THE Message: GraduatE!

1. THE Message: GraduatE! Presenter: Debora Williams, Special Assistant Graduation and Dropout Prevention Initiatives NC Department of Public Instruction

2. Do You Know?

3. Do You Know? The number of students dropping out of school annually in U.S.

4. The answer is…. Annual number of high school dropouts in U.S. 3,030,000 http://www.statisticbrain.com/high-school-dropout-statistics/

5. Do You Know? The number of students dropping out of school each day in the U.S.

6. The answer is … Number of students who dropout of school each day in U.S. 8,300 http://www.statisticbrain.com/high-school-dropout-statistics

7. Do You Know? The number of students in North Carolina who dropped out of school in 2011

8. The answer is … Number of students dropping out of school in North Carolina (2011) 15,773 http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/research/dropout/reports/2010-11/113countbylea.pdf

9. AND….. Number of students dropping out of school in North Carolina (2011) 15,773 123 – Elementary 198 - Middle http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/research/dropout/reports/2010-11/113countbylea.pdf

10. Session Objectives • Discuss Why Students Dropout of School • Identifying Students At-Risk of Dropping Out • How You Can Help • Opportunities to Collaborate

11. Approximately 15% of the nation’s high schools produce more than half of its dropouts and close to 75% of its minority dropouts. Half of these schools are found primarily in the cities of the North, Midwest, and West. The other half are found throughout the South and Southwest in urban, suburban, and rural areas. -Everyone Graduates Center http://new.every1graduates.org/locating-the-dropout-crisis-full-repor/

12. Table Talk WHY are students in our state dropping out of school?

13. Why Students Drop Out • School Related Issues • Job Related Issues • Family Related Issues • Other Reasons

14. GRADUATION RESILIENCY

15. PurposeofGraduation Resiliency To facilitate an early warning system with research-based risk factors for identifying students who may be at risk of dropping out of school.

16. Research-based Risk Factors On-track Credits An on-track student has accumulated the requisite number of credits to move to the next grade level. An on-track student has no more than one semester “F” in a core subject.(Allensworth, 2009)

17. Research-based Risk Factors Attendance Eight times more predictive of failure than prior test scores. A student who has more than 5 absences in one semester of the 9th grade year has a 63% chance of graduating in four years. (Allensworth, 2009)

18. Research-based Risk Factors GPA Students with a “B” (3.0) average or higher in the first year have better than a 93% chance of graduating; students with a D+/C- (1.0-2.5 GPA) average have a 53-92% chance of graduating; students with less than a “D” average (1.0) have less than a 6% chance of graduating. (Allensworth, 2009)

19. Relevant NCWISE Data • Attendance data, both current and historical • State assessment achievement level data • Final marks for all middle school/high school courses • Most recently calculated GPA (calculated at year-end for grades 9-12) • Student name, pupil number, birth date, ninth-grade entry date

20. Report Organization There are 4 available reports • A ninth grade report, to be run at the start of ninth grade, considering the previous 3 years • A tenth grade report, to be run at the start of tenth grade, considering ninth grade data • An eleventh grade report, to be run at the start of eleventh grade, considering tenth grade data • An twelfth grade report, to be run at the start of twelfth grade, considering eleventh grade data

21. Information Source • All report data is historical. Only attendance data is updated after the start of school year. • Reports are run at the start of the school year. • Reports consider data from previous years. • Ninth grade report considers student data from grades 6, 7, and 8. • Tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade report considers the data from the previous school year only.

22. Ninth Grade Risk Criteria • Final grade for standard required Math course (grades 6,7,8) < C • Final grade for standard required English course (grades 6,7,8) < C • Total daily absences, in any one school year, exceed 5 daily absences

23. Tenth/Eleventh/Twelfth Grade Risk Criteria • GPA < 2.0 • Total daily absencesexceed 5 daily absences • Achievement Level of I or II for EOCs • English I • Algebra I • Biology • Failure to achieve an expected level of course credits after each year in high school • At beginning of grade 10, less than 5 earned credits • At beginning of grade 11, less than 10 earned credits • At beginning of grade 12, less than 15 earned credits

24. Report Details • All reports are school level reports • Each report only contains students “at risk” for dropout • Each student has only one record in the report • Each column of the report represents a potential dropout risk factor

25. Ninth Grade Sample Report

26. Ninth Grade Sample Report

27. Next Step?Your Role?

28. Recommendations • District and/or School-based Action Team • Scheduled data review • Design appropriate interventions • Monitor results

29. This Presentation Will Be Posted The Message: Graduate! Graduation Resiliency http://dpi.state.nc.us/graduate/

30. Third Annual Town Hall Meeting on Graduation and Dropout Prevention 2013 Collaborative Conference on Student Achievement March 25-27 Sheraton Four Seasons/Koury Convention Center Greensboro For More Information, Visit http://dpi.state.nc.us/academicservices/conference/

31. Contact Debora Williams, Special Assistant Graduation Initiatives (919) 807-3912 debora.williams@dpi.nc.gov