ATTENDANCE/DROPOUT PREVENTION Presenter: Rebecca Derenge, Coordinator, WVDE Attendance, Neglected and Delinquent, McKinney-Vento, “Homeless Education”, Innovation Zone and Dropout Prevention

AGENDA Dropout Prevention Initiatives Available Data for “New” and improved Early Warning System

What? West Virginia Department of Education YearGraduation Rate (4 yr.) % % % % % %

What? West Virginia Department of Education YearDropout Rate % (3,527) % (3,353) % (2,729) % (2,114) % (1,877) % (1,584)

So, What?  Projected continued dropouts  At this rate, next ten years over 35,000 will drop out of WV schools.  Cost (nationally)  Each class of dropouts cost $55 million in healthcare.  80% of prison inmates are dropouts  12 millions students who will drop out over the next decade will cost the nation $3 trillion dollars.

Dropout Prevention Initiatives WVDE partnered with the Supreme Court of Appeals and Judicial Systems to create Community Awareness and Action on truancy and dropout prevention. A presentation by the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals on the results of a truancy survey developed by Suzanne Davis, Research Analyst, the Division of Court Services, was sent to all 55 counties to gather data on truancy and effective county policies

Dropout Prevention Initiatives School-based probation officers serve in eight counties: Cabell, Logan, Mercer, Greenbrier, Monongalia, Wayne, Boone and Putnam. Juvenile Drug Courts are operating in Boone/Lincoln, Brooke/Hancock, Cabell, Greenbrier/Pocahontas, Harrison, Jefferson, Kanawha, Logan, Mercer, Monongalia, Putnam, Randolph, Wayne, Wood, Ohio (new) and McDowell

Dropout Prevention Initiatives Alternative education programs enrolled 3,054 students during the school year. The 4-Year graduation average ( ) for alternative education students is 74.2%

Innovation Zone Grants In West Virginia Department of Education issued 10 new Innovation Zone Grants ranging from $41,850 for 1-year projects to $300,000 for 3-year projects totaling $2,496,144. dollars

Innovation Zone Grants In the first year of Innovation Zones, gains in Mathematics in terms of percentage of student who were proficient was achieved in 81% of the schools. Percentages during the first year showed 50% of the schools had proficiency gains in Reading.

Dropout Prevention Initiatives WVDE partnered with several advocacy organizations: –Education Alliance Frontline Network – Communities Unite for High School Success and Dropout Prevention in West Virginia –Legal Aid of West Virginia through “Youth M.O.V.E. West Virginia” –Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC) to co-host Student Success Summit July 30-31, 2014

Dropout Prevention Initiatives West Virginia Department of Education Virtual School currently offers 43 credit recovery courses. –West Virginia students registered for 4932 credit recovery courses for the school year. (new) Thirty-two counties registered students for credit recovery courses for the school year (new)

Dropout Initiatives Mountaineer Challenge Academy - offering struggling students an alternative way to receive a West Virginia Diploma. Mountaineer Challenge Academy graduated 196 students in Dec., 2014 with a West Virginia High School Diploma through the Option Pathway.

Dropout Prevention Initiatives In ,339 students graduated with EDGE (Earn a Degree-Graduate Early) credits, and 269 students applied for EDGE credits at a West Virginia community and technical college

GED Completions GED Test January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013 All Testers7,032 Completers*6,193 Passers5,124 Pass Rate83% *Completers are individuals who take all five (5) subjects of the GED test. The passing rate for the GED test is determined by the number of passers/completers.

H. B – Grants dual jurisdiction to counties where a student lives in one county and attends school in another to enforce truancy policies across county lines

H. B – Authorizes the county attendance director and the assistants to both have authority relating to compulsory school attendance.

Dropout Prevention Initiatives Career Technical Education Opportunities expanded High Schools that Work to 32 sites expanded Technical Center that Work from 14 to 20 sites expanded Advanced Career Programs from 12 to 14 high schools Implementation for school year of 269 Simulated Workplace pilot sites (new)

Dropout Prevention Initiative West Virginia Board of Education’s Drivers’ License Certification Policy 4150 that includes requirements for attendance, behavior and course performance in order for students to receive their drivers’ permits

Dropout Prevention Initiative The Option Pathway by which a student receives both a High School Diploma and a State Equivalency Diploma (formally GED). The Option Pathway is a blend of Career Technical Education (CTE) and the state approved high school equivalency assessment (HSEA). Over 1124 students were enrolled in the Option Pathway during the school year, with over 553 Option Pathway seniors earning high school diplomas. 125 students received a high school equivalency diploma before leaving high school. (not available until middle August)

Option Pathway Only students who receive the State of West Virginia High School Equivalency Diploma under Option Pathway I and II will graduate with a regular high school diploma and will therefore be counted as graduates.

ABC Framework A ttendance B ehavior C ourse Performance

Attendance  Relates to disengagement  Kindergartener’s missing 30 or more days of school  Need to create a culture of attendance  This is a life and job readiness skill  Legal consequences after 5 unexcused absences  Many contributing factors : substance abuse, family problems, depression, pregnancy, boredom, social anxiety,

Behavior  Can be a barrier to learning  All behavior is purposeful (family problems, substance abuse, learning problems, boredom, child abuse etc.)  Need to learn the purpose of the behavior to change it  The more time out of class the more they fall behind

Course Performance Progression of learning On track or Off track to graduate Acquiring basic skills to build upon Basic Math and Literacy Skills are required to pass a GED test Some need additional help Some need a different level Some need a different teacher

Early Warning System The Early Warning System is available to all counties and is a web-based tool to help educators identify at-risk students grades K-12 from research-based indicators

GRADES LESS THAN 1.5 GPA FOR THE YEAR ATTENDANCE MISSING MORE THAN 10% OF THE YEAR OFFICE REFERRALS GREATER THAN 5 OFFICE REFERRALS IN A MONTH

Easy to Understan d and Share Actionable Linked to Research

Graduation Cohort a continuing discussion of the study being conducted on the graduation cohort as part of the High School Graduation Improvement Act signed into law under HB 4593 beginning with the freshman cohort and raising the dropout age from 16 to 17 New Cohort Document can be found at: 0Cohort%20Guidance_ pdf

COHORT Total # of 16 year olds who dropped out *694*359*86 Total # of 9 th Graders who were 16 years old who dropped out *344*125*25 Total # of 16 year olds included in the 9 th grade cohort to be impacted by raising the compulsory school age to 17 *1231*1165 *These figures are calculated using students’ birthdates

4-Year Adjusted Cohort Rate

5-Year Adjusted Cohort Rate

ESEA Graduation Targets Used Beginning in the Accountability Year 4-Year Cohort 85.0% 5-Year Cohort 87.5%

Contact Information Rebecca Derenge Jack Wiseman Sara Harper