Dropout Prevention: How Do We Keep Students from Falling Through the Proverbial Crack? Lisa J. Bowman, Ph.D. Juniper Gardens Children’s Project University of Kansas Midwest Symposium for Leadership in Behavior Disorders February 27, 2004

Overview  National perspective and statistics  Risk and protective factors  What works?  Research projects  Case study  Ideas and resources for educators

Dropout Reports  National Reports National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education) publishes an annual Dropout Rates in the United States reports Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (  State and Local Reports

National Studies on Dropout  U.S. Department of Education & SRI International National Longitudinal Transition Study (1993) National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 (in progress) Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study (in progress)  U.S. Department of Education National Educational Longitudinal Study (1988)

Definition of Dropout A student who leaves school “for any reason except death, before graduation or completion of a program of studies and without transferring to another school or institution.” U.S. Department of Education (2001)

National Education Goals 2000 “…the nation must drastically reduce its dropout rate.” The nation will increase it’s graduation rate to 90%. Educate America Act, 1993

National Education Goals 2000 Update “While progress was made during the 1970s and 1980s in reducing high school dropout rates and increasing high school completion rates, these rates have remained comparatively stable during the 1990s.” U.S. Department of Education, 2001

Dropout Statistics The current national dropout rate is 10.9%; the overall school completion rate is 85%.

Dropout and Disability  Students with learning disabilities (LD) and emotional disturbances (ED) at highest risk ( school year) 27% LD 51% ED U.S. Department of Education, 2001

Dropout and Ethnicity  Ethnicity Hispanic 28% African American13% Caucasian 7% Asian4% Overall 10.9% (students with and without disabilities) U.S. Department of Education, 2001

Dropout and Socioeconomic Status  Youth from families with incomes in the lowest 20% of all family incomes were six times as likely as their peers from families in the top 20% of the income distribution to drop out of high school.  In 2000: 10% of students from families in the lowest 20% dropped out 5.2% of students from families in the middle 60% dropped out 1.6% of students from families in the top 20% dropped out U.S. Department of Education, 2001

Dropout and Retention  Students retained two or more years were nearly four times as likely to drop out as those who had never been retained.  Students who are overage for their grade are at risk for dropping out. U.S. Department of Education (1997); Ruff (1993)

Post-school Outcomes  68% of all prison inmates are high school dropouts.  Dropouts comprise nearly half of the heads of households on welfare. Harvard Civil Rights Project, 2002; Schwartz, 1995

Post-school Outcomes  Dropouts are 72% more likely to be unemployed and earned 27% less than high school graduates. U.S. Bureau of Labor (1996)

Post-school Outcomes  Arrest of youth ages with disabilities (12%) peers without disabilities (8%) arrested at some time in their lives more likely to be arrested when out of school up to two years. U.S. Department of Education, 1991

Why Do Students Drop Out?

Why Students Drop Out  Top five reasons: Did not like school Was failing in school Could not get along with teachers Could not keep up with school work Pregnancy National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1998

Risk Factors Include…  Family and Community Low socioeconomic status Lack of resources and support High mobility (family) Lack of or poor role models

Risk Factors Include…  School High stakes testing Zero tolerance policies leading to suspension and expulsion Lack of resources and funding Grade retention Difficult transition from middle to high school

Risk Factors Include…  Student Nonattendance Repeated school failure Behavior problems Delinquency Disengagement from school

Protective Factors Include…  Positive and supportive school climate  High self-esteem  Parental support and involvement  Academic success  Social skills training  Problem-solving skills  High expectations  Goals for the future

What Works?

Effective Interventions and Strategies  Tutoring/peer tutoring  Attendance monitoring  Counseling  Mentoring  Service learning  Early identification  Early intervention  Linking home and school needs with community resources  Modeling strategies for parents

Recently Completed and Current Research Projects

Retrospective Study  Middle school students  N=28 20 with LD 8 with E/BD  High, moderate, and low risk  Attendance, grades, discipline referrals, teachers’ comments about discipline-related concerns  Primary result: Teachers’ comments in the 1st grade discriminated among the groups

Intervention Study 1  Intervention ClassWide Peer Tutoring (CWPT) Class-Wide Self-Management (CWSM)  Participants: 19 students with severe emotional and behavioral disorders Alternative high school (biology, grades 9-12) Residential treatment facility school (spelling, grades 5-9)  Preliminary Results: Reduction in inappropriate behaviors/increased time on task Improved pre- to posttest scores

Sample On-Task Data

Sample Pre/Posttest Data

Intervention Study 2  Positive Behavior Support (PBS) School-wide expectations Monthly behavior parties Back to school picnic Family Fun Nights In-services to review of student data Data-based decision making with staff  CHAMPS (Character Helps Achieve More Positive Students)  Preliminary results: Reduction in discipline referrals; increased parental participation; increased involvement in instruction

School-wide PBS Strategies All Students In School Individual Supports (1%-7%) Group Interventions (5%-15%) Universal Interventions (80%-90%) Adapted from Sugai et al., 2000

Office Referral Data

Teacher Preparation/Professional Development Study  LAS ESTRELLAS KU/KSU partnership Secondary content area teachers/English as a Second Language (ESL) endorsement  Research component focusing on teacher and student outcomes Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) Ecobehavioral System for the Contextual Recording of Interactional Bilingual Environments (ESCRIBE)  Parent involvement

Sample CBM data

Summary of ESCRIBE Categories and Subcategories ECOBEHAVIORAL VARIABLES STATIONARY VARIABLES INSTRUCTIONAL ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES TEACHER VARIABLES STUDENT VARIABLES 1. SETTING 2. INSTRUCTIONAL MODEL 3. NUMBER OF ADULTS 4. NUMBER OF STUDENTS 1. ACTIVITY 2. MATERIALS 3. LANGUAGE- MATERIALS 4. INSTRUCTIONAL GROUPING 1. TEACHER DEFINITION 2. TEACHER FOCUS 3. LANGUAGE- INSTRUCTION 4. CORRECTIONS/ AFFIRMATIONS 5. TEACHER BEHAVIOR 1. LANGUAGE INITIATING/ RESPONDING 2. ORAL RESPONSES 3. LANGUAGE- STUDENT 4. STUDENT ACTIVITY RELATED RESPONSES

Ideas for Educators  Establish, communicate, model and reinforce appropriate behaviors  Set and communicate high expectations  Communicate with families  Help students with decision- making and goal setting  Help students explore career and postsecondary educational options  Catch ‘em being good!

Tools for Educators  Academic ClassWide Peer Tutoring (CWPT) Curriculum-based Measurement (CBM)  Behavioral Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders (SSBD) Positive Behavior Support (PBS) The Good Student Game Tough Kid Toolkit

Contact Information Lisa J. Bowman, Ph.D. Research Assistant Professor Juniper Gardens Children’s Project University of Kansas 650 Minnesota Avenue, Second Floor Kansas City, KS (913) (ext. 235)