1. Washington State’s commitment to closing the gap for Opportunity Youth A first in the nation comprehensive model

2. Legislative Evolution Building Bridges Workgroup 1 st WA State Legislation on dropouts Recommendation # 3: “Create a Dropout Retrieval System for 16 to 21 Year-Old Youth who are not Likely to Return to High School” House Bill 1573 (2007 – 2009) Second attempt passed No fiscal note – permissive Established “1418 Implementation Committee” to develop infrastructure: Policies and procedures Rules and recommendations Model contracts and agreements Implementation Manual ESSHB 1418 (2010) RCW 28A.175.100 Est. WAC 392-700 Performance-based Case Management mandated Compliance monitoring required Longitudinal study required Over 3600 youth enrolled OSPI Open Doors (2014-15)

3. Current Status Statewide average monthly enrollment – 2014-2015: 2,955 to date – 2013-2014: 2,417 414 credentials earned 6,984 indicators of academic progress met 3,904.25 HS credits earned 12,065 College Credits earned – 2012-2013: 797 198 credentials earned

4. Student Eligibility Students must be at least 16 years old and less than 21 years old by September 1 to be enrolled in reengagement Additionally, students must meet credit deficiency ratios – Or obtain a waiver from a district designated school personnel, the juvenile justice system, or case manager from the department of social and health services

5. Student Completion Students become ineligible for further funding when they: Earn a high school diploma Earn an Associates Degree Have turned 21 before September 1

6. Current Status 55 unique programs 68 school districts offer this programming 4 typical models – – District self operating (6) – Partnering with community organization (9) – Partnering with community/technical college (13) – Partnering with multiple districts in a consortium (37) 98 individual pathways/sites statewide

7. Framework Elements Statewide framework of reengagement Encourages partnerships and collaboration State K-12 funding follows the student ($5,755 annually) Performance based & individualized, with multiple indicators of academic progress Designed as an on-ramp to college/career pathways Case management required

8. Model Structure District School Type R Program

9. Model Structure District School Type R Program CollegeAgency District A Program District B School Type R School Type R Program

10. Model Structure District School Type R Program District School Type R Program College Agency Program CollegeAgency District A Program District B School Type R School Type R Program

11. Model Structure District School Type R Program District School Type R Program College Agency Program CollegeAgency District A Program District B School Type R School Type R Program District A ESD School Type R School Type R District B Existing School Consortium District A School Type R

12. Approval Process All programs must submit: 1.Letter of Intent to operate within the rules 2.Calendar outlining a minimum of 10 months of operation and 900 hours of instruction 3.Program flow chart of student enrollment and outcomes 4.Program narrative 5.Scope of Work agreement outlining the roles and responsibilities of a partnership

13. Statewide Framework of Reengagement Process for program approval Statewide steering committee Diverse stakeholders Provides leadership, guidance and support Meets quarterly Participate in “alternative” education work group Convene programs for annual workshop Support for regional reengagement professional learning communities

14. Encourages Partnerships and Collaboration For instruction and support programs are partnering with: Community and Technical Colleges Vocational Skills Centers Work Force Agencies Regional ESDs Community Based Organizations Private Vendors

15. Funding Follows the Student Students receive full funding while showing academic progress up to college level. Enhanced funding for vocational/career technical education and federal transitional and bilingual also follows students. Special Education Services are the responsibility of the district and the funding remains with the district as they serve the student regardless of the program model.

16. Student Participation Requirements Students and programs must meet three requirements to continue to receive monthly funding 1.Weekly status checks – The program must attempt to have communication with the students every week 2.Minimum attendance period – Two hours of face-to-face time with program staff for instruction, case management, academic and/or career counseling 3.Academic progress – Students must show academic progress by the 4 th count day of enrollment

17. 1.Earns high school or college credit. 2.Passes one or more high school equivalency tests. 3.Makes a significant gain in core academic skill level as measured by pre and post testing. 4.Completes approved college readiness training. 5.Completes approved work readiness training. 6.Completes a work based learning experience. 7.Enrolls in college course(s) other than Adult Basic Ed, high school equivalency certificate, or ESL class for the first time. Indicators of Academic Progress

18. 8.Completes an ESL class 9.Completes an ABE or high school equivalency certificate coursework 10.Enrolls in progressively more difficult math or English college courses 11.Passes one or more tests/benchmarks that satisfy State Board graduation requirements * 12.Completes a grade level curriculum in a core academic subject that does not qualify for High school credit* 13.Completes a series of short term industry certificates (40 hour min.)* * Additions in the current WAC revision

19. On-ramp to College or Career Pathways GED plus pathway Workforce programs Certificate programs College partnerships: New options for existing partnerships New partnerships that put students in the college environment Coordination with adult high school completion programs Creative 10 week on-ramp to employment or advanced training in partnership with colleges

20. Case Management A ratio not to exceed 1 fulltime case manager to 75 youth Assist youth by connecting to resources and remove barriers to success Can provide academic as well as employment support

21. Tracking Reengagement Students School code: Reengagement schools are designated with an R school type code Allows the students to be disaggregated from district AYP measures. Program code: Each program has a unique qualifying code attached to the student record Allows OSPI to track student data to the specific program and location Allows OSPI to aggregate data many ways including by state, region, district, pathway or partner

22. Program Accountability Compliance monitoring of began October 2014 under the authority of ESSB 6002 (2014) To date 30 programs have undergone a compliance review This has led to a clarification of language and a 3 rd WAC revision Guidance and best practice documents have been created and shared Ongoing guidance and assistance have been welcomed

23. Program Accountability An EDS application is being designed that will allow data points to be collected that are not measures found in CEDARS, but are desired outcomes in Open Doors The new student qualification codes will allow the EDS application to be pre-populated with demographic information Program Annual Report District Annual Report OSPI Receives Report September 30 October 31

24. Program Accountability Programs are approved by the state and will require re-approval. Key performance indicators will include: 1.Student retention 2.Academic progress 3.Student outcomes 4.Process elements Meeting program requirements Adherence to program design Referral process Continuous improvement process

25. Longitudinal Study The RCW governing Open Doors requires longitudinal study for 5 years. OSPI is working with the Education Research and Data Center to align the cohort and data tracking for compliance. This longitudinal tracking will include: College enrollment and completion Workforce data such as wages and industry

26. Challenges Year Round Funding Continuous Improvement Barrier Reduction

27. Aligning drop out prevention, intervention and re-engagement efforts across OSPI, as well as other state agencies, statewide youth-serving organizations, and regional and local education agencies.

28. www.k12.wa.us/GATE/SupportingStudents/StudentRetrieval.aspx Contact: Laurie Shannon, Graduation Specialist Laurie.Shannon@k12.wa.usLaurie.Shannon@k12.wa.us Rhett Nelson, Graduation Communications Rhett.Nelson@k12.wa.usRhett.Nelson@k12.wa.us