking skills, study skills, or targeted subject areas such as reading, writing, or math.

Provide extra study time and opportunities for credit recovery and accumulation through after school, Saturday school, or summer enrichment programs.

Comments:

CHECK SHEET for RECOMMENDATIONSCHECK SHEET for RECOMMENDATIONS

Legend: VG=Very Good, G=Good, A=Average, P=Poor

Recommendation 4. Implement programs to improve students’ classroom behavior and social skills Presence Level of Success Restudy

Checklist Yes No VG G A P Yes No ?

Use adult advocates or other engaged adults to help students establish attainable academic and behavioral goals with specific benchmarks.

Recognize student accomplishments.

Teach strategies to strengthen problem-solving and decision-making skills.

Establish partnerships with community-based program providers and other agencies such as social services, welfare, mental health, and law enforcement.

Comments:

Recommendation 5. Personalize the learning environment and instructional process Presence Level of Success Restudy

Checklist Yes No VG G A P Yes No ?

Establish small learning communities. Establish team teaching. Create smaller classes.

Create extended time in classroom through changes to the school schedule.

Encourage student participation in extracurricular activities.

Comments:

CHECK SHEET for RECOMMENDATIONSCHECK SHEET for RECOMMENDATIONS

Legend: VG=Very Good, G=Good, A=Average, P=Poor

Recommendation 6. Provide rigorous and relevant instruction to better engage students in learning and provide the skills needed to graduate and to serve them after they leave school

Presence Level of Success Restudy

Checklist Yes No VG G A P Yes No ?

Provide teachers with ongoing ways to expand their knowledge and improve their skills.

Integrate academic content with career and skill-based themes through career academies or multiple pathways models.

Host career days and offer opportunities for work-related experiences and visits to postsecondary campuses.

Provide students with extra assistance and information about the demands of college.

Partner with local businesses to provide opportunities for work-related experience such as internships, simulated job interviews, or long-term employment.

Comments:

??? The Million Dollar Question ?????? The Million Dollar Question ???DEVELOP A TARGETED INTERVENTION PLANDEVELOP A TARGETED INTERVENTION PLAN

• Identify students at risk of dropout by examining risk and protective indicators

• Determine the specific needs of the student/cohort• Determine the level of need• Recommend the most effective interventions

Focus of Identification

Specific Need Levels of Need

Intervention Strategies

Individual Students

• Academic (math)

Medium• Individual Growth Plan• Academic Restructuring• Peer Monitoring Support

Student Clusters

• English Language

High• Tutors• After-school Programs

Utilization of Data for Identification, Selection, and Utilization of Data for Identification, Selection, and Implementation of Intervention StrategiesImplementation of Intervention Strategies

??? The Million Dollar Question ?????? The Million Dollar Question ???DEVELOP A SCHOOLWIDE INTERVENTION PLANDEVELOP A SCHOOLWIDE INTERVENTION PLAN

• Implement risk assessment framework to examine risk and protective factors to determine the most effective intervention plan(s).

Focus of Identification

Specific Need Levels of Need

Intervention Strategies

Grade Level • 9th Grade Reading• Transition

High

High

• Freshman Academies

• Peer Mentors

School Level • Discipline Low • Conflict Resolution

District Patterns • Suspensions• Retentions

MediumHigh

• Behavior Mod. Reinforcement• Review Policies

District & Community

• Truancy• Gangs• Drug Abuse

HighHighHigh

• Family Court, Olweus• Gang Intervention Classroom• Multidimensional Family

Therapy

Utilization of Data for Identification, Selection, and Utilization of Data for Identification, Selection, and Implementation of Intervention StrategiesImplementation of Intervention Strategies

20

IES GUIDING PRINCIPLESIES GUIDING PRINCIPLES

New Hampshire’s Vision for Redesign

Districtwide Targeted Schoolwide

1 2 3 4 5 6

Guiding PrinciplesData

AnalysisAdult

AdvocateAcademicSupport

Classroom Behavior

and Social Skills

PersonalizedLearning

Environment

Help StudentsDiscoverPurpose

Personalization and Relationships

•Individualized Teaching

•Individualized Learning

•Personalized Relationships

Comments:

Rigor and High Standards

•High Standards for All Students

•Rigorous Standards

•Curriculum Framework

Comments:

Basic Core

Strategies

InstructionalPractices

Early

Interventions

School-Community

Collaboration

Syst

emic

Ren

ewal System

ic Renew

al

Systemic Renewal

School-Community

Collaboration

Early

In

terv

entio

ns

InstructionalPractices

Basic

Core

Strategies

DROPOUT PREVENTION: EVERYONE’S PROBLEMDROPOUT PREVENTION: EVERYONE’S PROBLEM

15 EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES15 EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES

• School and Community Perspective

• Early Interventions

• Basic Core Strategies

• Making the Most of Instruction

FOCUS AREASFOCUS AREAS

??? The Million Dollar Question ?????? The Million Dollar Question ???CONTACT INFORMATIONCONTACT INFORMATION

Dr. Jay Smink

Executive Director

National Dropout Prevention Center/NetworkClemson University

209 Martin StreetClemson, SC 29631-1555

Phone: 864-656-2599 Fax: 864-656-0136

E-mail: ndpc@clemson.edu www.dropoutprevention.org