1. OSPI Breakthrough Strategy
Revisiting the Catcher in the Rye:
Dropout Prevention Breakthrough Team
Mason County Break Through Team
Team Final Report
December 16, 2008

2. "Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all.  Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around - nobody big, I mean - except me.  And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff.  What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff - I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. "  ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

3. Breakthrough Team Members
Sponsors
Terry Bergeson, OSPI, Superintendent of Public Instruction Cathy Davidson, OSPI, Chief of Staff Martin Mueller, OSPI, Assistant Superintendent of Student Support
Single Point of Accountability (SPA)
Mona Johnson, OSPI, Director of Learning and Teaching Support
State Team Members
Shelton School District
ESD 113
OSPI
WSIPC
Joan Zook
Todd Johnson
Annie Blackledge
Sue Furth
Gordy Hanson
Lynn Nelson
Ron Hertel
Kitty Lundeen-Ness
Mike Hickman
**David Tudor
Sue Beauregard

4. Breakthrough Project Goal
To develop a data system that identifies students
“at risk” of dropping out and an intervention process.
To be piloted in collaboration with Shelton School District (grades 8-12):
Shelton High School (Grades 10-12)
CHOICE (Challenging High School Opportunities in Continuing Education) High School (Grades 9-12)
Oakland Bay Junior High (Grades 8-9)

5. How Did We Do? The good news is . . . We achieved our goal!
A universal screening criteria and process has been developed
A catalog of interventions and codes has been created to track and monitor student progress
Local intervention teams have been established in pilot schools
Shelton High School – 138 students participated
CHOICE High School – 109 students participated
Oakland Bay Junior High – 18 students participated

6. How we did it- Breakthrough Process
Define the Problem
Clearly identify the deficit area
Analyze the Cause
Develop hypothesis: Why is this happening
Develop Plan decide on intervention, timeframe frequency and provider
Implement Plan Carry out intervention as planned
Evaluate Plan Compare progress to the aimline. Did it work?
Scientific Method: The Problem Solving Process

7. How we did it- Data Universal Screening Criteria **
Absences(+5) Behind credits/retention
WASL Scores Adjudication status
**At risk- 3 out of 4
Ancillary dropout reports- “at risk” reports run for identified students
- Foster Care - ELL - Migrant - D and F grades – Discipline
- Health Concerns
Database Intervention Codes- to monitor identified student enrollment and progress

8. How we did it- Intervention Process
Local team convened- school and community providers
Catalogue of available interventions
Intervention process developed- Response to Intervention model utilized
Integration with current intervention processes- Building level
Building level intervention teams identified
Intervention team leads and backups trained on data systems

9. TEAMWORK – COMMUNICATION - REFLECTION
How do we sustain it
Goal Focused
Define Problem
Data Reviews
Catalogue Interventions
Evaluate Outcomes
TEAMWORK – COMMUNICATION - REFLECTION
Parents, Staff, Teachers, and Community focused on
High School Graduation!!

10. How we can apply it to other areas
Dropout Early Warning and Intervention System
Classroom, School and District Improvement
Professional Development
Professional Learning Communities
Programs:
Readiness to Learn
Student Achievement
High School and Beyond Planning
Student Learning Plans
Navigation 101
Response to Intervention
American School Counselor Model:
A Framework for School Counseling Programs

11. Next Steps
Complete Implementation Guide (First Edition) - A step by step “how to” for schools and districts
Phase II
Continue building level intervention team meetings
Additional RTI and data trainings
Cycle through full student data and intervention process
System evaluation and refinement