Monongalia County Schools
Special Education Drop Out Committee
Year 3 Update
March 2013
NDPC SD and WVDE
Our County
As of the 2nd month report, Monongalia County Schools has 11,029 students
enrolled:
Elementary Schools
Middle Schools
High Schools
Brookhaven
561
Mountaineer
503
Clay Battelle
452
Cheat Lake
805
South
748
MHS
1668
Easton
266
Suncrest
475
UHS
1256
Mason-Dixon
375
Westwood
422
Mountainview
777
Mylan Park
494
North
739
Ridgedale
449
Suncrest Primary
284
Skyview
456
Woodburn
299
Our Team
Year 1
• Tiffany Barnett, Director of Special Education
• Debbie Moore, Special Education Counselor
• Pete Cheesebrorough, Assistant Principal UHS
• Denise Corder, Assistant Principal, CBHS
• John Lewis, Assistant Principal, MHS
Year 2
• Tiffany Barnett, Director of Special Education
• Debbie Moore, Special Education Counselor
• Pete Cheeseborough, Assistant Principal UHS
• Denise Corder, Assistant Principal, CBHS
• John Lewis, Assistant Principal, MHS
• Rhonda Bolyard, Transition Specialist MTEC
Year 3
• Tiffany Barnett, Director of Special Education
• Debbie Moore, Special Education Counselor
• Denise Corder, Assistant Principal, CBHS
• John Lewis, Assistant Principal, MHS
• Gina Romme’, IEP Specialist
• Katie Neal, IEP Specialist
• Stephanie Oberly, Supervisor of Psychological Services
• Megan Frontiera, Coordinator of Safe and Healthy Schools
• Courtney Whitehead, Coordinator of School Improvement and
Assessment
• Rhonda Bolyard, Transition Specialist MTEC
Starting Points (before the project)…
• Following the CSADA 2008, (Comprehensive Self-Assessment Desk Audit) a
committee was formed to address drop out rate.
• The following trends were observed by the committee:
– Dropout rate for special education students was too high-especially
from high functioning ID and low functioning LD populations.
– There was a high likelihood of dropout from low socio-economic
families.
– Truancy is a problem.
– Students struggle mainly in the core areas: Math, English, and Science.
Many students do not participate in Phys. Ed.
– Students state that the subject matter is not interesting to them and
that school takes too long. They know others who have
their GED and they are doing “just fine.”
Starting Points Continued...
• Learning Strategies Classes
• Afterschool Tutoring
• Co-Teach
Classes
• ID Core Classes
• In-school suspension
• Some early MTEC entry
• Modifications through IEP
Student says,
“I want to drop out.”
They must schedule
an exit interview with
the principal
Interview is
conducted
Student returns to
school
Student continues to
drop out
Complete
withdrawal
form
Complete GED Form
Send to adult
learning center
for follow up
Required Exit Interview
NDPC-SD Technical Assistance
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT/INTERVENTIONS
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT/INTERVENTIONS…
IN CORRELATION WITH THE 6 FACTORS
Behavior
• Responsive Classroom: Skyview, Brookhaven,
North, Easton, Woodburn
• LYNKS: South, Westwood, Mountaineer,
Suncrest, Clay Battelle
• 7 Habits: Mylan Park, Cheat Lake
• Check In/Check Out by Dr. Cynthia Anderson
@ University of Oregon
• Annual SAT, Crisis Team, FBA, and CPI training
• Alternative Behavior Educator-Online FBA
program and Behavior Modules
• Embedded PD by Board Certified Behavior
Analysts
• Alternative Education at all levels
• Behavior Contracts and BIPs
• United Summit Center, Chestnut Ridge
Hospital, Valley Mental Health, MAYSAP
• School-wide PBIS
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT/INTERVENTIONS…
IN CORRELATION WITH THE 6 FACTORS
Course
Performance
& Academics
• Vocabulary development, Next Gen/Common
Core/Essential Elements Training
• Read 180 & System 44
• Co-Teaching Strategies from Dr. Marilyn Friend
• Embedded R/LA and Math with academic coaches
• On Cloud 9, Wilson, RAVO, Barton, S.P.I.R.E., multisensory approaches, University of Kansas Writing
Strategies, Brain Research and students with SLD,
• WVDE sponsored academies
• Autism/Asperger’s Sensory and ADHD seminar.
• Credit Recovery
• Learning Strategies and Algebra Support Classes
• SWAP Program
• GED Option Programs
• Vocational Education Programs
• Summer Exploratory
• Afterschool tutoring
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT/INTERVENTIONS…
IN CORRELATION WITH THE 6 FACTORS
Attendance
& Truancy
Prevention
• Parent Link
• Monthly Rewards
• Probation Officer
• Final Exam Schedule
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT/INTERVENTIONS…
IN CORRELATION WITH THE 6 FACTORS
Student
Engagement
• Clubs and athletics
• Advisement/LINKS
• Special events and
rewards
• Instructional Practices
Inventory (IPI)Mountainview,
Eastwood, Ridgedale
• Transition Tour
• Transition Fair
• Middle School MTEC
Program
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT/INTERVENTIONS…
IN CORRELATION WITH THE 6 FACTORS
Family
Engagement
•
•
•
•
•
•
CAP day
Parent Link
School Newsletters
Future Palooza
Open House
Parent Teacher
Conferences
• Elementary
Reading/Math Nights
• North ElementaryFarmer’s Market
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND
INTERVENTIONS…
IN CORRELATION WITH THE 6 FACTORS
School
Climate
• School Culture & Climate
Committee
• Student Clubs and Events
• Professional Learning
Committees
• Mentoring programs
Research
• Overall data indicates that students with
Emotional/Behavioral Disorders are the most likely
candidates for dropout. Monongalia County’s data
suggests that students with Specific Learning
Disabilities are at a high risk as well.
• Between the years of 2008-2012 an average of
45.4% of students with disabilities each year were
able to graduate with their cohort. Each year, the
highest graduating percentage comes from CBHS.
Initial Plan
The initial focus was on Morgantown High School, the largest
high school in the county. Students with Disabilities (specifically
Intellectually and Learning Disabled) and those coming from low
socioeconomic families were targeted for interventions. Exit
interviews were conducted and the main reason students gave for
wanting to drop out were:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Lack of interest in school
They were behind on credits
They felt no emotional attachment to the school
Truancy or Discipline Issues
A small group of students were identified as at-risk for
dropping out and interventions created by the committee were
implemented.
Initial Plan
The selected interventions were:
 Citizenship 101: a course for repeat offenders of safe school violations
during which they would meet with law enforcement agencies such as
police, judges, prior offenders, etc.
 Principal’s Pin-awarded for random acts of kindness and responsible
behavior
 Mentor Training: to assist other students who are new to the school
 Principal’s Challenge: a behavioral contract between the student,
teachers, and principal
 School Activities: make all students aware of events happening at the
school and encourage participation
 Team Academies: students who are identified as “at-risk” by feeder
schools are placed with modified schedules in core classes with specific
teachers.
Plan Revisions
The interventions were reviewed with the following
results:
• There was no hard data to support the initiatives’
effectiveness
• The committee was restructured to include a wider
range of county resources including psychological
services and a transition specialist.
• The team wanted to focus on early interventionpotentially middle school students.
• The learning strategies classes are being reviewed to
match CSO’s to the class components.
• The team wishes to include a teacher-to-student
mentoring program
Final Plan
D.O.T.S.
“Depending on Outreach and Teacher Support”
 Students are identified using the early warning
system.
 Beginning with a smaller school to determine
effectiveness before branching out to larger schools.
 Teachers volunteer to mentor a “dot.”
 Students are unaware that they are being targeted for
intervention.
Plan Evaluation and Adjustments
• Phase I: Initial Plan
 Some interventions are still in place (Principal’s Challenge and
Freshman Academies). The committee felt the school was too large
and the data relative to the plan’s components and their effectiveness
was too difficult to obtain.
• Phase II: Revised Plan
 Additional academic supports (credit recovery, learning
strategies/support classes, Intensive Reading programs at elementary
and middle school levels)
 Additional Behavioral supports (CICO, advisory, agency collaboration)
• Phase III: Final Plan
 Truancy and probation officers were integrated
 Use of the Early Warning System targets at-risk students
 Virtual School, GED option program, Alternative Education sites at all
levels.
 D.O.T.S. mentor program
County Developed
Resources/Tools
• Exit Interview
• Data wall for each high
school based on the three
indicators of drop out.
WVDE: Cohort Document and Data
2011-2012
2010-2011
2009-2010
Cohort Grad. % Rate
County: SWD 47.1 ALL 73.7
CBHS:
SWD 44.4 ALL 79.7
MHS:
SWD 53.6 ALL 74.9
UHS:
SWD 39.7 ALL 70.7
Cohort Grad. %
County: SWD 49.3
CBHS: SWD 63.6
MHS:
SWD 43.1
UHS:
SWD 54.4
Rate
ALL 72.7
ALL 88.1
ALL 69.7
ALL 73.9
Cohort Grad. % Rate
County: SWD 49.2 ALL 77.3
CBHS: SWD 61.5 ALL 86.4
MHS:
SWD 44.8 ALL 77.6
UHS:
SWD 50.9 ALL 74.8
WVDE: Early Warning System Tool
• Access has been given to administrators, counselors,
and IEP specialists in order to facilitate collaboration.
• We have just begun utilizing the early warning system
this year. It is being used to identify students who are
good candidates for the D.O.T.S. program.
• Since Clay Battelle is a small school, all students are
used when applying the system.
• The tool, and the information gleaned, is utilized
monthly at every school to align interventions with
trends shown by the data.
Use of Funds
• 2011-travel for WVDE trainings and
professional development
• 2012-travel for WVDE trainings and
professional development, The Last Dropout
ordered for book study
• 2013-travel for WVDE trainings, Learning
Strategies class organizational supplies
purchased
Data Trends-Graduation
Gender
2011
2012
Male
75%
78.7%
Female
64%
73.9%
Data Trends-Drop Out
Gender
2011
2012
Male
25%
21.3%
Female
36%
26.1%
Data Trends-Graduation and Exceptionality
Exceptionality
2011
Graduates
Non-Graduates
2012
Graduates
Non-Graduates
AU
100%
-
100%
-
E/BD
75%
25%
57%
43%
EG
-
-
100%
-
HI
100%
-
100%
-
SLD
73%
27%
75%
25%
ID-Mild
75%
25%
73%
27%
ID-Moderate
-
-
-
-
ID-Severe
-
-
100%
-
58%
42%
78%
22%
OH
Data Trends-Other
School Year
SWD at or above
mastery R/LA
SWD at or above
mastery Math
2009-2010
9.13%
11.52%
2010-2011
10.82%
11.07%%
2011-2012
9.51%
12.77%
LRE 0
Full-Time
LRE 1
Part Time
LRE 2
Separate Class
2009-2010
61.77%
29.65%
7.3%
2010-2011
63.66%
28.27%
6.75%
2011-2012
59.26%
32.73%
6.85%
2012-2013
53.49%
38.75%
6.13%
Projected Graduation/Dropout Results
Drop Out by
Exceptionality
11
5 SLD
2 ID
1 OH
3 BD
Drop Out by School
11
1 Clay Battelle
7 Morgantown
3 University
Moving Forward and Next Steps
o Continue with monthly review of EWS data
o Continue D.O.T.S. program
o Monthly meetings of the county’s Drop Out
Committee
o Review data monthly to determine
effectiveness
Key Components of Plan Development
Additional mentor training and strategies in
order to assist at risk students
Increase attendance/truancy and parent
engagement strategies
Key Components for Maintenance
Annual Review of Data
Consistency in Team Membership
Support from Central Office Staff
Professional Development for
Teachers/Counselors/Administrators
Vertical Teaming (Elementary to Middle, Middle to
High)
Celebrate Successes
Lessons Learned
You must have buy in from the committee
members and people working in the schools
directly with students.
Large scale ideas are difficult to implement
and determine effectiveness.
As a team, you must determine how, when,
and why you are collecting data.
Committee members must be able to take
the ideas back to their schools and mold
them to fit their student population’s needs.
Contact Information
Tiffany Barnett, Director of Special Education
tcbarnet@access.k12.wv.us
Rhonda Bolyard, Transition Specialist
rlbolyar@access.k12.wv.us
Gina Romme’, IEP Compliance Specialist
gromme@access.k12.wv.us
Katie Neal, IEP Compliance Specialist
kneal@access.k12.wv.us
Thank you !