RESEARCH

• Among developed countries the US ranks:

– 17th in high school graduation– 14th in college graduation– Each year 1/3 of public school students

fail to graduate

• 1 million per year• 7 thousand per day• 1 every 9 seconds

RESEARCH

• High School dropouts are:

– In poorer health– More likely to use Medicaid and

other forms of public assistance– Nine times more likely to be single

mothers– Likely to have a shorter life span

RESEARCH:PREDICTORS

• Demographics include:–Gender–Race/Ethnicity–ESOL–Family Structure–Mobility

RESEARCH:MORE PREDICTORS

• Other Factors– Poverty– Low Academic Achievement– Urban Location– Gender– Retention– Family Involvement– Social Emotional Disabilities

RESEARCH:WHAT THE STUDENTS SAY

• Reasons students give for truancy and why they drop out:

– Lack of engagement– Lack of motivation– Boredom– Unchallenging atmosphere

RESEARCH:WHAT THE STUDENTS SAY

• What dropouts claim would have kept them in school:– Opportunities for “real world

learning”– Better teachers– More interesting classes– Smaller classes with more individual

instruction

RESEARCH: WHAT THE STUDENTS

SAY:• Students fail to attend or dropout

of school for two types of reasons– Push - Factors related to school

environment– Pull - Factors related to

circumstances outside of school

RESEARCH: USE OF DATA

• Use data to track early warning signs in individual students over time and to assess:– Risk factors by individual student– Aggregate risk factors by school– Rates of decline in academic

achievement and engagement– School level outcomes– Analysis of student characteristics,

risk factors, outcomes, and impact of interventions

RESEARCH:USE OF DATA

• First Steps:– Start in elementary school to track

attendance, grades, promotion, and behavior

– Establish criteria for students who are off track and develop a continuum of interventions

– Track ninth grade students missing ten or more of the first thirty days of school

– Track first quarter grades for ninth grade students for failure in core academic subjects

RESEARCH:USE OF DATA

• First Steps continued:– Develop interventions for

students with failing first quarter grades

– Monitor year end grades– Monitor ninth grade

retentions

RESEARCH:EARLY GRADES

• Foundation for success in school starts in early grades

• Potential dropouts can be identified by the sixth grade

• Single most important factor for success in school for high risk and impoverished students is parent involvement

RESEARCH:ALL GRADES

• What high risk students need:– More class time– Better trained teachers– Opportunities for family involvement– Individual attention from

adults/mentoring– Access to mental health care– Curriculum that emphasizes critical

language skills, social skills, and work habits

BCPS DATA

• Graduation rate/attendance has shown a decline since the 04-05 school year

• All racial groups improved from the 08-09 school years with the highest improvement in Hispanic students

• English language learners showed the most improvement over the last five years

More BCPS Data

• Special Education students have shown a steady decline over the last five years

• FARMS students have improved in the last five years

EXISTING BCPS PROGRAMS

• Programs and interventions developed to help students become college, military, or workforce ready: - Rigorous and relevant instruction - Highly qualified administrators and teachers

- Character education programs - AVID - Maryland’s Tomorrow - Advance Path - Small learning communities - Magnet Programs

- PBIS

EXISTING BCPS PROGRAMS

• Bridge Center• Alternative high/middle schools• Evening high schools• Afternoon group learning centers• Home and Hospital

EXISTING PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS WHO WITHDRAW

PRIOR TO GRADUATION

• GED• Challenge Program• Job Corps

RESEARCH:RECOMMENDATIONS

• Increase personal contact between administrators, counselors, teachers, and students

• Assign an advisor to at risk students• Develop small learning communities• Provide academic assistance• Monitor class work• Review disciplinary records• Demonstrate real world connection to

material

RESEARCH:RECOMMENDATIONS

• Implement career and technical programs

• Develop clear and consistent discipline programs

• Implement skills development for behavior and academics

Programs that work implement multiple strategies

BCPS WORKGROUP: RECOMMENDATIONS

• Implement a Truancy Court Program• Develop magnet programs that are

available to at risk students• Establish a standard four or seven

period day throughout Baltimore County Schools

• Institute advisory groups• Create centers for in school suspension

where students complete class work• Relate attendance to afterschool

activities

BCPS WORKGROUP: RECOMMENDATIONS

• Host career days• Utilize data to identify subgroups

and individual students in need of intervention

• Partner with elementary and middle feeder schools to identify students at risk for truancy/dropout

• Assign mentors to at risk students

BCPS WORKGROUP: RECOMMENDATIONS

• Provide remedial assistance in core subjects

• Develop a program for credit recovery• Utilize evidence based programs• Personalize the learning environment• Orient parents to the importance of

good attendance• Establish a welcoming environment

BCPS WORKGROUP: RECOMMENDATIONS

• Plan parent involvement initiatives• Train teachers to communicate with parents• Incorporate attendance committees in

School Improvement Plans• Utilize student support teams to address

attendance• Develop a risk factor tool to identify at risk

students• Develop measures to track student progress

Any Questions?

Contact:

Sharon Ochs

Coordinator

Pupil Personnel Services

410-887-0404