Dropout Prevention Strategy Plan

1
Dropout Prevention Strategy Plan

• TETN Information Session
• Texas Education Agency
• October 30, 2007

2
TETN Goals

• Review the requirements of TEC 29.918.
• Review steps in the development and submission of
  a District Dropout Prevention Strategy Plan.
• Provide examples of appropriate data and dropout
  prevention strategies.
• Respond to questions about the plan development,
  submission, and review process.

3
Statutory Reference

• Requirement established in HB 2237, 80th Texas
  Legislature, 2007, TEC 29.918.

4
Statutory Citation

• Sec. 29.918.  DROPOUT PREVENTION STRATEGIES.
• (a) Notwithstanding Section 39.114 or 42.152, a
  school district or open-enrollment charter school
  with a high dropout rate, as determined by the
  commissioner, must submit a plan to the
  commissioner describing the manner in which the
  district or charter school intends to use the
  compensatory education allotment under Section
  42.152 and the high school allotment under
  Section 42.2516(b)(3) for developing and
  implementing research-based strategies for
  dropout prevention. The district or charter
  school shall submit the plan not later than
  December 1 of each school year preceding the
  school year in which the district or charter
  school will receive the compensatory education
  allotment or high school allotment to which the
  plan applies.

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Statutory Citation

• (b)  A school district or open-enrollment charter
  school to which this section applies may not
  spend or obligate more than 25 percent of the
  district's or charter school's compensatory
  education allotment or high school allotment
  unless the commissioner approves the plan
  submitted under Subsection (a). The commissioner
  shall complete an initial review of the
  district's or charter school's plan not later
  than March 1 of the school year preceding the
  school year in which the district or charter
  school will receive the compensatory education
  allotment or high school allotment to which the
  plan applies.

6
Statutory Citation

• (c)  The commissioner shall adopt rules to
  administer this section. The commissioner may
  impose sanctions under Section 39.131 or 39.1321
  if a school district or open-enrollment charter
  school fails to timely comply with this section.

7
Implementation

• Methodology for district identification
  developed.
• Grade 7-12 annual rate
• Districts grouped by comparable size
• Districts in the top ten percent of comparison
  group dropout rates identified for compliance
• 114 districts identified

8
Implementation

• Oct. 1 - Notification letter and email sent.
• Dec. 1, 2007 - District plans due to TEA.
• Dec. 1, 2007 Mar. 1, 2008 Plan review period.
• Mar. 1, 2008 - Plan approval or return for
  revision.

9
Document Review

• Instructions for Completing Your Dropout
  Prevention Plan A Step-by-Step Guide.
• Attachment A Focused Data Analysis Template.
• Attachment B Checklist for Review,
  Consideration, and Determination.
• District Dropout Prevention Strategy Plan
  Template.

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Plan Development Guidelines

• Identify, collect and analyze relevant school and
  student data.
• Identify findings, trends, and issues based on
  data analysis activities.
• Establish appropriate performance targets and
  benchmarks.
• Identify appropriate dropout prevention
  strategies.
• Complete and submit District Dropout Prevention
  Strategy Plan to TEA.

11
Plan Development Guidelines

• Attachment A Focused Data Analysis Template
• Complete all district information.
• Identify all sources of data used for review and
  analysis and level of data disaggregation.
• Indicate significant findings of the data
  analysis process.

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Plan Development Guidelines

• Attachment B Checklist for Review,
  Consideration, and Determination.
• Use suggested data analysis probes and/or
  district-generated probes to guide data analysis
  process.
• Include any findings and use as a planning guide
  for plan development.

13
Plan Development Guidelines

• Attachment C 2007-2008 District Dropout
  Prevention Strategy Plan.
• Enter appropriate district performance targets,
  benchmarks, planned dropout prevention activities
  and strategies, resources to be used to implement
  the plan, and appropriate timelines for
  implementation.

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Plan Development Guidelines

• Attachment C 2007-2008 District
• Dropout Prevention Strategy Plan.
• When accounting for how Compensatory Education
  and High School Allotment funds are to be used to
  implement the plan, districts must indicate
  specific amounts to be used from each allotment
  to support the strategies and activities
  identified in the plan.
• Districts should use the appropriate fund codes
  to indicate the source of funds for each activity
  and the appropriate Program Intent Codes to
  indicate targeted expenditure areas.

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Plan Development Guidelines

• Appropriate data sources may include
• District Summary of Finance indicates
  allotment amounts.
• AEIS and other school performance data reported
  in the Public Education Information Management
  (PEIMS) system.
• http//www.tea.state.tx.us/acctres/entry.html
• Locally-gathered performance data.
• Student performance data.
• Student and community demographic data.
• Other data sources as appropriate.

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Plan Development Guidelines

• District Dropout Prevention Strategy Plans may
  include information from
• local district and school improvement plans
• plans developed to meet other state and federal
  requirements and,
• other plans and programs that address the needs
  of students at risk of dropping out of school.
• Identified strategies and activities in the plan
  may include both on-going activities and new
  initiatives.

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Sample Plan Development Activity JohnDoe ISD.

• Data Analysis
• Based on review of district dropout data
  disaggregated by campus (Attachment A), JohnDoe
  ISD found the following
• A major source of the district dropout rate stems
  from two of the districts four high schools.
• At those two high schools, 25 of all students
  repeat the ninth grade.
• Ninth grade attendance rates at the two high
  schools averaged only 84.
• Discipline referral rates for ninth grade
  increased 20 over the last four years.

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Sample Plan Development Activity JohnDoe ISD.

• Data Analysis
• Applying Probe Focus 1, 6, and 7 (Attachment B),
  further analysis found that
• the two schools with high dropout rates lack
  effective strategies and services to support the
  needs of at-risk students.
• Failure to succeed in ninth grade is a key
  district indicator for student dropout behavior.

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Sample Plan Development Activity JohnDoe ISD.

• Dropout Prevention Activities/Strategies
• Based on the findings resulting from data
  analysis, JohnDoe ISD has decided to initiate the
  following activities (Attachment C)
• Implement an early-warning initiative in all
  district middle schools to effectively identify
  students at risk of dropping out.
• Implement a ninth grade transition program that
  includes articulation activities in the middle
  school, a summer transition (bridge) program, and
  targeted ninth-grade interventions.

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Sample Plan Development Activity JohnDoe ISD.

• Implement a Small Learning Community model at the
  two high schools that will include career paths
  and student advisory periods once per week.
• Hire a campus-based specialist to develop
  graduation plans, identify appropriate
  interventions tailored to student needs, and to
  provide case-management services to students that
  are off-track for graduation.

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Sample Plan Development Activity JohnDoe ISD.

• Performance Targets (Attachment C)
• Reduce the 7-12 annual dropout rate by 50 over
  the next two years.
• Reduce the 9th grade retention rate by 50 over
  the next two years.
• Increase 9th grade attendance by 5 over the next
  two years.
• Decrease 9th grade discipline referrals by 50
  over the next two years.

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Sample Plan Development Activity JohnDoe ISD.

• Benchmarks (Attachment C)
• Student grades and attendance by grading period
  and school year.
• District dropout rate by student groups, grading
  period, and school year.
• Student discipline referrals by grading period,
  semester, and school year.

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Sample Plan Development Activity JohnDoe ISD.

• Funding allocations (Attachment C)
• 100,000 from Compensatory Education Funds (Fund
  Code 199 for regular ISDs, 420 for Charter
  Districts) for creation of a Ninth Grade
  Transition Program.
• 50,000 for salaries and administration.
• 20,000 for curriculum materials and supplies.
• 10,000 for transportation.
• 20,000 for professional development.

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Sample Plan Development Activity JohnDoe ISD.

• Funding Allocations
• 100,000 from High School Allotment funds (Fund
  Code 428) for salaries for two campus-based
  dropout prevention specialists.
• 75,000 in High School Allotment funds for
  planning and implementation of Smaller Learning
  Communities.
• 25,000 for travel and substitute pay.
• 25,000 for professional development.
• 25,000 for curriculum materials and supplies.

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Questions?

• We will create an FAQ (Frequently Asked
  Questions) page
• Call or e-mail
• Chris Caesar, Program Manager, Office of
  Education Initiatives.
• chris.caesar_at_tea.state.tx.us
• [phone]