Monongalia County Schools

Special Education Drop Out CommitteeYear 3 Update

March 2013NDPC SD and WVDE

Our CountyAs of the 2nd month report, Monongalia County

Schools has 11,029 students enrolled:Elementary Schools Middle Schools High Schools

Brookhaven 561 Mountaineer 503 Clay Battelle 452

Cheat Lake 805 South 748 MHS 1668

Easton 266 Suncrest 475 UHS 1256

Mason-Dixon 375 Westwood 422

Mountainview 777

Mylan Park 494

North 739

Ridgedale 449

Suncrest Primary 284

Skyview 456

Woodburn 299

Our Team

•Tiffany Barnett, Director of Special Education•Debbie Moore, Special Education Counselor•Pete Cheesebrorough, Assistant Principal UHS•Denise Corder, Assistant Principal, CBHS•John Lewis, Assistant Principal, MHS

Year 1

•Tiffany Barnett, Director of Special Education•Debbie Moore, Special Education Counselor•Pete Cheeseborough, Assistant Principal UHS•Denise Corder, Assistant Principal, CBHS•John Lewis, Assistant Principal, MHS•Rhonda Bolyard, Transition Specialist MTEC

Year 2

•Tiffany Barnett, Director of Special Education •Debbie Moore, Special Education Counselor•Denise Corder, Assistant Principal, CBHS•John Lewis, Assistant Principal, MHS•Gina Romme’, IEP Specialist•Katie Neal, IEP Specialist•Stephanie Oberly, Supervisor of Psychological Services•Megan Frontiera, Coordinator of Safe and Healthy Schools•Courtney Whitehead, Coordinator of School Improvement and

Assessment•Rhonda Bolyard, Transition Specialist MTEC

Year 3

Starting Points (before the project)…

• Following the CSADA 2008, (Comprehensive Self-Assessment Desk Audit) a committee was formed to address drop out rate.

• The following trends were observed by the committee:– Dropout rate for special education students was too high-especially

from high functioning ID and low functioning LD populations.– There was a high likelihood of dropout from low socio-economic

families.– Truancy is a problem.– Students struggle mainly in the core areas: Math, English, and

Science. Many students do not participate in Phys. Ed. – Students state that the subject matter is not interesting to them and

that school takes too long. They know others who have their GED and they are doing “just fine.”

Starting Points Continued...

• Learning Strategies Classes• Afterschool Tutoring• Co-Teach Classes• ID Core Classes• In-school suspension• Some early MTEC entry•Modifications through IEP

Star

ting P

oint

s

The b

eginn

ing of

a re

quire

d exit

inter

view

Student says, “I want to drop out.”

Complete GED Form

Send to adult learning center for follow up

They must schedule an exit interview with

the principal

Interview is conducted

Student returns to school

Student continues to drop out

Complete withdrawal

form

Required Exit Interview

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT/INTERVENTIONSNDPC-SD Technical Assistance

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT/INTERVENTIONS… IN CORRELATION WITH THE 6 FACTORS

• Responsive Classroom: Skyview, Brookhaven, North, Easton, Woodburn

• LYNKS: South, Westwood, Mountaineer, Suncrest, Clay Battelle

• 7 Habits: Mylan Park, Cheat Lake• Check In/Check Out by Dr. Cynthia Anderson

@ University of Oregon• Annual SAT, Crisis Team, FBA, and CPI training• Alternative Behavior Educator-Online FBA

program and Behavior Modules• Embedded PD by Board Certified Behavior

Analysts• Alternative Education at all levels• Behavior Contracts and BIPs• United Summit Center, Chestnut Ridge

Hospital, Valley Mental Health, MAYSAP• School-wide PBIS

Behavior

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT/INTERVENTIONS… IN CORRELATION WITH THE 6 FACTORS

• Vocabulary development, Next Gen/Common Core/Essential Elements Training

• Read 180 & System 44• Co-Teaching Strategies from Dr. Marilyn Friend• Embedded R/LA and Math with academic coaches• On Cloud 9, Wilson, RAVO, Barton, S.P.I.R.E., multi-

sensory approaches, University of Kansas Writing Strategies, Brain Research and students with SLD,

• WVDE sponsored academies• Autism/Asperger’s Sensory and ADHD seminar.• Credit Recovery• Learning Strategies and Algebra Support Classes• SWAP Program• GED Option Programs• Vocational Education Programs• Summer Exploratory• Afterschool tutoring

Course Performance & Academics

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT/INTERVENTIONS… IN CORRELATION WITH THE 6 FACTORS

• Parent Link• Monthly Rewards• Probation Officer• Final Exam Schedule

Attendance & Truancy Prevention

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT/INTERVENTIONS… IN CORRELATION WITH THE 6 FACTORS

• Clubs and athletics• Advisement/LINKS• Special events and

rewards• Instructional Practices

Inventory (IPI)- Mountainview, Eastwood, Ridgedale

• Transition Tour• Transition Fair• Middle School MTEC

Program

Student Engagement

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT/INTERVENTIONS… IN CORRELATION WITH THE 6 FACTORS

Family Engagement

• CAP day• Parent Link• School Newsletters• Future Palooza• Open House• Parent Teacher

Conferences• Elementary

Reading/Math Nights• North Elementary-

Farmer’s Market

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND INTERVENTIONS…

IN CORRELATION WITH THE 6 FACTORS

School Climat

e

• School Culture & Climate Committee

• Student Clubs and Events• Professional Learning

Committees• Mentoring programs

Research• Overall data indicates that students with

Emotional/Behavioral Disorders are the most likely candidates for dropout. Monongalia County’s data suggests that students with Specific Learning Disabilities are at a high risk as well.

• Between the years of 2008-2012 an average of 45.4% of students with disabilities each year were able to graduate with their cohort. Each year, the highest graduating percentage comes from CBHS.

Initial PlanThe initial focus was on Morgantown High School, the largest

high school in the county. Students with Disabilities (specifically Intellectually and Learning Disabled) and those coming from low socioeconomic families were targeted for interventions. Exit interviews were conducted and the main reason students gave for wanting to drop out were:

1. Lack of interest in school2. They were behind on credits3. They felt no emotional attachment to the school4. Truancy or Discipline Issues

A small group of students were identified as at-risk for dropping out and interventions created by the committee were implemented.

Initial PlanThe selected interventions were:

Citizenship 101: a course for repeat offenders of safe school violations during which they would meet with law enforcement agencies such as police, judges, prior offenders, etc.

Principal’s Pin-awarded for random acts of kindness and responsible behavior

Mentor Training: to assist other students who are new to the school Principal’s Challenge: a behavioral contract between the student,

teachers, and principal School Activities: make all students aware of events happening at the

school and encourage participation Team Academies: students who are identified as “at-risk” by feeder

schools are placed with modified schedules in core classes with specific teachers.

Plan RevisionsThe interventions were reviewed with the following results:• There was no hard data to support the initiatives’

effectiveness• The committee was restructured to include a wider range of

county resources including psychological services and a transition specialist.

• The team wanted to focus on early intervention-potentially middle school students.

• The learning strategies classes are being reviewed to match CSO’s to the class components.

• The team wishes to include a teacher-to-student mentoring program

Final PlanD.O.T.S.

“Depending on Outreach and Teacher Support”

Students are identified using the early warning system.

Beginning with a smaller school to determine effectiveness before branching out to larger schools.

Teachers volunteer to mentor a “dot.” Students are unaware that they are being targeted for

intervention.

Plan Evaluation and Adjustments• Phase I: Initial Plan

Some interventions are still in place (Principal’s Challenge and Freshman Academies). The committee felt the school was too large and the data relative to the plan’s components and their effectiveness was too difficult to obtain.

• Phase II: Revised Plan Additional academic supports (credit recovery, learning

strategies/support classes, Intensive Reading programs at elementary and middle school levels)

Additional Behavioral supports (CICO, advisory, agency collaboration)• Phase III: Final Plan

Truancy and probation officers were integrated Use of the Early Warning System targets at-risk students Virtual School, GED option program, Alternative Education sites at all

levels. D.O.T.S. mentor program

County Developed Resources/Tools

• Exit Interview•Data wall for each high

school based on the three indicators of drop out.

WVDE: Cohort Document and Data

Cohort Grad. % RateCounty: SWD 47.1 ALL 73.7CBHS: SWD 44.4 ALL 79.7MHS: SWD 53.6 ALL 74.9UHS: SWD 39.7 ALL 70.7

2009-2010

2010-2011

2011-2012

Cohort Grad. % RateCounty: SWD 49.3 ALL 72.7 CBHS: SWD 63.6 ALL 88.1MHS: SWD 43.1 ALL 69.7UHS: SWD 54.4 ALL 73.9

Cohort Grad. % RateCounty: SWD 49.2 ALL 77.3CBHS: SWD 61.5 ALL 86.4MHS: SWD 44.8 ALL 77.6UHS: SWD 50.9 ALL 74.8

WVDE: Early Warning System Tool

• Access has been given to administrators, counselors, and IEP specialists in order to facilitate collaboration.

• We have just begun utilizing the early warning system this year. It is being used to identify students who are good candidates for the D.O.T.S. program.

• Since Clay Battelle is a small school, all students are used when applying the system.

• The tool, and the information gleaned, is utilized monthly at every school to align interventions with trends shown by the data.

Use of Funds

• 2011-travel for WVDE trainings and professional development

• 2012-travel for WVDE trainings and professional development, The Last Dropout ordered for book study

• 2013-travel for WVDE trainings, Learning Strategies class organizational supplies purchased

Data Trends-GraduationGender 2011 2012

Male 75% 78.7%

Female 64% 73.9%

Gender 2011 2012

Male 25% 21.3%

Female 36% 26.1%

Data Trends-Drop Out

Data Trends-Graduation and Exceptionality

Exceptionality 2011 Graduates Non-Graduates

2012 Graduates Non-Graduates

AU 100% - 100% -

E/BD 75% 25% 57% 43%

EG - - 100% -

HI 100% - 100% -

SLD 73% 27% 75% 25%

ID-Mild 75% 25% 73% 27%

ID-Moderate - - - -

ID-Severe - - 100% -

OH 58% 42% 78% 22%

Data Trends-OtherSchool Year SWD at or above

mastery R/LASWD at or above

mastery Math2009-2010 9.13% 11.52%

2010-2011 10.82% 11.07%%

2011-2012 9.51% 12.77%

LRE 0 Full-Time

LRE 1Part Time

LRE 2Separate Class

2009-2010 61.77% 29.65% 7.3%

2010-2011 63.66% 28.27% 6.75%

2011-2012 59.26% 32.73% 6.85%

2012-2013 53.49% 38.75% 6.13%

Projected Graduation/Dropout Results

Drop Out by Exceptionality

Drop Out by School

115 SLD2 ID1 OH3 BD

111 Clay Battelle7 Morgantown3 University

Moving Forward and Next Steps

oContinue with monthly review of EWS dataoContinue D.O.T.S. programoMonthly meetings of the county’s Drop Out

CommitteeoReview data monthly to determine

effectiveness

Key Components of Plan Development

Additional mentor training and strategies in order to assist at risk students

Increase attendance/truancy and parent engagement strategies

Key Components for MaintenanceAnnual Review of DataConsistency in Team MembershipSupport from Central Office StaffProfessional Development for

Teachers/Counselors/AdministratorsVertical Teaming (Elementary to Middle, Middle to

High)Celebrate Successes

Lessons Learned

You must have buy in from the committee members and people working in the schools directly with students.

Large scale ideas are difficult to implement and determine effectiveness.

As a team, you must determine how, when, and why you are collecting data.

Committee members must be able to take the ideas back to their schools and mold them to fit their student population’s needs.

Contact InformationTiffany Barnett, Director of Special Education tcbarnet@access.k12.wv.us

Rhonda Bolyard, Transition Specialist rlbolyar@access.k12.wv.us

Gina Romme’, IEP Compliance Specialist gromme@access.k12.wv.us

Katie Neal, IEP Compliance Specialist kneal@access.k12.wv.us

Thank you !