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Big IDEA: ADMINISTRATORS CAN EFFECTIVELY ATTEND TO DROPOUT WITHIN A FRAMEWORK THAT INCLUDES: (1) AN EFFICIENT INFRASTRUCTURE THAT UTILIZES DATA-BASED DECISION MAKING; (2) EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION THAT CHALLENGES AND ACTIVELY INVOLVES STUDENTS WITHIN THE LEARNING PROCESS; AND (3) AN ENGAGING SCHOOL CLIMATE WHICH ALLOWS ALL STUDENTS TO FEEL WELCOME AND SUPPORTED Addressing Dropout Related Factors at the Local Level: Recommendation for Administrators By Sandra Covington-Smith, Ph.D. and Loujeania Williams Bost, Ph.D., National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities, Clemson University State Education Agencies (SEAs) lead the charge for effective change, impact, and sustainability in the adoption and implementation of programs and practices that promote school completion. Steps taken by state and local education agencies to decrease dropout include (a) collection, analysis, and public reporting of dropout rates and related information for all secondary schools; (b) conducting causal analyses and needs assessments to identify causes and target resources; (c) reviewing and revising relevant policies (attendance, behavior, credit accrual, exit examinations, professional development) that impact school completion; and (d) collecting post-school outcomes data from youth, including interviewing dropouts to find out why they left school. SEAs also serve as lead change agents in the adoption and implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs). In the adoption and implementation of EBPs, states are responsible for advancing capacity building at the local level that may be obtained via political support, funding, professional development, training, and technical assistance. EBPs may be adopted at the state level, but they must also be adopted and implemented at the local level. SEAs’ role in capacity building in the area of dropout prevention is key; however, administrators and educators are closest to students and will have the greatest direct impact in improving school completion rates. At the local level, administrators should be viewed as strong and effective leaders who believe in all students. As such, they lead the charge for the adoption and implementation of data-based decision-making and evidence-based strategies. Administrators encourage faculty and staff and support their efforts. They build trust by listening to and communicating with students, faculty, staff, parents, and community leaders. Administrators set the charge, lead the way, provide support, stay the course, evaluate outcomes, and make modifications as needed. Furthermore, effective administrators believe that schools are responsible for student learning and thereby, focus on student achievement. They are proactive at both anticipating and addressing challenges and act immediately to seek and provide effective solutions. Recommendations for Administrators In order for administrators to effectively attend to dropout and the factors that lead to dropout, they must first view change at the local level occurring within a framework that involves (1) an efficient infrastructure that utilizes data-based decision-making; (2) effective instruction that challenges and actively involves students within the learning process; and (3) an engaging school climate that allows all students to feel welcome and supported. As administrators initiate efforts to address and eventually impact school completion rates among students with disabilities, the following recommendations will provide a number of necessary strategies to successfully create change at the local level. »Infrastructure
»Instruction
»School Climate
Administrators have a key and vital role in dropout prevention and school completion for students with disabilities. They lead the charge at the local level while simultaneously providing support to students, faculty, staff, parents, and the community as a whole. An administrator is the voice of reason, enthusiasm, and endurance within this charge of improving school completion for students with disabilities. Effective administrators are respected not only for their ability to lead, but also for their ability to hear the voices of others and act appropriately and effectively. Their decision-making skills serve as the necessary tools to support all stakeholders involved, while creating change and keeping in mind that change takes time. However, with diligence and the appropriate framework, administrators can create positive change at the local level for both students and faculty, while increasing school completion rates for students with disabilities. Contact Information For more information, contact: Sandra Covington-Smith, Ph.D. DECEMBER 11, 2007: WEBSEMINAR — ENGAGING STUDENTS WITH SCHOOL: THE ESSENTIAL DIMENSION OF DROPOUT PREVENTION PROGRAMS Tuesday, October 16, 2007 Presenter: Dr. Sandra L. Christenson, Professor, Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota Student engagement with school, a multidimensional construct, is considered the primary theoretical model for understanding dropout and is, quite frankly, the bottom line in interventions to promote school completion. Variously described as a commitment to and investment in learning, identification and belonging at school, participation in the school environment, and initiation of an activity to accomplish an outcome, engagement is associated with desired academic, social, and emotional learning outcomes. Based on the implementation of Check & Connect, a model to promote students' engagement with school, reduce dropout, and increase school completion, as well as a review of the literature since 1990, four subtypes of engagement have emerged: academic, behavioral, cognitive, and psychological (affective). In this Webseminar, Dr. Christenson will describe universal and individualized interventions for students with and without disabilities. Viewing engagement as comprised of four subtypes, Dr. Christenson will describe the ideal heuristic to achieve an assessment-to-intervention link, as well as data-based interventions that maximize the goodness of the person-environment fit. Additionally, Dr. Christenson will discuss effective interventions for students at risk of educational failure with a focus on more than attendance and academic skills, but also on indicators of students’ commitment to learning, perceptions of academic and social competence, and the sense of belonging by educators and parents. Join us for this Webseminar as Dr. Christenson emphasizes what is known, what we need to know, and what we don’t know about engaging students as learners. Be on the lookout for registration information! » Contact Us The National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities (NDPC-SD) 209 Martin Street Clemson, SC 29631-1555 Toll Free: 866-745-5641 | TDD: 866-212-2775 Fax: 864-656-0136 Email: NDPCSD-L@clemson.edu
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The Virgin Islands Department of Education’s State Office of Special Education hosted its 5th Annual Summer Institute at the Westin Resort on St. John, August 19-25, 2007. During the five-day Institute, educators collaborated on principles surrounding the conference theme: Improving Outcomes for Children with Disabilities. This year’s Institute focused on IDEA 2004, Dropout Prevention for Students with Disabilities, Improving Post-School Outcomes for Students with Disabilities, Early Childhood Transition, Positive Behavior Supports, Secondary Transition, and Mathematics and Science. Special Education State Director, Carrie S. Johns, reported, “Our annual summer programs are the culmination of efforts of the previous school year packaged and presented in anticipation of the upcoming school year and intended to refresh, enhance, and introduce new methodologies to our participants. This year's program placed additional emphasis on IDEA 2004. This information will serve to enlighten and equip us all as we improve the delivery of the service to children with disabilities and special needs.”
During the Institute, Dr. Loujeania Williams Bost served as the conference’s keynote speaker and also conducted a two-day session on IDEA 2004. Dr. Bost’s main goal during the conference was to update educators about changes to IDEA, which school systems continue to work on implementing. Throughout the week, Dr. Sandra Covington-Smith presented on Improving Post-School Outcomes: Dropout Prevention for Students with Disabilities & Recommendations for Teachers and Positive Behavior Supports: Interventions to Promote Pro-Social Behavior. Dr. Covington-Smith encouraged teachers to take a proactive role by identifying and addressing dropout related factors early and implementing evidence-based practices. The Special Education Annual Summer Institute serves to provide its participants with scientifically-based research in the area of instructional strategies that demonstrate how to successfully reach students within the parameters of the new IDEA and to provide a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) to all students in the least restrictive environment (LRE). OCTOBER 16, 2007: TELEPHONE SEMINAR — THE IMPACT OF POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ON DROPOUT AND SCHOOL COMPLETION
Tuesday, October 16, 2007 Presenters: Dr. Loujeania Williams Bost, Director, National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities Dr. Matthew Klare, Research Associate, National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities Multiple factors influence school completion, including state and district internal policies and practices. Such policies and procedures can greatly impact school holding power and school completion rates. At the local level, even within districts that focus on school completion, competing structures of policies (professional development, attendance, testing, or mandated curricula) may interfere with school completion. This teleseminar examines chosen policies and proposed remedies implemented by selected education agencies. It is designed for state and local education agency personnel, policymakers, and others concerned with policies that impact school completion. About the Presenters:
Dr. Bost is the director of the National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities (NDPC-SD) at Clemson University. Dr. Bost is responsible for all operational aspects of the Center, including the development of strategic partnerships. Dr. Bost holds a Ph.D in Special Education from The Pennsylvania State University. She has an extensive background and experience working in state and local education agencies and in community programs. Dr. Bost has worked with students with disabilities and special education personnel in several states, including 13 years with the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Bureau of Special Education where she served as Chief for both compliance and technical assistance. She has been a public school teacher, a program administrator for agencies serving adults and adolescents with mental retardation, and a researcher. Dr. Bost has also held adjunct appointments at Penn State and Temple Universities.
Dr. Matthew Klare’s background is in the areas of assessment, development, operations, and data analysis. Before joining NDPC-SD, he was with American Institutes for Research and the South Carolina Department of Education. While at NDPC-SD, Dr. Klare has assisted states with analyses of dropout-related data and identification of risk factors that affect school completion. Who should attend this program: Representatives of state education agencies, school-based leadership teams, classroom and special education teachers, central office and building level leadership, parent leaders, and policymakers. Site Registration Fee: $75.00* *FREE to State Directors of Special Education, OSEP/OSERS, & Regional Parent Information Centers Registration Fee Includes: Access from one telephone line and one set of reproducible materials.Participants can invite as many people to participate as one telephone connection can accommodate. When you register, you will receive instructions on how to access the seminar from your telephone and how to receive participant materials by mail or e-mail. The seminar registration fee includes access from one telephone line and one set of reproducible participant materials. Participants can pay using a credit card, check, or purchase order. If you wish to use a purchase order, you must register by phone. All purchase orders must be made out to Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC). Register by calling 1-800-775-7654 or email Deb Hall for more information at: dhall@edc.org. SEMINAR CODE: 13270 By Matthew Klare, Ph.D., and Loujeania Williams Bost, Ph.D., National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities, Clemson University If you are seeking ways to streamline the process of preparing your state’s Annual Performance Report (APR), NDPC-SD has a few strategies and resources that might help. Our center annually reviews the APRs for all 60 states and territories, analyzes the information about graduation rates (Indicator 1) and dropout rates (Indicator 2), and summarizes this information for OSEP. Not only do these reports summarize performance on the two indicators, they discuss states’ challenges associated with the indicators, as well as some of the improvement strategies employed by states. The most recent reports and previous years’ reports are posted in the Technical Assistance section of our website at: But to the problem at hand: strategies to make the APR process easier. First and foremost, communicate with the other people in your office and other offices who are working on the report. Coordinate your efforts and improvement activities across indicators where you can. Such coordination makes particular sense for Indicators 1 (Graduation) and 2 (Dropout), as well as for Indicators 13 (Secondary Transition) and 14 (Post-School Outcomes). Not only can this approach help you avoid duplication of efforts, it will result in a more consistent and concerted approach to addressing the needs of your state and LEAs. Not sure where to begin the coordination? NDPC-SD has been collaborating with the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC) and National Post-School Outcomes Center (NPSO) on the development and pilot testing of a procedure states can use to address data collection, analysis, reporting, and use for these four indicators. In the coming months, the three centers plan to hold regional meetings to introduce states to the process and to involve them in addressing the indicators in a concerted manner. These meetings will be announced and well advertised, so keep a lookout for our announcements. »Resources There are a number of resources available from OSEP and the specialty centers to help support states’ work on the APR. A good general starting point for approaching the task is OSEP’s SPP/APR Calendar, which is posted on the Federal Resource Center’s website at: The calendar provides key dates and activities as well as other resources to assist states in gathering and summarizing the large volume of data needed to complete the APR for all of the Indicators. For example, the suggested activities for Indicators 1 and 2 for Fall 2007 are as follows. “States should be using their selected data source and measurement criteria to determine the percent of youth with IEPs graduating and dropping out of high school. Based on the results of these analysis activities, States should be preparing a draft to report on Indicators 1 and 2.” Another general resource available via the Federal Resource Center’s website is a schedule of technical assistance calls about the SPP and APR process. These calls are designed to provide states with assistance about the reporting process and requirements. This schedule of calls is available at the following link: Additionally, the NDPC-SD has developed a checklist to help states specifically with the Indicator 1 and 2 sections of the APR. The checklist is available on our website. NSTTAC has developed a checklist that is specific to Indicator 13. It is available in draft form on their website at: www.nsttac.org/content/i13/ Finally, don’t forget that the staff of the Regional Resource Centers and OSEP specialty centers, such as NDPC-SD, NSTTAC, NPSO, and NCEO are available to help. Contact information for each of the centers is posted on their respective websites and on OSEP’s Technical Assistance and Dissemination “placemat,” which may be downloaded from the following link: »Tips for Improving Your APR
»Secondary Transition Mid-Year Institute & Pre-Conference Workday * * * »97th Annual Conference: Innovative Techniques to keep Students in School ** * * »International DCDT Conference * * * »Increasing School Completion and Graduation Rates for Students with Disabilities * * * »19th Annual NDPC Conference: Guiding All Students to the Winner's Circle: Rigor, Relevance, Relationships * * * »2007 Bridging the Gap Between Research and Practice Conference * * * »Engaging Students with School: The Essential Dimension of Dropout Prevention Programs WebSeminar SPREAD THE NEWS » Have a question » Subscribe » HELP
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