Transcript Keeping Ninth Grade Students Engaged

Keeping Ninth Grade
Students Engaged
Elizabeth Fasteson
Pawtucket (RI) Public Schools
Donald Labossiere
Central Falls (RI) Public Schoools
ASCA Conference
Boston, Massachusetts
July 4, 2010
A Critical Juncture
for Students
 Transition to ninth grade is a
critical step for all students, not
just at-risk students
 Nationally, more than one-third of
the students lost from the high
school pipeline failed to move
from 9th to 10th grade (Diplomas
Count, 2007).
 We realized, “if you want to
improve the drop-out rate, then
we better begin with our
2
freshmen”
Expected Lifetime Earnings
in Rhode Island
Expected Lifetime
Tax Payments
Net Lifetime Fiscal
Contributions
Research
Examples of effective middle to high
school transition programs:
 Academies and small learning
communities of students within
a school
 A special school to prepare
ninth-graders for high school
to focus on their academic
studies in the first year of
high school
Research
 9th grade “a minefield for the
most vulnerable students,”
especially those who become
disengaged and discouraged
 70 to 80 percent of students who
fail to pass ninth grade will not
graduate from high school
 “Ninth Grade has become the
holding tank for high schools”
Research
 9th Grade outcomes add substantially
to our ability to predict dropout.
 Most high school offered little or no
guidance to help ninth graders adjust
academically or socially
 25% of ninth graders nationally repeat
8
Why Kids
Drop Out of School
 Academic
Difficulty and
Failure
 Poor
Attendance
 Retention
 Disengaged from
School
 Transition to New
School
 Other Life Factors
(pregnancy, family
issues)
9
Warning Signs for Students
at Risk of Dropping Out
 Repeating one or

more grades
 Ongoing pattern of
absenteeism/

tardiness
 Multiple suspensions
o r behavior problems 
 Performing below level
in sixth grade or
earlier
Poor grades or
achievement on
tests
Lack of
connection in
school
Failing one or
more subjects
(especially
English and Math)
10
in ninth grade
Kids Count
Recommendations
 Early identification and supports
with struggling students
 Access to high quality educational
opportunities
 School climate
 Community and Family involvement
11
Demographics
Central Falls
• 90% Free/
Reduced Lunch
Pawtucket
 >80% Free/
Reduced Lunch
 Student Population  Student Population
72% Hispanic
15 % African-Amer.
13% White
30% Hispanic
35% African-Amer.
25% White
10% Asian
 34% Mobility
 40% Mobility
12
Feinstein 9th Grade
Renaissance Academy
Central Falls
High School
Central Falls,
Rhode Island
13
Feinstein
Renaissance Academy
 Purpose of the 9th Grade Academy is
to foster a positive and effective
transition from middle to high
school
 Housed in one building created a
personalized environment
14
Feinstein Approach
 Meet and Greet every day on the
way in and out
 Surveyed the students about how to
make the school better (refined
results and re-surveyed)
 Used data to institute supports for
students
15
Feinstein Results
 30 First Time Honor Roll
Students
 The number of dropouts fell
from 34 to 4
 After school tutoring saved
76% of students from failing
16
Community Supports
 Targeted students with poor
attendance
 Tutoring for students failing
 Restorative Practices
 Toyota Advisory
 Family Care & Community
Partnerships
17
Personalization
Adults Who Know
Their Students Well
18
Student Perceptions about
Adults at School
19
Personalization
Teaching Students the
Importance of Attending School
20
Feinstein
Attendance Data
21
Personalization
An Effective Way to
Keep Students in School
22
Feinstein Dropout Data
23
Failing Students’ Data
24
Failing Students’
Intervention Data
25
Next Steps
For Grade Nine
 Continue Personalized Approach
― Meet and greet
― Survey students for input
― Restorative Practices
 Use Data to
― Identify problems
― Demonstrate impact of program
on student achievement
 Keep Advisory and ILPs relevant
26
Shea High School
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Shea High School
 Urban Comprehensive High
School
 The physical set-up of grade nine
stayed the same
 Took a more personalized
approach to grade nine
 Dedicated one counselor to
grade nine
28
Shea Approach
9th Grade Problems
Intervention
 High # of
repeaters
 Dedicated counselor
grade 9
 Poor attendance
rate
 Truancy referrals
/calls home
 Lack of
personalization
 Advisory/English
Classes: Setting
goals
29
Shea Approach
9th Grade Problems
 Difficult
transition from
middle school
Intervention
 Transition Activities
 Course changes
and Credit Recovery
 High failure rate with
 “My Turn” Advisor
trimesters
 Partnering with Vice
 High # of discipline
Principal
referrals
 High # dropout
th
9
Percentage of Shea
Graders in Truancy Court
30
25
20
10%
15
6%
10
6%
6%
In Truancy
5
0
2008-2009
2009-2010
31
Endicott Survey
12/2009
84%
I know who to ask for help at school if I have a
personal problem:
83%
82%
81%
80%
79%
78%
77%
76%
9th Graders
10th Graders
32
Endicott Survey
12/2009
73%
I am comfortable going to the guidance
counselor:
72%
71%
70%
69%
68%
67%
66%
9th Graders
10th Graders
33
9th Grade Discipline
Discipline
400
350
300
250
200
Disorderly
Fighting
Suspensions
377
150
100
50
157
154
18
42
11
0
2008-2009
2009-2010
34
9th Grade Dropouts
7%
4%
20
15
10
5
Drops
0
2008-2009 2009-2010
Trimester Two Grades
140
Progress Grades
120
Report Card Grades
100
80
60
40
20
0
Passing
Passing
Passing
5
3
1
Attendance & Tardies
6000
Attendance
5000
Tardies
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
20082009
20092010
Trimester One Promotions
41% were promoted to Grade 10
35
30
25
20
Promoted
Total Eligible
15
10
5
0
Trimester
One
ILP Student Survey Data
I know what is required of me
to graduate from high school
20
Student
Responses
15
10
5
0
Strongly
Neither
Strongly
Disagree
Agree
Agree
nor
Disagree
ILP Student Survey Data
I understand the importance of
developing an ILP each year
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Student
Reponses
Strongly
Neither
Strongly
Disagree
Agree
Agree
nor
disagree
ILP Student Survey Data
I feel that adults in my school
care that I am successful
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Strongly
Neither
Strongly
Disagree
Agree
Agree
Nor
Disagree
Student Reponses
9th Grade Statistics
September-June
 294 Current total of 9th graders
 13 were promoted to 10th grade after
trimester one
 70 transferred out
 68 entered Shea during the year
 Approx. 100 students participated in
after school tutoring (S.T.A.R.)
 28% are currently repeating (62 could
Next Steps at Shea
2010-2011
 Mentoring by academically successful
upper class students is a key element
in providing positive role models
 Shea switching to a Lower House (9/10)
and an Upper House (11/12)
 Increase in Advisory and ILP time
 Continue to use ILP data to enhance
student achievement
The Courage to Persevere
Success is not final, failure is
not fatal: it is the courage to
continue that counts.
Winston Churchhill
Questions?
Contact/Resource
Information
Donald Labossiere
Guidance Counselor
Elizabeth Fasteson
Guidance Chair
Central Falls High School
24 Summer Street
Central Falls, RI 02863
401-727-7710
Shea High School
485 East Avenue
Pawtucket, RI 02860
(401) 729-6458
[email protected]
[email protected]
Rhode Island School Counselor Association
Website: www.rischoolcounselor.org