EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH AND JEFFERSON PARISH PUBLIC SCHOOL S Middle School Transition Project

GOAL The Middle School Transition Project aims to increase the high school graduation rate by supporting over-age special education students on the middle school campus.

OBJECTIVES Middle School Transition Coordinators will: Provide technical assistance to teachers who serve overage special education students. Provide technical assistance to district transition coordinators to ensure that Individual Education Plans are aligned with students’ post-secondary goals. Facilitate collaboration between LEA and higher learning institution to increase access and enrollment for students with disabilities.

OBJECTIVES Middle School Transition Coordinators will: Develop school promotion plans to address areas of need based on school data analysis. Provide professional development activities. Collaborate with special education teachers to identify students targeted for post secondary enrollment. Implement and monitor My Graduation Plan at the school level.

Challenge Approximately 25% of all high school students leave the public school system before graduating. Slightly more than 54% of students with disabilities and minority students graduate high school in four years. 1.3 million students drop out of high school each year –that’s 13 million over the next decade. Approximately 7,000 students drop out of high school every day. 2.1 million students attend school in approximately 1,600 high school dropout factories. *2011 American Institute for Research

Recommended Dropout Prevention Practices Diagnostic Practices (Early Warning System) -Data system and use -Screening Targeted Interventions -Adult advocates -Academic supports -Social/behavioral supports School-wide Practices -Learning environment -Rigorous and relevant instruction SOURCE: Dynarski, et.al., 2008

Early Warning Systems Early Warning Systems (EWS) rely on readily available data housed at the school to: Predict which students are at-risk for dropping out of high school. Target resources to support off-track students while they are still in school, before they drop out. Examine patterns and identify school climate issues. *2011 American Institute for Research

KEY EWS INDICATORS Engagement -Attendance Course Performance -Course grades -Number of credits earned -GPA Behavior -Suspensions -Referrals Research from several U.S. school districts provides a strong foundation for defining early warning signs that students might drop out, but local adaptation is key.

Middle Grades Risk Indicators Students who demonstrated at least one flag had a less than one in four likelihood of a four or five year graduation. Engagement -80% or lower attendance rate Course Performance -Failing math or English Behavior -Unsatisfactory behavior grade Graduated Did Not Graduate *2011 American Institute for Research

TYPES OF EWS INDICATORS Monitoring Indicators - Indicators that are available at specific periods in a school year (e.g., attendance, where students who miss 10 percent or more days of school may be at risk). Year-End Indicators -Indicators that are based on a full year of data that can guide action/support in the subsequent year (e.g., the Consortium on Chicago School Research’s year-end “on track” indicator). Transition Indicators -Indicators that rely on past performance but inform future actions over a school transition (e.g., Incoming indicators for students coming from middle school and entering high school). *American Institute for Research

In Support of PLC’s and RTI Raising the Bar and Closing the Achievement Gap: Whatever it Takes by Richard DuFour, Rebecca DuFour, Robert Eaker, Gayle Karhanek Four Questions:  What do students need to be able to do?  How will we know when they have learned it?  What will we do when they haven’t learned it?  What will we do when they already know it?

Behavioral Academic PBIS Mentoring Behavior Intervention Plans Check in/Check out Behavior Coaching Counseling Services Attendance Interventions After School Tutoring Push-In RTI Pull-out RTI Effective use of Assessment Data Analysis Re-teach/Re-test Resource Maps Targeted Interventions

In Support of Rigor and Relevance Use of Rigor and Relevance Framework Quadrant System of Lesson Evaluation Observation Forms including Quadrant System Observation Forms Professional Development and Technical Assistance in Rigor and Relevance *International Center for Leadership in Education

Middle Schools Ford Middle Harris Middle Livaudais Middle Roosevelt Middle Jefferson Parish Capitol Middle Southeast Middle Broadmoor Middle Park Forest Middle East Baton Rouge Parish

What does this look like in EBR? Recovery Plans Monthly Walk Through Data Analysis of ABC’s and District Assessments Scoring of Progress Support of Plan Working with Administrators and Instructional Coaches Observations Co-teaching Team Meetings (PLC’s) Data Analysis of Common Assessments LDOE Resources Working with ESS Department RTI Resource Maps (Behavioral and Academic) Analysis of Least Restrictive Environment Transition Planning

What does this look like in Jefferson? Collaboration District Level School Administrative Teams Teachers Data Analysis Middle School Promotion PlanMiddle School Promotion Plan DEWS Data Tracking SheetDEWS Data Tracking Sheet Student Data Tracking SheetStudent Data Tracking Sheet Support Tools for Middle SchoolsTools for Middle Schools Professional Development IEP/Transition Planning Support Technical Assistance

My Graduation Plan ® E-Learning Curriculum Aids in Transition Planning Describes career and post-secondary options and paths Description Increases Student participation in IEP process Increases Graduation Rates Decreases Drop-out Rates Methods for compliance monitoring Builds self-advocacy Benefits Website: You Tube video: to&feature=related to&feature=related Additional Information

What about Regions without Middle School Transition Coordinators? Collaborative meetings between Middle and High School Data Sharing and Analysis Vertical Alignment Plans

Contact Information Kristina Bradford Region 2 Middle School Transition Coordinator DeCarlas O’Neal Region 1 Middle School Transition Coordinator