Dropout Early Warning System (DEWS) Reporting system that identifies potential dropouts and brings these students to the attention of school, district, and state personnel.

Prevention or Intervention? Prevention – to act in anticipation of an event. Intervention – an act designed to occur in a space between two events.

Characteristics of Good Prevention/Intervention Programs The well-designed and adhered to model of preventions and interventions ensures that no student “falls through the cracks.” “Failure is Not an Option,” Alan M. Blankstein

Characteristics of Good Prevention/Intervention Programs Students benefit from careful, continuous monitoring, and universal support strategies. “Failure is Not an Option,” Alan M. Blankstein

Building a Prevention/Intervention Program Any program must be based on reliable and up-to-date data.

Data should be… DATA MultisourceRelevantTimely Consistent over time Disaggregated “Failure is Not an Option,” Alan M. Blankstein

Use data to…. Establish goals Target interventions Monitor progress “Failure is Not an Option,” Alan M. Blankstein

Prevention and/or intervention within an education system cannot occur without the concerted efforts of the faculty.

The school faculty must believe that they can be a positive influence on the lives of students.

According to Alan M. Blankstein, “…gaining staff compliance alone is not enough. It takes staff commitment to succeed in the thorny work of reaching low- achieving and under-served students.” “Failure is Not an Option,” Alan M. Blankstein

It’s All About Relationships TEACHERS PARENTS STUDENTS ADMINISTRATION COMMUNITY

At Leesville High School’s 9 th Grade Academy, our academic teaching teams lead the way in intervening based on our DEWS system.

Step # 1 Assign a teacher-mentor to meet with student on a weekly or daily basis.

Characteristics of a Teacher-Mentor People-oriented Motivator Effective teacher Self-secure Goal-oriented Respectful Genuine (Reputation for not being a fake)

Points to Remember Just because a person may be the right mentor for one individual does not mean he or she is right for someone else. Care should be given to matching students with the right mentor.

Step # 2 Plan periodic meetings with the student’s entire team of teachers, including the mentor.

Step # 3 Based on the needs of the student, the team should design an action plan. The teacher-mentor carefully monitors the students progress on the action plan.

Step # 4 The mentor and team should develop a communicative relationship with parents or guardian.

Step # 5 The teacher-mentor and team should monitor dropout intervention reports to watch for changes in dropout indicators.

Step # 6 The team and mentor should maintain up-to-date and accurate records of all meetings and attempts at intervening.

Dropout Prevention at LHS

Attendance Prevention and Interventions Maintain a high level of communication with parent/guardian concerning absences. (Mentor and/or team communication officer) Insure that student documents excused absences.

Attendance Prevention and Interventions Help the student to find a reason to attend school other than for academics.

Academic Prevention and Interventions Mentor/teachers help student maintain an assignment log. Weekly progress reports to mentor and parents. Online class websites. Establish a grade recovery program.

Academic Prevention and Interventions Establish a credit recovery program. Establish peer tutoring services.

Discipline Prevention and Interventions Uphold student’s individual dignity in the discipline process. Implement a school-wide positive behavior support system as a preventative measure.

Age Encourage students to participate in extracurricular activities with students of similar age.

Age Encourage students to participate in dual enrollment classes or independent study.

Age Encourage students to take elective classes at a technical college.