Dropout Update

December 8, 2009Board of Education Meeting

Joseph Miller

Part I: Background

“Cut the high school drop-out rate in half in a decade.”

Bill Ritter (2007)

2008 Board of Education Charge:Reduce the Dropout Rate

Adams 14Board ofEducationMembers

Strategic Initiative: Develop and implement a multi-tiered dropout prevention plan.

Adams 14 dropout rate (excluding alternative schools) will be reduced to 9% by 2010. Adams 14 dropout rate will be reduced to 7% by 2014.

Reasearch

Dropout is a process, not an event.

Studied four years of graduates and dropouts

Studied four years of graduates and dropouts

AttendanceBehaviorCourse Failure

TransfersLanguage

Raise Awareness

Part 2: Early Warning System

DEWDis part of

TAAT

Part 3: Interventions

Aligns SpecificInterventions

forEach Risk Tier

Attendance:Individual student

attendance plans;Success Academy (middle to

high school transition support);

Saturday School.

Behavior:The Link (alternative to

expulsion);Saturday School.

Course Failure:Credit Recovery;Online Learning;Work Keys;Alternative High School;Tutoring.

Response:•Created Dropout Prevention Coordinator position to direct interventions.•Called all dropouts from 2008-2009 school year before school started.•Any student in current year listed as dropout receives multiple phone calls.•Home visits to students with lowest attendance at high school.

Response:•An attendance team meets weekly to determine interventions for highest need students.•Alternative pathways for students on verge of dropping out. Includes Work Keys and Work Study. •Partnered with Teach One to Lead One to mentor 9th grade students at highest risk.

Part 4: Results

38

49%

“I dropped out last year and I am back. I am back to prove to my family that I can graduate. My brother dropped out, my sister dropped out, and my mom doesn’t think I will graduate either. I want to prove them wrong.”

--ACHS Student (October 2, 2009)