GRADUATION INITIATIVE DROPOUT PREVENTION GRANTS BUNCOMBE COUNTY SCHOOLS MAKING THE TRANSITION TO SCHOOL SUCCESS Technical Assistance Meeting December 1, 2010

What Does the Research Say? Overage and under-credited students are unlikely to be successful in the regular high school setting. For students who have already become entrenched in patterns of chronic absenteeism and course failure, it appears that more non-traditional options for earning a high school diploma would be helpful. (Mac Iver)

Simply put, if students successfully make transitions into each level of schooling, they are significantly more likely to graduate from high school, [and the transition to middle school] is perhaps the most perilous. (Balfanz)

Children with poor social skills and emotional control have more difficulty getting along with peers and with adults, and experience early academic failure, which leads to later academic and social problems and, eventually, early school withdrawal. Hymel and Ford (cited in Rumberger)

Ninth grade serves as a bottleneck for many students who begin their freshman year only to find that their academic skills are insufficient for high school-level work. Up to 40 percent of ninth grade students in cities with the highest dropout rates repeat ninth grade; only 10 to 15 percent of those repeaters go on to graduate. - Alliance for Excellent Education

Key Components Mini-Mester Summer Bridge Programs Parent Outreach/Attendance Specialist Why Try? Math Initiative Tutoring Summer Program Collaboration Professional Development

Program Goals To reduce the Buncombe County Schools dropout rate and improve student success through targeted interventions that address course completion, high absenteeism, student-school connectedness, and academic performance

Increase the number of under-credited students who earn credits required for graduation through summer course offerings and recovery opportunites By August 2012, 90% of BCS Mini-mester participants will earn or recover at least one credit towards graduation requirements OBJECTIVE 1SMART OUTCOME 1

Decrease district dropouts related to excessive unexcused absences through increased parent contacts, attendance monitoring, and school connectedness activities By June 2012, 80% of targeted students with 10 or more unexcused absences will improve school attendance by at least two days. OBJECTIVE 2SMART OUTCOME 2

Increase the percentage of students who are prepared to successfully earn an Algebra I (or equivalent) credit in 9 th grade, thus improving the likelihood that those students will graduate. By June 2012, the percentage of 8 th grade students earning proficient scores on the NC EOG Math test will increase from 77.7% to 85.4% OBJECTIVE 3SMART OUTCOME 3

Community Partners Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College UNC-Asheville Warren Wilson YMCA Camp Earthshine Buncombe County Health Department

About 1000 Students Served

Mini-Mester Student Served 68 Credits Earned 15 Graduates 90% of previous participants have graduated or are on track

I would like to thank you for taking your summer break to teach us. This opportunity has been a blessing to me considering how bad I messed up last semester during my senior year.

Summer Bridge Highlights Five sites Enka Middle Parent Day YMCA Team Building Why Try? Mini-Camps Camp College Camp Fitness Camp Earth Camp CSI Technology

Other Initiatives Why-Try Training Attendance Data Monitoring Math Initiatives Tutoring Summer Program Collaboration Professional Development

Lessons Learned Keep Good Records Find Your Critical Allies Hire the Right People Fine-tune Your Outcomes Be Flexible