Transcript Class of 2002 Promoting Power

Helping Students with
Disabilities Graduate
What Your School and Community Can
Do to Prevent Dropout for Youth with
Disabilities
Loujeania Williams Bost
National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities
Prepared for the National High School Center Summer Institute
Washington, DC, June 2008
UNDERSTAND OUR CHALLENGE
How Many Drop Out?
 NLTS-2 data suggest that 28% of students
with disabilities who left school did so by
dropping out
 Students with disabilities drop out of school
at twice the rate of general education
students
 One in three students with disabilities do not
graduate on time with a regular diploma
(www.ideadata.org )
How Many Drop Out?
 Males drop out at significantly higher rates than
females (www.ideadata.org)
 Special education overrepresentation often
mirrors overrepresentation in many undesirable
categories—including low expectations,
suspension, and dropping out
 Dropout is most prevalent among youths with
Learning Disabilities and Serious Emotional
Disturbances
There Has Been Significant Progress in Students with
Disabilities Completing High School
Dropped
out/other
Completed
high school
28%
72%
Percentage-point change since 1987 = +17***
Sources: NLTS2 Wave 1 parent interviews, 1987; NLTS2 Wave 2 parent/youth
interviews, 2003. Youth had been out of high school up to 2 years.
***p < .001.
Why Do Students with Disabilities Drop Out?
 Tardiness/poor attendance
 Lack of interest
 Disability-based difficulties/behavior
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
problems
Poor relationships with peers or adults
Academic failure (Poor/limited academic
skills , credit loss)
Movement from school to school
Life Events
(Wagner, 2008)
Where Do They Drop Out?
 Pattern mirrors general education except in few states
 Half attended chronically low performing high schools
located
 in urban areas in Northeast, Midwest and West
 In all areas throughout the South and Southeast
TAKE ACTION
Focus on Interventions That Work
 Strategies that are focused on student engagement
 Interventions that occur over time, usually months or
years
 Interventions that involve a family or parent component
 Interventions that are strength based and involve a
variety of contexts
Actions We Can Take
Build early-warning systems that collect and analyze key factors
associated with high dropout rates. Use them to flag systemic and
student-specific concerns.
2. Establish a framework for local implementation that includes:
1.
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an efficient infrastructure for collecting and utilizing data to
identify strengths, needs and priorities;
effective instruction that challenges students and actively engages
them in learning;
a safe and orderly school climate where students feel welcome and
supported; and
processes and opportunities for sustained parental involvement that
recruit, support and value the role of parents as leaders, teachers,
trainers, and decision makers.
Actions We Can Take
3. Implement System of Comprehensive, Targeted, and Intensive
Interventions in Schools and across your Community
4. Adopt and support the implementation of evidence-based
practices
5. Stimulate and support change
6. Advocate for Federal and State Investments
States and Districts serve as Brokers of Diverse Portfolio
of High Schools and Coordinated Interventions
Tiered Intervention Model
Type of Intervention
Portion of Failure to
Succeed Students
Addressed
Resource Needs
School-wide Preventative
65-75%
Maybe able to restructure
existing resources to target
needs
Targeted
15-25%
Additional resources
typically needed including
professional development
and external TA
Intensive
5-10%
Partners with Resources
Needed (Interagency,
intensive TA,
individualized services)
 Rigorous Curriculum and Instruction
 Content Literacy Curriculum
 Content Enhancement Routines
 Learning Strategies Curriculum
 Effective Instruction focused on student engagement
(differentiated, direct, strategic, active)
 Transition and career development
 Student and Family Supports
 Individualized Education Plans
 Check & Connect and other CBI
 Self-Determination and Advocacy Training
 Mentors, Tutors, Counseling, Wrap-Around Services
 Parent Mentor Programs
 School based health services
 Parent training
High School Reform Elements
 Assessment and Accountability

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Progress Monitoring
Vocational Assessments for transition planning
Performance Indicators/targets
Valid & reliable data
Diploma pathways
 Teacher Quality and Professional Development
 Year round strategy for continuous professional
development including onsite coaching
 Need driven technical assistance
 Capacity building training
 Interface with IHEs
 Organization and Structure
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Small learning communities
Looping
Freshman seminars and academies
Transition planning and services
Career Pathways
 Resources for Sustainability
 State supported Initiatives
 Capacity Building
 Funding
 Stakeholder Engagement
 Awareness Campaigns
 Community partnerships
 State and local action teams
 Public reporting
 Leadership and Governance
 Leadership Development
 Policy Review & Reform
 Legislative Impact
Important State and Federal Roles in Transforming
Secondary Education
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Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004 (State
Performance Plans/Indicators and Annual Progress Reporting
(targets and improvement activities required for graduation,
dropout, and related indicators)
Promise Act-(sufficiently funded to transform all low
performing high schools)
Success in the Middle Bill
Adolescent Literacy
Work Force Education Act
Highly Effective Teacher Fund
Data Systems and Graduation Rate Accountability-Common
and Accurate Measure, meaningful growth goals,
disaggregated, equal to test scores
Secondary Innovations Bill
WHAT’S THE PRIZE IF WE ACT?
Economic Benefits & Personal Benefits
 Our nation can recoup 45 billion dollars in lost tax
revenues, health care expenditures, and social
service outlays if we cut the number of high school
dropouts in half (Levin et. al, 2007)
 Improved post school outcomes for the nations
youth with disabilities as they enter adult roles in
life
Contact Information
Loujeania Williams Bost, Director
NDPC-SD
209 Martin Street
Clemson, SC 29631
Phone: (864) 656-1253
Fax: (864) 656-0136
www.ndpc-sd.org