Effective Strategies for Increasing

Graduation Rates

Presented by
Dr. Jay Smink, Executive Director
National Dropout Prevention Center/Network
Clemson University

Attending to Attendance
Connecticut Conference on School Attendance
Marriott Hotel, Rocky Hill, CT
April 8, 2005

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Helping Students Graduate

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Overview

I. Understanding the Problem

II. Strategies That Work

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Understanding
The Problem
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 Who Are Students At Risk?
A student at risk is “someone who is unlikely to
graduate on schedule with both the skills and the
self-esteem necessary to exercise meaningful
options in the areas of work, leisure, culture, civic
affairs, and inter/intrapersonal relationships.”
(Bailey & Stegelin, 2003)

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 Dropout Prevention:
A National Issue
 488,000 U.S. students
dropped out of school
between October 1999
and October 2000
 Enough to fill 12,000
school buses

(National Center for Education Statistics, 2002. Dropout Rates in the United States: 2000.)

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 Dropout Prevention:
A National Issue
High School Completion
 In 1970, 84% of 18 to 24-year-olds had
completed high school.
 In 2000, the rate had increased by only
2.5% -- to 86.5%

(National Center for Education Statistics, 2002. Dropout Rates in the United States: 2000.)

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 Dropout Prevention:
A National Issue
State Graduation Rates – 2000-01
(Using 9th grade enrollment as base)

Worst Graduation Rates Highest Graduation Rates

 South Carolina 51%  New Jersey 86%
 Florida 52%  North Dakota 84%
 Georgia 57%  Iowa 83%
 Mississippi 57%  Utah 83%
 Tennessee 57%  Minnesota 82%
(The Education Pipeline in the United States, 2004)

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 Dropout Prevention:
A National Issue
Background Characteristics
Race/Ethnicity Dropout Rate
 White, non-Hispanic 6.9%
 Black, non-Hispanic 13.1%
 Hispanic 27.8%
 Asian/Pacific Islander 3.8%
(National Center for Education Statistics, 2002. Dropout Rates in the United States: 2000)

 Native American Dropout 57.0%

(Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. Civic Report 31 Public School Graduation Rates in the
United States, 2000)
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 Dropout Prevention:
A National Issue
Background Characteristics
Family Income Level Dropout Rate
 Low 10.0%
 Middle 5.2%
 High 1.6%

(National Center for Education Statistics, 2002. Dropout Rates in the United States: 2000.)

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 Dropout Prevention:
A National Issue
Students with Disabilities
 Nationwide, dropout rates among students
with disabilities for all categories of disability
combined is approximately double that of
general education peers.
 Dropout rates vary substantially among the
various categories of disability.

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 Dropout Prevention:
A National Issue
Students with Disabilities at Greatest Risk
Graduated with regular diploma 57%
Emotional/behavioral students’ rate 50%
Learning disabilities students’ rate 32%

(Wagner, 1995, 1991)

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 Grade Retention and
School Dropout

 One grade –
increases risk by 40%

 Two grades –
increases risk by 90%

(Roderick, M. PDK Research Bulletin, No. 15, 1995)

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 Reasons for Dropping Out
NELS: 88 - Reasons for Dropping Out of
School
 Had poor grades/was failing school 31.4%
 Did not like school 30.0%
 Could not get along with teachers 15.4%
 Was suspended/expelled from school 10.7%
 Could not get along with students 6.4%
(Dropout Rates in the United States: 1994. NCES, U.S. Department of Education)

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 Reasons Students Do
Not Attend School
 Classes are boring, irrelevant, and a waste
of time
 Lack of positive relationships with teachers
 Lack of positive relationships with students
 Frequent suspensions
 Feeling unsafe at school
 Poor grades
 Need to work
(Railsback, J., Increasing Student Attendance, 2004)

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 Students’ Reasons for Staying
in School
 Supportive family
 Involvement with committed adult
 Persevering attitude
 Respectful relationship with teachers
 Satisfaction with learning experiences
 Relevant curriculum
 Fair discipline policies
(Christenson & et al, 2000)
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 Factors for Staying in School for
Students with Disabilities
 Changes in attitude
 Changes in attendance policies
 Changes in discipline policies
 More support from teachers

(Kortering & Braziel, 1999)

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Variables Associated
With Dropouts
Status Variables
 Age, Gender
 Socioeconomic background
 Ethnicity
 Native Language
 Mobility
 Family Structure

(Lehr, C.A.,et.al, Essential Tools, 2004)

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Variables Associated
With Dropouts
Alterable Variables
 Grades, Retention
 Disruptive behavior
 Absenteeism
 School Policies, Climate
 Sense of belonging
 Attitude toward school
 Support in the home
(Lehr, C.A.,et.al, Essential Tools, 2004)

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 Unemployment Rate by
Educational Attainment
 Doctoral degree...................... 1.6%
 Master’s degree...................... 2.8%
 Bachelor’s degree................... 3.1%
 Associate’s degree.................. 4.0%
 Some college ......................... 4.8%
 High school degree................. 5.3%
 Less than high school.............. 8.5%

(Noland and Davis, U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2004)

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 Characteristics of Dropouts
 Absent more than 10 days
 Participated in no school activities
 Received more counseling
 Disliked school
 Failed 3-5 classes
 Retained one year
 Received 5-9 discipline referrals
(Huffman, K.L., WVU
 Were identified in middle school Dissertation, 1999)
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Categories of Factors Contributing
To Students Dropping Out

 Individual Factors
 Family Factors
 School Factors
 Community Factors

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 Individual Factors

 Lack of future orientation

 Inadequate peer relationships
 Drug abuse
 Pregnancy
 Special learning needs
 Depression

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 Family Factors

 Poverty
 Low expectations
 Abuse
 Mobility of family
 Parent level of education
 Language and literacy levels

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 School Factors
 Lack of program for challenged students
 No significant, interested adult
 Lack of alternatives for learning
 Lack of active learning instruction
 No individual learning plans
 Behavior and discipline issues
 Retention policies

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Community Factors
 Lack of involvement with schools
 Lack of support for schools
 Non-caring environment
 Low expectations
 Violence
 Few recreational facilities

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 While no one factor or even several
factors put students at risk,
combinations of factors can help
identify potential dropouts.

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 Key Components of Intervention
Strategies for Middle School Students
with Learning Disabilities

 Persistence to engage in school

 Monitoring student activities
 Relationship building with adults
 Affiliation with school
 Developing problem-solving skills

(Thurlow & et al, 1995)

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 Key Components of Dropout
Prevention Programs
 Develop interpersonal skills
 Provide individualized
academic instruction
 Involve family
 Provide school structures

(Lehr & et al, 2003)

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 The Bad News
About Dropout Prevention
 Awareness is lacking by most people
 Apathy is common and the issue is seen as
someone else’s problem
 Applied knowledge is not used
by decision makers
 Acquisition of information about
success is inadequate
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The Good News
About Dropout Prevention
 Identifiable
 Independent
 Interrelated
 Irrefutable

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15 Strategies That Help
Prevent Students From
Dropping Out
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Dropout Prevention:
Everyone’s Problem

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Dropout Prevention:
Everyone’s Problem

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 Systemic Renewal
What is Systemic Renewal?
 Continuous, critical inquiry into current

practices
 Identifying educational improvements

 Removing organizational barriers

 Providing a system structure that supports

change
(Schwartzbeck, 2002)

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 Systemic Renewal
Programs Providing Strong Evidence of
Positive Effects on Student Achievement
 Direct Instruction

 High Schools That Work

 Success for All

(Educational Research Service, 1999)

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Dropout Prevention:
Everyone’s Problem

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 School-Community
Collaboration
Schools can no longer be islands in
communities with no bridges to the
mainland. Bridges must be built to connect
schools, homes, and communities.

(Center for Mental Health in Schools, 2001)

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 School-Community
Collaboration
Collaboration is Defined in Many Ways…
Through Services
 Coordination of services
 Integrated services
 Public-private partnerships
 School-linked and school-based
services

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Dropout Prevention:
Everyone’s Problem

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 Creating Safe Learning
Environments
A Safe Learning Environment
 Provides a warm and welcoming atmosphere
that fosters a spirit of acceptance and caring
for every child
 Is free of intimidation, violence, and fear
 Clearly communicates behavior expectations
that are consistently enforced and fairly applied
 Builds positive, responsible character
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 The Need for Creating
Safe Learning Environments
Students Likely to Be Victims
According to
Type Teachers Students
 From low-income families 35% 34%
 Racial/ethnic minorities 25% 35%
 Social outcasts/nerds 24% 65%
 Troublemakers/gangs 6% 48%
 Girls 5% 34%
 Younger students 4% 51%
 With disabilities 3% 31%
(Met Life Survey: The American Teacher, 1993)
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 Public Schools With Specific
Crimes: 1999-2000
 Physical attack or fight without a weapon 64%
 Threats of physical attack without a weapon 52%
 Vandalism 51%
 Theft or larceny 46%
 Possession of a knife or sharp object 43%
 Sexual harassment 36%
 Possession/use of alcohol/illegal drugs 27%

(National Center for Education Statistics. 2004)

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Dropout Prevention:
Everyone’s Problem

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 Early Interventions

 Family Engagement
 Early Childhood Education
 Early Literacy Development

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 Family Engagement
When families are engaged in children’s
learning, students are more likely to:
 Attend school regularly
 Display more positive attitudes about school
 Graduate from high school and enroll in
post-secondary programs
 Refrain from destructive activities such as
alcohol use and violence (Henderson & Mapp, 2003)
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 Early Childhood Education
One dollar invested in high-quality early
childhood education programs by policy
makers results in a return of seven dollars in
preventative costs associated with
incarceration, truancy, school dropout, and
teen pregnancy.

(Perry Preschool Study, Barnett, 1995)

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 Early Childhood Education
Impact of Early Childhood Education …
Perry Preschool Study–High-quality Head Start
programs
 Decreased level of school dropouts
 Lowered truancy
 Reduced teen pregnancy
 Lessened need to be in Special Education
(Barnett, 1995)

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 Economic Development
Begins in Early Childhood
More at Four—a community-based voluntary pre-
kindergarten initiative to prepare at-risk four-year-olds
for success in school

“This is the first step to building a high-quality

workforce that attracts high-quality jobs throughout
North Carolina, …

We simply have to start earlier to build the kind of

workforce that it takes to be successful in the new
economy.” Governor Mike Easley, North Carolina

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 Early Literacy Development

… is a learning process that

involves the student, the text, and
the setting. The road to reading
begins the day a child is born and
continues through the end of third
grade.

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 Early Literacy Development
Research
 At-risk students who have a strong reading
teacher for two consecutive years can be
successful readers. (Wren, 2003)
 Reading aloud to children is the
single most important activity for
building the knowledge required
for success in reading.
(Armbruster, Lehr, & Osborn, 2002).

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 Early Literacy Development
Best Practices
 Book-rich environment
 Teacher and/or parent read-alouds
 Phonic awareness, letter knowledge, and
concepts of print
 Written expression, spelling, and handwriting
(Learning First Alliance, 2000).

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Dropout Prevention:
Everyone’s Problem

Basic Core
Strategies

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 Basic Core Strategies

 Mentoring
 Service-Learning
 Alternative Schooling
 After-School Program Experiences
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 Mentoring
Mentoring has many formats …
Traditional: One adult with one student
Peer: One older youth with a younger
youth
Group/Team: One or more adults with several
youth
Telementoring: One adult with one youth using
the Internet
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 Mentoring
Impact of Mentoring Formats
 66% improved reading and math grades (Waits, 2003)

 80% improved study skills (Waits, 2003)

 89% improved attitude toward life

(AmeriCorp, 2000)

 93% parents favorable comments

(Youthfriends, 2001)

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 Service-Learning
Service-learning programs involve students
doing meaningful service—usually a project
they select based on real community needs—
that is linked to academic
and personal learning.

(Shumer & Duckenfield, 2004)

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 Service-Learning
Essential Elements of Good Service-
Learning Programs
 Integrated into the Curriculum
 Active Learning
 Interesting and Exciting
 Connected to Community

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Alternative Schooling

Traditional schools can no longer meet

the diverse needs of every student.

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 Alternative Schooling
Innovative Approaches
 Self-contained classrooms
 Magnet schools
 Separate alternative schools
 School-within-a-school
 Residential programs

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 Alternative Schooling
How do alternative schools help keep
students from dropping out?
 Provide a caring atmosphere
 Consider student needs greater than the
school’s needs
 Empower students to guide their own learning
 Offer a chance to start over

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 After-School
Program Experiences

… provide students with safe environments,

enrichment activities, and additional learning
opportunities.

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 After-School
Program Experiences
Components of Successful Programs
 Academic Focus
 Enrichment and Accelerated Learning
 Supervised Recreation
 Community Service
 Collaboration and Partnerships
 Active Family Involvement
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Dropout Prevention:
Everyone’s Problem

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 Making the Most of Instruction

 Professional Development
 Active Learning
 Educational Technology
 Individualized Instruction
 Career and Technical Education
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 Professional Development

The single largest factor affecting

the academic growth of students
is the differences in the
effectiveness of individual
classroom teachers.

(Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System, Sanders, 1998)

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 Professional Development
Each dollar spent on improving teachers’
qualifications nets greater gains in student
learning than any other use of an education
dollar.

(Darling-Hammond, 1998)

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 Active Learning
. . . teaching and learning strategies that engage
students by providing opportunities for students to
listen, speak, write, construct,
and reflect as they
solve problems, work in teams,
perform new skills, and
demonstrate procedures.

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 Active Learning
Teaching Strategies Include
 Cooperative learning
 Multiple intelligences/learning styles theory
 Project-based learning

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 Active Learning
Benefits of Multiple Intelligences and
Learning Styles
 Celebrates and values diversity
 Students take a more responsible role in the
learning process
 Teachers help students improve weak areas by
encouraging them to try ways that take them
out of their comfort level
(Foster & Shirley, 2004)

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 Educational Technology

Integrating technology into classroom

instruction enhances teaching and
promotes greater student learning.

(U .S. Department of Education, 2002)

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 Educational Technology
Research on Using Technology
 Is a positive influence on students at risk of
failure (Day, 2002)
 Teaches “real work applications” to help
students succeed outside the classroom
 Increases student motivation, raises the
success rate of students performing complex
tasks, and changes classroom roles and
organization (Means, 1997)
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 Individualized Instruction
Individualized instruction
occurs when a teacher
adjusts instruction for
each student’s needs.

(Switzer, Helping Students Graduate, 2004)

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 Individualized Instruction
Encourages the learner to be the producer
of knowledge with
 Problem-based learning & reciprocal teaching
 Peer tutoring
 Cooperative learning
 Journaling
 Hands-on projects
 Role play and simulation
 Inquiry
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 Career and
Technical Education
Career Technical Education (CTE) includes a
wide array of career-based instruction
 K-12 career education

 A comprehensive guidance program

 School- and work-based experiences

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 Career and
Technical Education
CTE Formats
 School-based programs
 Internships and apprenticeships
 Work-based programs
 Career Academies
 Tech Prep

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 Career and
Technical Education
Impact of CTE
 Enrollment in CTE does not increase the
likelihood of students dropping out. (USDE, 2003)
 Career guidance increased students’ remaining
in school from 50% to 85%. (Bauer, 1992)
 Higher percentages of CTE experiences lower
the probability of dropping out. (Plank, 2001)

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 Career and Technical
Education
Impact of CTE
 Youth participating in CTE activities were half
as likely to drop out as youth who did not
participate.
 Youth in work-based learning were 30%
less likely to drop out than students in
other curriculum areas.

(Stone, 2004)

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Dropout Prevention:
Everyone’s Problem

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 Contact Information
National Dropout Prevention
Center/Network
Clemson University
209 Martin Street
Clemson, SC 29631-1555
Phone: 864-656-2599 Fax: 864-656-0136
E-mail: ndpc@clemson.edu
www.dropoutprevention.org

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