Dropout Prevention
& Student Recovery
March 30, 2015 – April 1, 2015
Presenters
• Natasha Scott, Ed.S., MSW,
Executive Director, Student Services
• Pamela Story, MSW,
Social Work Coordinator
• Nakol Lovett, Videographer
Objectives
• Review practical ways to:
– Raise awareness about dropout prevention
– Recover dropouts
– Track potential dropouts
Guiding Beliefs
• Dropout prevention is EVERYBODY’S
business.
• Dropout prevention is an ONGOING
conversation vs annual report.
• Use all resources available to you.
Guiding Beliefs
• Get student feedback when planning
events (i.e. focus groups).
• Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate!
• Be creative and have fun!
2014 Flipping the Script
Winner (Elementary)
“Stay in School”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj4Rb
xLYdzA
Dropout Rates– Grades 7 – 13
School Year
Number of Students
Percent
2011-2012
439
1.79
2010-2011
526
2.14
2009-2010
530
2.15
2008-2009
649
2.62
4 Year Graduation Cohort
Rates
School Year
All Students
Economically
Disadvantaged
2013-2014
81.2
77.2
2012-2013
81.7
76.7
2011-2012
80.7
75.0
2010-2011
78.1
72.4
2009-2011
75.1
69.4
Get Back in School
Launch Parties –
Summer 2011 & 2012
– 50 students in attendance each year
– ½ of those returned to school and completed the school year or
graduated
– All returning students offered a mentor
– Created a waiting list for our Performance Learning Center
– Agency fair for recent dropouts
• CCS programs that target at-risk students
–
–
–
–
ESL
Indian Education
Exceptional Children’s Services
Student Services
• Community Resources
– Partnership for Children
– Vocational Rehabilitation Services
– United Way
• Local colleges & universities
• Military recruiters
– Social workers: Contacted all dropouts,
determined reason for dropping out, and
invited to attend the Launch Party/return to
school
– Counselors: On site transcript audits and
recommendations for school placement for
upcoming school year
– Indian Education: Contacted all Native
American students listed as dropouts
• Central Office Staff
– Volunteered during the event
– Mentored and advocated for students
throughout the school year
– Purchased materials to support the event
• Free advertising via Fayetteville Observer
– OpEd – Appeal to the community to locate
students
– Community Calendar
• Mailed personal invitations to students coded
as W2s
• ConnectEd calls to students coded as W2s
Make a Choice Week!
– Participation from all grade levels
– BOE proclaims 1 week per SY as Make a Choice Week!
– District and School sponsored events
District Sponsored Events
• Viewing of InsideOut Documentary
• Make a Choice Pledge Campaign
• The Choice Bus
InsideOut
“InsideOut is an emotionally gripping film
that exposes the real story about the
devastating and lasting effects of
dropping out, told by those who live with
the consequences every day: prison
inmates.”
Make a Choice Pledge
Campaign
• All secondary schools utilized the
Student Government Association or
Student Council to launch a campaign
asking students to make a pledge to
make the most of their education.
The Choice Bus
• Principals selected 350 students to take
the 25-minute interactive presentation
designed to show the relevancy of
education to career choices and lifetime
earning potential.
Interactive Presentation
•
•
•
•
Short Movie, “The Choice is Yours”
Revealing of The Choice Bus Secret
Tour of Jail Cell
Pledge Cards
School Sponsored Events
• Career Fairs
• Teachers shared their degrees, gowns,
and their college experiences with
students
• Parades
• Writing prompts
• Bulletin boards
Dropout Prevention
Awareness Campaign
Nakol Lovett, Videographer
– Concept developed from student focus groups at local high
schools
– Developed 5-6 PSAs that can be used for multiple purposes
(i.e. CCS YouTube Channel, Facebook, commercial breaks
on CCS TV show, Get Connected, CCS Homepage)
– Theme – “Dropped out? Its not too late to drop back in!”
– Theme was based on the constant feedback from parents
and students as social workers visited dropouts over the
summer; “I didn’t think I could come back to school once I
dropped out.”
“Dropped Out? Let us
help you drop back in!”
http://ccs.k12.nc.us/category/dropoutprevention/page/3/
Tips for Creating a PSA
• Determine your topic
• Do your research – use current and
factual information about the subject
• Write an outline of the major points to
be covered
• Consider your audience
• Grab the audience’s attention
• Write a script for the PSA
• Be concise and to the point
• Select actors, props, equipment,
studio/film location(s)
• Schedule the filming of the PSA
• Film and edit your PSA
Flipping the Script
Student Video Contest
– Two PSA or music video submissions per school
– Theme – “Reasons to stay in school until graduation”
– Videos posted to CCS YouTube Channel and video with the most
‘likes’ in each grade span is the winner
– Winning school receives 10 KindleFire devices and the covers
– Schools were given 4-6 weeks to create
and submit their videos electronically
– Videos are no more than 3 minutes in
length
– Partnered with other departments to
purchase the prizes (Federal Programs)
– Red Carpet Event to share the videos with
the community and announce the winners
– Winning videos are featured on the CCS
homepage
2015 Flipping the Script
Winner (High School)
“Against the Odds” – A. B. Wilkins High School
http://ccs.k12.nc.us/category/dropoutprevention/page/2/
Its not all fun & games:
Ongoing data collection &
monitoring
Pamela Story, MSW
Social Work Coordinator
Consolidated Dropout &
CGR Data Collection
Process
• Monthly tracking system used by all 16
high schools for finding potential
dropouts.
• Collaborative effort between social
workers, counselors, and data
managers.
Monthly report
• At the end of
each month,
social
workers at
each high
school will
complete and
submit this
form.
Track Potential Dropouts
This is the second
report social
workers submit
monthly. This report
tracks the withdrawn
students
individually.
Data Managers can
run a report
searching for those
specific students.
Each school will be
sent their own
spreadsheet via a
google doc for
confidentiality
purposes.
Responsibilities
•
•
Principals:
– Identify Cohort Graduate Rate point of contact.
Social Workers:
–
Through a partnership with the data managers, social workers will use the monthly withdrawal
records as a way of tracking potential dropouts as well as creating the School Leaver Roster. The
specific items the social workers will be looking for include:
• How many students have withdrawn?
• Of those students, how many are potential dropouts?
• Of those students, how many are seniors?
• Of those seniors, how many have been pulled back in to school?
–
•
•
•
Social workers will also be identifying the withdrawn students specifically by name, grade, 9 th
grade entry date, exit code, and exit comment.
Data Managers:
– Assist social workers by providing monthly withdrawal information from PowerSchool and
withdrawal records.
Counselors:
– School counselors will continue to audit student transcripts each semester with two sets of eyes,
and put extra focus on senior transcripts to ensure all seniors can graduate.
– Help assist the social workers with identifying where potential dropouts may be.
CGR Point of Contact:
– Responsible for communicating with their school’s social worker in regard to the monthly reports
and student findings.
For More Information…
• Natasha Scott – (910) 678-2433
• natashascott@ccs.k12.nc.us
• Pamela Story – (910) 678-2621
• pamelastory@ccs.k12.nc.us
• Nakol Lovett – (910) 678-2540
• nakolm@ccs.k12.nc.us