Drop Out Prevention Part 2

In addition to identifying causes of dropping out and correlating interventions, develop a long-term action plan. 

Articulation Chart for Dropout Prevention and Freshman Transition 2006-2010 Putnam County High Schools
Year	Activity or Focus
2006-2007	§  Recognized need to transition §  Started optional book study with small groups led by a retired teacher leader at each school §  Summer professional development sessions on Freshman Connection and freshman transition activities §  Professional development on effective teaching strategies & s-b lesson planning §  Contacted sponsors and investigated need for county student leadership committee §  Require basic orientation, parent teacher conference §  Began to review credit recovery options and ideas §  Started county Tech Ed Committee to increase communication between middle, high, technical schools and to develop relationship with business and community representatives §  Begin departmental conversations through regular county department chair meetings §  Implemented College Summit at Buffalo High to increase postsecondary enrollment
2007-2008	§  Attended Freshman session at national conference – Mike Hall §  Started freshman meetings and training §  Professional development provided on using assessments to promote student learning, & effective freshman transition strategies, and building a 21st Century framework §  Started Link Crew student leadership training §  Provided research to schools and developed freshman committees §  Investigated reasons for dropouts §  Recognized need for relationships §  Freshman Transition starts to develop into program rather than activities §  Began group sharing of freshman team ideas and plans §  Start matching up reasons with actions §  Held student leadership meetings and sponsored first summer student leadership conference summer 2008 §  Improve the 9th grade, improve the school §  Recommendations for monthly transition activities §  Superintendent requires dropout conferences with principals §  Started credit recovery using various venues and supplemental material §  Started master schedule meetings per high school with Curriculum Team §  Started student survey for all high school students by grade §  Added CTE representatives to LA and Math training sessions, vertical teams, etc. §  Continue Tech Ed Committee and work on improving middle school awareness of technical opportunities §  Implemented vertical team sessions for language arts and math (middle school and high school)
2008-2009	§  Continued Link Crew & sent another adult team for training per school to build capacity §  Started first day of school freshman activities with Link Crew §  First round of freshman program – with school freshman transition plan and school freshman transition teams – started meetings and training with Mike §  Second summer student leadership conference 2009 §  Purchased High School 101 materials;  coordinate with 8th grade §  Transition activities required §  Recommendations for data room §  Developed & implemented 8th grade program of study document §  Continued to develop credit recovery options and increased summer availability §  Added Algebra Support to master schedule for 09-10;  Developed  and added county elective course Language Arts 9 Support §  Continued student survey for all high school students by grade;  results discussed with student leadership committee and compared with previous year §  Discussed use of master schedule to support freshman class §  Continue Tech Ed Committee and work on improving middle school awareness of technical opportunities §  Discussion about technical options for high school students;  add informational section to Programs of Study §  Expanded College Summit program to Winfield High §  County representatives participated in Classroom Assessment Network (CAN 1)
2009-2010	§  Second round of freshman transition program §  Provide master schedule training for school teams – improve 9th grade plan through master schedule planning §  Continue freshman team meetings and training – at risk interventions, effective freshman transition program components, etc. §  12 hours of professional development for formative assessment FOR learning in the high school setting §  6 hours of optional professional development offered on collaboration for at-risk intervention in the high school setting §  Expand credit recovery to include standards recovery §  Continue Link Crew and opening day for freshman;  added Link Crew shirts for student leaders.  Continued activities during school year through mentoring, etc.  §  Data room required and added 45-day action plans for freshman program §  Develop articulation plan from 8th to 12th grade §  Continue county student leadership committee challenging members this year to begin to help administrators address major goals:  9th transition and dropout prevention §  New drug education coordinator participates with student leadership, freshman transition teams, etc. §  Continue student survey for all high school students by grade;  results discussed with student leadership committee and compared with previous years §  Add evening college courses offered at the technical school toward 2-year degree for high school students and adult learners §  Investigate technical (PCTC and college course) options for high school students §  Develop Intro to the Majors curriculum to include College Summit “Launch” material as well as additional updated resources for 9th and 10th grade courses §  County representatives participate in Classroom Assessment Network (CAN 2) including School of Practice for RESA 3 §  Develop freshman “handbook for success” §  Principals conduct school-based planning time/IS Day book studies §  Investigate use of 8th grade transition academy with middle school director §  Counseling Tiers training for school principals (high school & middle school) – WVDE  Review & revise intervention list

Expect More

Expect more of everyone, but especially of yourself.

If employees must walk a long distance to park, make a habit of parking in the spot that takes the longest walk.

If employees have 30 minutes for lunch, take no more - preferably less.

Whatever the basic dress code is for employees, dress it up.

If you don't want employees to yell at kids, avoid that behavior as well.

If you see a piece of trash in the hallway, pick it up and throw it away.

If you want students to greet others appropriately, practice doing the same with them.

If you want student leaders, encourage them through activities and interaction.

Leading by Simple Communication Techniques

Some simple techniques will enhance communication in your school and reinforce your strong leadership.

Do send information to staff members in a timely manner.  This means the administrator must stay up to date on all communications.

Do review anything that's to be forwarded and add your own spin.  For example, if a board office administrator requests information from employees, add you own introduction with any necessary clarifications AND to whom you want your staff members to respond.  Most things should go through you first.  Simply forwarding an email to everyone can appear to put someone else in charge of your building.

Provide regular staff-only newsletters and send at the same time each week.  All staff members should know when to expect the latest updates on events, important dates, activities, etc.  It's essential to helping everyone stay on the same page and feel organized.  Most people do not like last minute announcements for assemblies (that should have been planned and announced in a timely manner).   Classroom interruptions interfere with good instruction.

Instruction and Teaching

Instruction/teaching is the most valuable part of the school day in terms of student performance and achievement.

Choose the best, monitor classrooms, collaborate with the instructional staff to find effective ways to help kids.  Put the heat on those that do not meet the instructional standard.

All the money, technology, and canned programs in the world cannot replace a great, caring, intelligent teacher.

What's best for kids?  How do we make our daily program better?  How are we reaching all kids?

Every Day is Gray

There isn't much "black & white" in an administrator's day.  If you think there is, you may have even more trouble in your position.

Usually, there is a more appropriate "gray area" response when you try to do the right thing (within parameters of course).

Think of a situation in which you made a decision that was between answer A & answer B.  How did it make the situation better than either of the obvious choices?  What risks and problems do you face when you choose the in-between answer?

Proactive Reaction

Proactive Reaction is my term for positive dealings with negative situations that occur in school buildings. 

Examples:

     Nasty words are scribbled on a student restroom wall.  Does the scribbling remain for days or weeks unattended?  Or is someone assigned to immediately clean and/or paint it?

     Trash is left behind by a community group.  Is it left laying around?  Or is someone assigned to clean it up immediately AND someone addresses the problem with the community group leader to ensure that the problem doesn't occur again?

Do light bulbs or damaged tiles go unchanged for weeks?   Even the sign in front of your building - is it kept up to date and relevant?

Dirt breeds dirt and nasty breeds nasty, does your building show you care? If it's left unattended, it will continue to grow.  Kids and adults see that it's okay.  It speaks to the total school environment.

It isn't about something negative happening, it's about how (quickly) it's handled and what steps are taken to reduce a repeat occurrence.

Middle School

The middle school concept seems to have been forgotten.  Middle school is not a high school.  Middle school is not the same as elementary.  Theories about the needs of the transescent (those between childhood and young adulthood) are true.  They are "betweeners" at different phases in their development, changing sometimes daily, sometimes rapidly....child one day, young adult the next, interested in dating yet still playing with kids' toys.

Bring back the middle school!  (Refer to previous blog about Planned Gradualism....how powerful it can be when level administrators collaborate!)