CATCHING THE THROW AWAYS

Jeff Davis Parish Overview Jeff Davis Parish is a rural blue collar community. Its 5,600 public school student attend 13 schools and one instruction campus. Jeff Davis ranks at the bottom half of the state in average income and % employment. It is among 12 Louisiana parishes with the highest alcohol and drug problem.

The Good News Jeff Davis students rank 6th in the state by District Performance Score. The DPS is an aggregation of SPS’s. Jeff Davis students ranked 1 st in 8 th grade persistence. Our free and reduced student ranked 4th in performance among at-risk students. The dropout rate among JD Students is 0.96%. (2nd to Caldwell Parish, 2006). Resulting in 1.1 million extra MFP dollars. Student employment among OPTION completers is 90%. Note: 42% were special education students.

The Top Five Reasons for a Successful Alternative Program! Board and Superintendent must grant Power and Authority Students and staff must be hand picked, no dumping Must create an efficient student management system for instruction and records Teachers must have “virtual principal power.” Students have only one teacher. Layers of interventions must be immediately accessible for the most challenging students

DEWS Discipline Parent Communication Center (PCC) SWPBS Minor Referral Program Letters Sent Home DEWS/SWPBS Team Meeting Conference with Student Detention Counseling

DEWS (Discipline Cont.) Alternative to Suspension Conference with Parents In-School Suspension Pupil Appraisal Referral FINS Conference with Parents (District Level) Alternative Program CSIP Marine Institute Incarceration

DEWS (Cont.) Attendance Parent Command Center Letters Sent Home: 3 days, 5 days, Counseling, 8 days DEWS/SWPBS Team Meeting Conference with Parents Referred to Attendance Officer Pupil Appraisal Referral Home Visits FINS Truancy Court

DEWS (Cont.) Grade Point Average Parent Command Center Homework Hotline/Hut Remediation/Tutoring Program Report Card Counseling DEWS/SWPBS Team Meeting Conference with Parents Freshman Academy Teacher Teaming Options Program Credit Recovery

DEWS (Cont.) AGE Accelerated Program (Middle School)\ Diploma Online Track (High School) Counseling Options

Don’t make it a prison And reduce your teachers to guards

Make the Alternative Program..... A privilege

The Next Step CSIP Community Service Interventio Program Refer to District Attorney Court System Marine Institution The student does not “just go home”

Enrollment Criteria Behavior Rules are reviewed with parents and the student Dress Code Rules are reviewed with parents and the student The Contract Explaining Termination and the Next Step is read aloud to the parents and the student

Results 90% of Options Completers Employed (42% of completers were special ed.) Dropout rate 0.96%.(2 nd to Caldwell Parish 2006) Resulting in 1.1 million extra MFP dollars Jeff Davis ranked 6 th in state by DPS Free and Reduced students ranked 4 th in performance Jeff Davis ranked 1 st in 8 th grade persistence