Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
PLANNING ASSESSMENT TOOL: Working Together to Decrease Dropout and Increase Graduation Rates in High School1
This planning assessment tool is designed to help schools and districts reflect on current practices and strategies and develop a plan for implementing an
effective schoolwide approach to decrease dropout rates and increase graduation rates at the high school level. The planning assessment tool serves as guide for
schools and districts that are thinking about one or more of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) high school case
studies (Malden, West Springfield, Turners Falls) and how the findings apply to their context (e.g., guiding questions that can direct engagement in the content
and conversation about the case study themes; guidance on how to interpret and apply the information to a specific context). It is a flexible and comprehensive
resource that addresses common themes that emerged from the case studies.
Districts and schools are encouraged to take a team approach to using this planning assessment tool to think about what is needed in their contexts to improve
their practices and strategies. The planning assessment tool is best used by various team combinations of leadership, dropout prevention, and high school staff
working together to: 1) systematically identify existing structures and practices along with gaps in services; 2) discuss what is working well; 3) formulate actions
that are necessary to address identified gaps; and 4) establish a coordinated schoolwide plan to meet the needs of all students at risk of dropping out. The
following are the planning assessment tool categories, which were derived from the three case studies, for improving dropout and graduation rates.
I. Human Resources:
A. Leadership
B. Faculty Roles
C. Professional Development
II. Programs and Strategies:
A. Pathways to Graduation
B. Ninth Grade Scaffolds
C. Student Supports
III. Infrastructure:
A. Student Support Teams
B. Data Utilization
C. District Commitment
IV. Partner Connections:
A. Community-School Partnerships
B. Family-School Interactions
1
This planning assessment tool was developed as part of the ESE contract: Case Studies of High Schools with Improving Cohort Graduation Rates and Declining Annual Dropout Rates (BD-14-1026DOE02-DOE01-00000000708). It highlights common themes and strategies that emerged from the Malden, West Springfield, and Turners Falls High School case studies, including strategies and
roles supported by MassGrad awards (funded through the federal High School Graduation Initiative) as part of Massachusetts’ College and Career Readiness strategy. RMC Research, Portsmouth,
NH prepared the assessment tool. June 2015
I. HUMAN RESOURCES / Page 1
RATE CURRENT STATUS
SCHOOL STRUCTURES, PRACTICES, STRATEGIES
Fully in
Place
Partially
in Place
Not Yet
in Place
DISCUSSION NOTES
(WHAT’S IN PLACE?)
I. HUMAN RESOURCES
A. LEADERSHIP
1.
The school principal has built a leadership
team that has regular opportunities to
deliberate the progress of at-risk students.
2.
Programs that function as schools-withinschools, e.g., alternative schools and
academies, have designated leaders who
are on the school’s administrative team.
3.
Leaders organize opportunities for teams
to meet regularly to exchange information,
evaluate progress, and make continuous
improvements. Examples include outreach
teams, data teams, and student referral/
support teams.
4.
High school leaders have worked with
middle school leaders to create transition
activities to prepare middle school
students for adjustment to the ninth grade.
5.
School leaders support options beyond the
regular course structure for struggling
students to learn and attain academic
credits, e.g., credit recovery courses,
summer options.
6.
The school principal sets a vision for
educating ALL students that includes a
rationale for focusing on reducing dropouts
and increasing graduation rates.
7.
School leaders set high expectations for the
academic achievement of ALL students by
maintaining rigor across pathways and
programs.
8.
Leadership sets challenging targets for
dropout and graduation rates and reviews
I. HUMAN RESOURCES / A. Leadership / Page 2
RATE CURRENT STATUS
SCHOOL STRUCTURES, PRACTICES, STRATEGIES
Fully in
Place
Partially
in Place
Not Yet
in Place
DISCUSSION NOTES
(WHAT’S IN PLACE?)
I. HUMAN RESOURCES
A. LEADERSHIP
progress against those targets.
9.
The school principal sets high standards for
all students and encourages faculty
discussion of promoting academic rigor
while supporting at-risk students.
10. District and school leaders encourage staff
to use data (e.g., EWIS in Edwin Analytics)
to identify at-risk students and set
expectations for achievement.
11. Leaders recognize the importance of
professional development for faculty and
create opportunities for PLCs and other
types of professional development. Leaders
are actively involved in professional
development.
12. Within the educator evaluation structure
employed by the school, leaders have
emphasized staff roles in creating a climate
where struggling students can receive
support.
13. School leaders have developed
partnerships with leaders from the
community and community service
providers for the purpose of providing
support services to at-risk students and
their families.
I. HUMAN RESOURCES / A. Leadership / Page 3
PLANS FOR NEXT STEPS
I. HUMAN RESOURCES / A. LEADERSHIP
1.
Review the discussion notes and identify common themes – Are there underlying needs (e.g., additional guidance staff) or common desired strategies (e.g.,
professional development in working with struggling students)?
2.
Note the themes below and discuss priorities – Which approaches can be accomplished without additional resources and which require a longer-term strategy of
reallocating resources?
3.
Use that information to determine next steps – Consider a multi-prong strategy that will bring about some “quick wins” while you are working toward longer-term
changes.
I. HUMAN RESOURCES / A. Leadership / Page 4
RATE CURRENT STATUS
SCHOOL STRUCTURES, PRACTICES, STRATEGIES
Fully in
Place
Partially
in Place
Not Yet
in Place
DISCUSSION NOTES
(WHAT’S IN PLACE?)
I. HUMAN RESOURCES
B. FACULTY ROLES
1.
The school has adjustment counselors who
address the behavioral/emotional needs of
students so they can focus on academics.
2.
The school has one or more staff members
with a social work background who are able
to address the range of needs of at-risk
students from a holistic perspective.
3.
The school has a formal program of
mentoring, matching adults in the school
and community with at-risk students to
provide additional positive role models in
students’ lives.
4.
At least some staff have the ongoing role of
making connections with students’ families
and the community.
5.
Some academic staff teach courses during
the summer to support credit recovery and
key academic transitions, especially from
middle school to high school or from ninth
to tenth grade.
6.
Academic department chairpersons take on
the role of supporting faculty members to
work with students who are struggling,
including coaching, developing learning
plans, student placement, and/or assisting
with diagnostic assessments.
7.
Some members of academic departments
take on the role of supporting and
monitoring online credit recovery
coursework, providing students with access
to a highly qualified teacher in their subject
I. HUMAN RESOURCES / B. Faculty Roles / Page 5
RATE CURRENT STATUS
SCHOOL STRUCTURES, PRACTICES, STRATEGIES
Fully in
Place
Partially
in Place
Not Yet
in Place
DISCUSSION NOTES
(WHAT’S IN PLACE?)
I. HUMAN RESOURCES
B. FACULTY ROLES
area.
8.
All faculty are expected to build positive
relationships with students to ensure that
students feel well connected to the school.
9.
Faculty who are directly involved in dropout
prevention programs work collaboratively
with their community counterparts (e.g.,
community youth resources).
10. Teaching faculty who are working in
alternative programs also are considered
members of the school’s academic
departments (e.g., English language arts,
science, history, mathematics) and
participate in regular department meetings.
11. Guidance and other staff have explicit roles
for easing the transition between middle
and high school.
12. One or more staff members who focus on
at-risk students have flexible schedules so
that they are available during the school day
to address immediately the concerns of
specific students. The school has identified a
welcoming and “safe” location (e.g., drop-in
center, alternative learning center) where
students can meet with designated staff
during the school day, as needed.
13. The high school supports at least one
graduation coach whose main focus is to
reduce the dropout rate and help students
move toward graduation.
14. The graduation coach conducts exit
I. HUMAN RESOURCES / B. Faculty Roles / Page 6
RATE CURRENT STATUS
SCHOOL STRUCTURES, PRACTICES, STRATEGIES
Fully in
Place
Partially
in Place
Not Yet
in Place
DISCUSSION NOTES
(WHAT’S IN PLACE?)
I. HUMAN RESOURCES
B. FACULTY ROLES
interviews of students who have dropped
out and reaches out to students who
previously dropped out of school to
encourage them and help develop a plan for
return to the school.
15. Faculty or counseling staff are designated to
work with students on the development of a
four-year individualized plan for graduation
(i.e., Individual Learning Plans/ILPs).
16. Faculty and other staff make home visits.
I. HUMAN RESOURCES / B. Faculty Roles / Page 7
PLANS FOR NEXT STEPS
I. HUMAN RESOURCES / B. FACULTY ROLES
1.
Review the discussion notes and identify common themes – Are there underlying needs (e.g., additional guidance staff) or common desired strategies (e.g.,
professional development in working with struggling students)?
2.
Note the themes below and discuss priorities – Which approaches can be accomplished without additional resources and which require a longer-term strategy of
reallocating resources?
3.
Use that information to determine next steps – Consider a multi-prong strategy that will bring about some “quick wins” while you are working toward longer-term
changes.
I. HUMAN RESOURCES / B. Faculty Roles / Page 8
RATE CURRENT STATUS
SCHOOL STRUCTURES, PRACTICES, STRATEGIES
Fully in
Place
Partially
in Place
DISCUSSION NOTES
(WHAT’S IN PLACE?)
Not Yet
in Place
I. HUMAN RESOURCES
C. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
1.
School leaders, faculty, and staff who work
with students at risk of dropping out
receive professional development related
to dropout prevention strategies (e.g.,
differentiated instruction, assessment,
adolescent development, and helping
students who have experienced trauma
and face multiple obstacles such as
depression and alcohol and drug abuse).
2.
Counselors provide professional
development for staff to help them
understand students’ circumstances
outside the school and learn to provide
constructive responses to students’
negative classroom behaviors.
3.
To extend the dialogue on supporting
youth, community members are invited to
participate in those school professional
development opportunities that are of
mutual interest (e.g., mental health issues
of at-risk students).
4.
Staff teams, such as ninth grade academy
or alternative school faculty and
counselors, receive professional
development and training together as a
group.
I. HUMAN RESOURCES / C. Professional Development / Page 9
RATE CURRENT STATUS
SCHOOL STRUCTURES, PRACTICES, STRATEGIES
Fully in
Place
Partially
in Place
DISCUSSION NOTES
(WHAT’S IN PLACE?)
Not Yet
in Place
I. HUMAN RESOURCES
C. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
5.
For schools with courses focused on
helping at-risk students build selfgovernance skills (e.g., Reconnecting
Youth), the school provides specific training
to carefully selected, dedicated staff
members.
6.
The principal and other school leaders
provide follow up support to reinforce staff
training and to model/demonstrate
effective practices.
7.
The school principal or guidance staff
provide feedback about teachers’
implementation of strategies to support
students at-risk of dropping out.
8.
The school principal encourages
collaboration among teaching and
guidance staff for the purpose of learning
about and improving dropout prevention
programs and services.
9.
Professional learning communities provide
school teams (e.g., outreach, support, data,
ninth grade academy teams) with time to
plan, review practices, analyze student
data, and revise teaching strategies to
support students at risk for dropping out.
10. Academic department PLCs include staff
members with dedicated dropout
prevention and alternative school roles.
11. School provides flexibility in scheduling to
support dedicated time for PLCs/team
meetings.
I. HUMAN RESOURCES / C. Professional Development / Page 10
RATE CURRENT STATUS
SCHOOL STRUCTURES, PRACTICES, STRATEGIES
Fully in
Place
Partially
in Place
DISCUSSION NOTES
(WHAT’S IN PLACE?)
Not Yet
in Place
I. HUMAN RESOURCES
C. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
12. Adjustment and guidance counselors meet
and consult with teaching faculty on a
regular basis, to specifically enable
teachers to address both the socialemotional and academic needs of students.
13. Department chairs or other academic
faculty support teachers through coaching
or other types of consultation.
14. Teachers have opportunities to observe
and practice effective strategies, with
feedback from knowledgeable
professionals, including other teachers and
coaches.
15. Staff has access to professional expertise
(e.g., social workers, psychologists, and
other mental health providers) for
consultation and referral services related
to helping students at risk of dropping out.
I. HUMAN RESOURCES / C. Professional Development / Page 11
PLANS FOR NEXT STEPS
I. HUMAN RESOURCES / C. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
1.
Review the discussion notes and identify common themes – Are there underlying needs (e.g., additional guidance staff) or common desired strategies (e.g.,
professional development in working with struggling students)?
2.
Note the themes below and discuss priorities – Which approaches can be accomplished without additional resources and which require a longer-term strategy of
reallocating resources?
3.
Use that information to determine next steps – Consider a multi-prong strategy that will bring about some “quick wins” while you are working toward longer-term
changes.
I. HUMAN RESOURCES / C. Professional Development / Page 12