1. The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network
Leading Graduation Rate Improvement
In Your School & Community
The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network
Dr. Sandy Addis
Interim Director

2. The National Dropout Prevention Center
National Organization
at Clemson University
Services to states and schools
Research – Resources - Training
Conferences – Technical Assistance
28 Years of Dropout
Prevention Service

3. Resources and Services of The National Dropout Prevention Center
Network membership, materials and discounts
Conferences and events (San Antonio, October, 2015)
National Dropout Prevention Specialist Certification
Publications, guides, and web broadcasts
Consultation and technical assistance
Reviews and evaluations
Training, speakers, workshops
Graduation Rate Planning Support

4. As a Dropout Prevention Spokesperson, You Help Determine:
Local understanding of the issue.
Level of educator and community focus on the issue.
Selection and funding of local strategies.
Local policies relative to at-risk issues.

8. Steps for Leading Graduation Rate Improvement
Address the data
Highlight the cost
Develop understanding of the problem
Highlight the causes
Focus on solutions

9. U.S. Graduation Rates (1990-2012)
School reform should more appropriately be about education reform. It is not the school per se that needs to make the changes. Rather, it is the system of education that needs to make the changes.
The student needs to be at the center of this effort; a student centered system is needed.
The family needs to be the second most important consideration in terms of reform efforts.
And, the community needs to be the third most important consideration in terms of reform.
Up to recently most of our reforms have been internal to the school and these have the least amount of impact on student achievement and success.
NOTE: Average Freshman Graduation Rates. Graph retrieved 1/23/15 from

10. Types of Dropout and Graduation Rates
According to NCES, its indicators of school dropout and school completion include the following:
Event dropout rate
Status dropout rate
Status completion rate
Averaged freshman graduation rate
(Non-regulatory cohort rate)
Mention also the new federal regulatory graduation rate: The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (only have about 3 years of data using that rate, so for trend analysis, we use Average Freshman Graduation Rate (AFGR) – a simple calculation based on enrollments and numbers of diplomas awarded so many years later.
(National Center for Education Statistics, Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: )

11. Regulatory Four-Year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate

12. Source: National Center for Education Statistics – Common Core of Data (CCD) and NCES Provisional Data Reports.

13. 82%

14. National Averaged Freshman Graduation Rate (AFGR) for Public High School Students, by Race/Ethnicity: School Year
Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), "NCES Common Core of Data State Dropout and Graduation Rate Data File," School Year 2011–12, Preliminary Version 1a. See CCD table at

15. The Diploma Award Gap in Texas
Native American
Asian
Hispanic
Black
White
Other
% Total
Enrollment
0.43%
3.62%
51.34%
12.74%
29.98%
1.90%
2010 % Diplomas
Awarded
0.52%
3.73%
43.07%
13.35%
39.32%

16. Economics of High School Dropouts
Earn less
Pay less in taxes
Rely more on public health
More involved in criminal justice system
More likely to use welfare services
(Rotermund, California Dropout Research Project, Statistical Brief 5, September 2007)

17. Unemployment Rate by Educational Attainment 2012
Doctoral degree %
Professional degree %
Master’s degree %
Bachelor’s degree %
Associate’s degree %
Some college %
High school degree %
Less than high school %
(Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2013,

18. Workers per Social Security Beneficiary
1970
3.7
1990
3.4
Currently
2.9
2030
2:1 ratio
Mercatus Center
George Mason University

19. If Georgia Had a 90% Graduation Rate in 2012, There Would Be:
$457 Million annual earnings increase in Georgia
$342 Million annual spending increase in Georgia
$824 Million increased home sales in Georgia
$45 Million increased auto sales in Georgia
3,850 new jobs added in Georgia
$71 Million annual increase in federal tax revenue in Georgia
$42 Million annual increase in state and local tax revenue
Alliance for Excellence in Education, 2013

20. If Myrtle Beach Had a 90% Graduation Rate in 2012, There Would Be:
$8.4 Million annual earnings increase in Myrtle Beach
$6.4 Million annual spending increase in Myrtle Beach
$15 Million increased home sales in Myrtle Beach
$1 Million increased auto sales in Myrtle Beach
60 new jobs added in Myrtle Beach
$1.3 Million annual increase in federal tax revenue in Myrtle Beach
$700,000 annual increase in local tax revenue in Myrtle Beach
Alliance for Excellence in Education, 2013

22. Choices Are
NEVER
This Obvious
Drop Out of
School
Stay in
School 22

23. PATHWAY TO DROPPING OUT
Dropping out of school is the result of a long process of disengagement that may begin even before a child enters school.
National Dropout Prevention Center/Network

24. Dropout Risk Factors Dropout Risk Factors and Exemplary Programs:
A Technical Report
by C. Hammond, J. Smink,
and S. Drew, NDPC
and
D. Linton, Communities
In Schools, Inc.
May 2007

25. Research Domain Factors
Individual
Family
School
Community

26. I - Individual Domain Risk Factors
High-risk demographic characteristics
Early adult responsibilities
High-risk attitudes, values, and behaviors
Poor school performance
Disengaged from school
Education stability

27. II – Family Domain Risk Factors
7. Background characteristics
8. Level of household stress
9. Family dynamics
10. Attitudes, values, and beliefs about education
11. Behavior related to education

28. III – School Domain Risk Factors
School structure
School resources
Student body characteristics
Student body performance
School environment
Academic policies and procedures
Supervision and discipline policies/practices

29. IV – Community Domain Risk Factors
Location and type of community
Demographic characteristics of community
Environment of community

30. Reasons for Dropping Out of School
Students who considered dropping out of high school
gave these reasons for considering this option:
I didn’t like the school………………………………………….. 73%
I didn’t like the teachers ………………………………………. 61%
I didn’t see value in the work I was being asked to do…….. 60%
I had family issues …………………………………………….. 42%
I needed to work for money…………………………………… 35%
I was picked on or bullied……………………………………… 28%
No adults in the school cared about me……………………... 24%
The work was too easy………………………………………… 19%
(Yazzie-Mintz, “Voices of Students on Engagement: A Report on the 2006 High School Survey of Student Engagement”)

31. What Students Say Top Five Reasons Reported by Students for Leaving School
1980
Didn’t like school (33%)
Poor grades (33%)
Chose to work (19%)
Getting married (18%)
Couldn’t get along with teachers (15%)

32. What Students Say Top Five Reasons Reported by Students for Leaving School
1980
1988
Didn’t like school (33%)
Didn’t like school (51%)
Poor grades (33%)
Were failing school (44%)
Chose to work (19%)
Couldn’t get along with teachers (34%)
Getting married (18%)
Couldn’t keep up with school work (31%)
Couldn’t get along with teachers (15%)
Feel like they don’t belong at school (25%)

33. What Students Say Top Five Reasons Reported by Students for Leaving School
1980
1988
2005
Didn’t like school (33%)
Didn’t like school (51%)
Classes were not interesting (47%)
Poor grades (33%)
Were failing school (44%)
Missed too many days and could not catch up (43%)
Chose to work (19%)
Couldn’t get along with teachers (34%)
Spent time with people not interested in school (42%)
Getting married (18%)
Couldn’t keep up with school work (31%)
Too much freedom and not enough rules in my life (38%)
Couldn’t get along with teachers (15%)
Feel like they don’t belong at school (25%)
Was failing in school (35%)

34. Understanding the Relationship Between Attendance and Graduation
% Graduated in Four Years
Days Absent Per Semester
Course cutting counted as partial days
(The Consortium on Chicago School Research at the University of Chicago, 2007)

35. Understanding the Relationship Between Grades and Graduation
% Graduated in Four Years
Average Freshman Grades
Rounded to the nearest 0.5
(The Consortium on Chicago School Research at the University of Chicago)

36. IV What Can Leaders Do?

37. Effective Dropout Prevention Involves Coordinated Effort
Student
Family
Community
School
School reform should more appropriately be about education reform. It is not the school per se that needs to make the changes. Rather, it is the system of education that needs to make the changes.
The student needs to be at the center of this effort; a student centered system is needed.
The family needs to be the second most important consideration in terms of reform efforts.
And, the community needs to be the third most important consideration in terms of reform.
Up to recently most of our reforms have been internal to the school and these have the least amount of impact on student achievement and success.

38. “Efforts to improve educational outcomes in these schools, attempting to drive change through test-based accountability, are thus unlikely to succeed unless accompanied by policies to address the out of school factors that negatively affect large numbers of our nation’s students.”
(Berliner, 2009, Poverty and Potential: Out of School Factors and School Success)
According to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, “when families learn together and where schools truly become the heart and center of a neighborhood—a community anchor—there are tremendous dividends for children.”
- Duncan, A. (n.d.). Community schools: An essential strategy to support student success. Washington, DC: Coalition for Community Schools. 38

42. What Role Does the Board Play?
Is the Board well informed about dropout prevention efforts of the schools?
Are there policies that contribute to dropping out?
Do discipline policies and practices allow continued enrollment and academic success whenever possible?
Are at-risk-related metrics such as attendance, discipline, and graduation rates considered in employee evaluation and rewards?
Does the Board encourage staff to learn more about dropout prevention?

43. Consider Graduation Rate Impact When Dealing With Big Issues
Retention
Attendance
Grades

44. Board Graduation Rate Considerations
Boards establish the point at which we cut students off from school.
Boards set the guidelines for “rule implementation”.
Boards define how professional educators make decisions for wounded and traumatized students.
Boards must balance popular perception against best interests of individual students.
Boards determine the utilization of alternative discipline options.

45. What Is the Impact of Leadership?
Are leaders aware of graduation rates?
Do leaders know their most at-risk students?
How do leaders interact with at-risk youth?
Do leaders model positive behaviors toward at-risk youth?
Do leaders want troublesome students to remain enrolled?
Do leaders establish physical and emotional safety of all students?

46. What is the School Climate?
Does the school feel safe and inviting?
Do students and parents feel good about their school?
How are parent participation rates at school events?
Do parents, teachers, and leaders communicate often?
Is there an ongoing focus on graduation as an end goal?

47. How Does Instruction Impact Graduation Rates?
Are all courses interesting to students?
Do students see relevance in instruction?
Are students active rather than passive learners?
Is technology used to make instruction interesting?
Are instructional methods and speeds varied for different students?
Are numerous career pathways and career-related courses offered?

48. How Do Teachers Prevent Dropouts?
Are teachers trained in at-risk factors and dropout prevention strategies?
Do teachers make students feel valued and welcome?
Are all students personally known by teachers?
Do teachers initiate positive communications with parents and students?
Do early-grade teachers own the dropout problem?

49. Administrator Resources and Actions
Access resources at
Provide staff and stakeholders with resources and materials
Train staff in dropout prevention strategies
Network with and learn from others
Inform the stakeholders and decision makers in your school, district, and community