Transcript Slide 1

A Review of Literature and Early Warning Indicatory Systems
in Road Map School Districts
Puget Sound Educational Service District
On behalf of the Road Map School Districts of
Auburn, Federal Way, Highline, Kent, Renton, Seattle, Tukwila
Funded by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
March 2013
Introduction - Early Warning Indicator Systems (EWIS)
Research
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• Research shows that students at risk of dropping out give warning
signs years in advance.
• School districts can use an Early Warning Indicator System (EWIS) to
identify which students are off track and at risk of leaving school
before graduation.
• When student data and accurate indictors are aligned with
appropriate interventions, students who are off-track can be
brought back on-track for graduation.
• Patterns in the information about students who are off-track can
lead to improvements in district and school policies, structures and
practices.
EWIS Inventory of Road Map School Districts – March 2013
Road Map
Why this matters for Road Map school districts
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Road Map Graduation Statistics
(The Road Map Project 2012 Results Report)
• 72% of students graduated on time (vs. 75% statewide)
• 16% of Road Map students are ELLs and 50% of ELLs graduated on
time
• 46% of SPED students graduated on time
• 20% of students switched schools and of this group, almost
three quarters transferred between districts.
EWIS Inventory of Road Map School Districts – March 2013
Road Map
Project Goals
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Road Map Project Goal
To double the number of students in South King County and South
Seattle who are on track to graduate from college or earn a career
credential by 2020
Race to the Top Grant
• Full integration of the High School and Beyond Plan
• Investment in an integrated system of middle and high school
counseling and advising
• Creation of a common data portal for Road Map district student
information
EWIS Inventory of Road Map School Districts – March 2013
Research
Early Warning System Implementation Steps
The National High School Center, Early Warning System Implementation Guide
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Step 1
Step 7
Evaluate and refine the
EWIS process; monitor
systems issues
Establish roles and
responsibilities to
manage a EWIS
Step 2
Use a EWIS tool analyze
and display data on
indicators
Step 6
Step 3
Monitor students and
interventions for
progress
Review the EWIS data
for accuracy and
patterns
Step 5
Step 4
Assign and provide
interventions to
students
Interpret the EWIS data
to identify students
and systems issues
Road Map
Findings from Road Map Districts
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• Overall, EWIS efforts are not uniform within any district or across
the Road Map districts and not as systematic as a EWIS described in
most research literature.
• Each school district has some elements of a EWIS in place. Several
districts have made great strides in different areas.
• There is a considerable body of shared expertise among the Road
Map districts, and there appears to be great interest in learning
more and working with other Road Map school districts toward a
common EWIS framework.
EWIS Inventory of Road Map School Districts - March 2013
Road Map
Findings from Road Map Districts
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• Most districts consider early warning indicators in the areas of
attendance and academic performance – including course failures,
credits earned toward graduation and MSP/EOC/HSPE scores.
• Few districts appear to consider the number of absences in the first
20-30 days of a semester or the occurrence of a student joining
their graduating cohort after the start of middle school as
indicators.
• District personnel acknowledge some concerns about the reliability
and validity of the data that is used to measure the early warning
indicators. This includes standards for determining an absence to
be excused or unexcused and what constitutes a behavior referral.
EWIS Inventory of Road Map School Districts - March 2013
Research
Research on indicators
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Indicators
National Research
A. Attendance
Less than 80%
B. Behavior
An unsatisfactory final behavior mark in MS, a 9th grade
suspension, or two behavior infractions or suspensions
C. Course Performance
Failing Math or English in middle school, failing two 9th
grade courses
EWIS Inventory of Road Map School Districts - March 2013
Road Map
Agreement on Road Map indicators
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Indicators
Road Map Indicators
Attendance
5-10 absences – excused or unexcused
And
And
Course Performance
One course failure in 8th or 9th grade
Behavior
A single suspension/expulsion in 8th or 9th grade
EWIS Inventory of Road Map School Districts - March 2013
Research on indicators
Research
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Predictive Indicators
• Indicators become more predictive as students move to higher grade
levels in middle and high school and failure impacts accrual of credits.
Transitions
• Transitions from one school level to the next are critical – the first year
of middle school or junior high; the first year of high school.
Student Mobility
• Students who join their graduating cohort after the beginning of
middle school are less likely to graduate.
EWIS Inventory of Road Map School Districts - March 2013
Research on indicators (continued)
Research
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ELL Students
• For ELL students, course performance is the most predictive ABC
indicator. Long term ELL students and ELL students who are identified
in 9th grade or later are less likely to graduate.
Special Education Students
• SPED students need specific strategies such as alternative diplomas,
alternative course to graduation and intensive interventions.
EWIS Inventory of Road Map School Districts - March 2013
Research on intervention priorities (MacIver & MacIver, 2009) Research
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Absenteeism
• Decrease absenteeism – it is strongly related to course failure
• Address the root causes of absenteeism and intervene during the
middle school years to increase attendance
Behavior
• Address the root causes of behavior problems and intervene during
the middle school years to improve behavior
EWIS Inventory of Road Map School Districts - March 2013
Research on intervention priorities (MacIver & MacIver, 2009) Research
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Course Performance
• Provide academic interventions during the middle school years so
that students enter ninth grade prepared for high school coursework
• Reduce the number of students failing courses and increase the
percentage of students earning high school credits on time
Family Engagement
• Engage parents with EWIS information and interventions
EWIS Inventory of Road Map School Districts - March 2013
Research
A tiered approach to intervention
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Attendance
Universal
Prevention
All students
Every absence brings a response
Targeted
Intervention
10-25%
2 or more unexcused
absences in a month
Create a culture that says attending brings a brief daily
every day matters
check by an adult
Positive social incentives for good
attendance
Data tracking by teacher teams
Attendance team
investigates and
problems-solves
Intensive
Intervention
5-10%
Sustained oneon-one
attention and
problemsolving
Appropriate
social service
or community
supports
EWIS Inventory of Road Map School Districts - March 2013
Road Map
Findings from Road Map Districts
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• Districts have existing interventions but these are not well-aligned
with indicators.
• Only a few districts have clear expectations for different staff about
using a EWIS (to the degree that a district has a EWIS) or have
systematically trained staff on how to do so.
• Expectations and intervention practices are most well established
when accountability for school districts has been well defined. Two
examples are:
• when attendance issues for a student trigger the provisions in
the Becca Bill
• when a student has not met standard on a state assessment.
EWIS Inventory of Road Map School Districts - March 2013
Road Map
Work in Progress
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Districts complete the EWIS Implementation Cycle Planning Tool
(from the National High School Center, Early Warning System
Implementation Guide).
• A clearer picture can emerge about strengths of each district that
can be shared with other districts. Additionally, this process can
identify common needs across all the districts, such as needs for
resources and technical assistance.
Districts complete the EWIS Mapping of Early Warning Indicator
Interventions – Planning Tool
• A clearer picture can emerge about the available interventions or
gaps in interventions that address each indicator, and that fit in
each RtI and PBIS tier. Use the planning tools in the National High
School Center implementation guide.
EWIS Inventory of Road Map School Districts - March 2013
Road Map
General Recommendations (continued)
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• Integrate the existing elements of a EWIS in each district into a
systematic approach rather than building entirely new district
systems.
• Build EWIS functions into the Race to the Top regional data portal
to include clear dashboard displays of EWIs information and the
ability to track students who move from one Road Map district to
another.
• Create ways to engage parents and students with EWIS information
and communities with interventions.
EWIS Inventory of Road Map School Districts - March 2013
Road Map
Next steps – Phase 2 of the Road Map EWIS Inventory
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Develop a framework for interventions that align with EWIS data and
that accommodate a full continuum of intervention strategies with
academic and behavioral strands including dropout reengagement
and credit retrieval strategies.
Create a best practice central repository at PSESD.
www.psesd.org/road-map-early-warning-system
Prepare for Phase 2 - expand interventions available to students.
EWIS Inventory of Road Map School Districts - March 2013
Road Map
Thank You
Research
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EWIS Inventory of Road Map School Districts - March 2013