Supporting At-Risk Youth in the Development of Programs of Study

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Supporting At-Risk Youth in the Development of
Programs of Study

• The Facts About ALS Dropout Prevention and
  Recovery Programs
• Jan Spivak
• Director of Student Services
• College and Career Readiness
• Accelerated Learning Solutions

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Partners in Education

• ALS schools are located in underserved and
  low-income areas. 81 of our students live in
  neighborhoods with average household incomes
  below the state average. 82 of the students are
  eligible for free and reduced lunches, an
  indicator of low family income.
• 2013-14 - 21 schools in 7 Florida counties.
• 2014-15 23 schools in Florida, 1 school in
  North Carolina
• www.yourdiplomayourway.com

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Partners in Education

• Only serve students who have already dropped out
  of school or are at-risk of dropping out. Only
  8 of charter schools in the southeastern US
  serve this population of students.
• Partner with the public schools to address the
  needs of these at-risk students. As a result,
  ALS charter schools have positive, not
  adversarial relationships with local school
  districts.

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Partners in Education

• Our students performance is attributed directly
  to our schools, not back to the students home
  high school.  There is no negative impact on
  their high schools A school grade or FCAT
  scores. 
• ALS is the only SACS accredited school management
  company addressing dropout prevention in the
  state of Florida. Only 23 of Florida charter
  high schools are SACS accredited.

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Programs of Study

• Secondary to postsecondary transition.
• Helping students define and pursue career options
  through counseling and curricula.
• Exploring all possibilities, and establishing
  specific transition activities for students prior
  to graduating.
• Maintaining a strong level of support with all
  students after graduation.
• Addressing all factors that can be barriers to
  successful transitioning.

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Enrollment and Referrals

• At enrollment, the typical student is
• 17 years old with 12 or less high school credits
  previously earned
• Reading at or below the 8th grade level
• Three years behind their 9th grade cohort 90
  are over-age for expected grade
• Academically unsuccessful 80 are at FCAT
  (Florida) Level 1 or 2
• Requiring special services 10-20 need special
  education accommodations, 12-20 are English
  language learners and 8-12 are parenting,
  pregnant or caring for other children

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Enrollment and Referrals

• Students enrolling in the dropout
  prevention/recovery program have already dropped
  out or have been identified by their sending
  school as being at-risk of dropping out
• 80 of students are referred by school
  principals and counselors because they had been
  identified as being at-risk of dropping out.

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Instruction and Assessment

• All classroom teachers are state certified and
  highly qualified in their subject area or are
  assigned an out of field waiver per No Child Left
  Behind requirements.  Many have multiple
  certifications.
• The instructional program is rigorous and aligned
  to Florida standards.
• All graduates pass the FCAT (or earn concordant
  score on ACT or SAT) and earn a standard Florida
  diploma that is accepted by universities,
  colleges, training programs and the military
  services.

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Accountability

• Our contracts with sponsoring school districts
  provide for various levels of accountability.
• School district authorizers hold the charter
  board and the management company to the academic
  and financial performance criteria stated in the
  charter application.
• Our partners include secondary, postsecondary,
  military, and industry leaders and
  representatives.

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Accountability

• We guarantee to sponsoring districts that our
  students will complete courses and earn credits
  faster than these same students progressed at
  their previous schools.
• In Broward County students credit earning rate
  per semester at their prior school was 0.93. In
  the 2012-13 school year, ALS Broward schools
  averaged 2.9 credits per semester.

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Accountability

• The Florida Department of Education evaluates our
  performance.  
• Each of our schools participates in the state
  accountability system that compares Learning
  Gains among our enrolled students to the Learning
  Gains that these same students achieved at their
  prior schools.  
• We participate in the states extensive
  standardized testing program.  
• We are also required to submit annual reports to
  the state Auditor General that demonstrate our
  fiscal soundness.

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Student Achievement

• Achieving academic standards, graduating students
  from high school and securing postsecondary
  options for them.
• The credit earning rate in ALS schools is
  typically twice what these same students achieved
  in their prior schools (50 increase).
• 70.5 of ALS students in 2012 graduated or are
  continuing their enrollment.
• 60 of graduates in 2012 went on to attend a
  two/four-year college, trade or technical school.

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Student Achievement

• ALS schools graduated over 2,200 students in the
  last 4 years. Most of these students would not
  have graduated without enrolling in this program.
• In the graduating class of 2012, over 76 of
  graduates from all schools indicated intention to
  enroll in a 2 or 4 year college or university.

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Programs of Study

• All students create an electronic portfolio that
  includes career inventories (interest, ability,
  aptitude, work skills) and postsecondary Plans of
  Study utilizing Florida CHOICES and School
  Connect, in relation to their college and career
  searches and plans.
• All students graduate with a complete
  postsecondary transition plan.

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Career Coach

• Each school has a Career Coach who
• Works closely with students to teach resume
  writing, develop job skills and search for
  employment
• Facilitates Executive Internship and Personal,
  Career and School Development Skills courses
• Assists students in completing employment,
  college, and financial aid applications
• Schedules visits to postsecondary institutions
  for students and parents
• Coordinates college and career speakers and fairs
• Completes a Postsecondary Transition Plan with
  all students regardless of grade level

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Addressing Barriers to Postsecondary Success

• ALS schools provide extensive social services
  support and postsecondary coaching to students.
• Each school delivers extensive community-based
  support services to a minimum of 300 students per
  school annually to address the obstacles that
  prevent academic success.

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Wrap-Around Student Services

• ALS schools provide services under 9 primary
  service categories
• Individual/Family/Group Counseling
• Crisis Intervention
• Case Management
• Child care
• Health and Medical
• Postsecondary Preparation
• Employment Assistance/Training/Career Development
  Planning
• Job Opportunities, Internships Apprenticeships
• Mentoring

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Additional Services

• Graduating Seniors
• EXIT Interview
• Postsecondary Transition Plan
• Academic Interventions
• Individual/group support
• State assessment preparation
• Other services

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Student Services Department

• A Family Support Specialist coordinates social
  services, conducts an initial assessment of each
  student and ensures that students receive the
  services that are needed to remove barriers to
  success.
• A Career Coach advises students on post-secondary
  options and how to achieve their preferred choice
  after graduation.
• Community Agencies Providers
• University Bachelor and Graduate Level Interns in
  Social Work, Mental Health Counseling, or Teacher
  Education Programs.

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Its Working!

• The contracts for the three schools in Broward,
  one school in Hillsborough, two schools in Lee
  and three schools in Orange Counties were due to
  expire at the end of the 2012-13 school year.
  All of the schools were renewed for terms from 5
  to 15 years, and each school district board
  unanimously voted to renew the contracts.

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Our Alumni

• ALS schools continue to serve students after
  graduation.
• Alumni provide additional support and facilitate
  presentations to current students.
• Program of Study development and school support
  is ongoing for all ALS students.

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THANK YOU for your PARTNERSHIP!

• Jan Spivak
• Director of Student Services College and Career
  Readiness
• Accelerated Learning Solutions
• jan.spivak_at_als-education.com
• 786-510-3691