WEBVTT

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[Music] Welcome to the
overview on Dropout Prevention:

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Keeping Students in School.

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I'm, like, so behind.

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I'm never going to catch up.

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I was doing fine
in middle school

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but high school is
just too hard for me.

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I don't get along with my
teachers or other students.

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It's not worth it.

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I should just skip school.

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The things they talk about
in school don't help me

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in real life.

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I can't use anything from school

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where it actually
matters, you know.

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I have two jobs just
to get by, plus,

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I have to take care of my kid.

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I don't have time for school.

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Every year I lose about
a tenth of my students.

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They just aren't making
it through high school.

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What can I do to help them?

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About 60% of my students
never graduate.

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Nearly one million students drop
out of high school every year.

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That's an estimated one
student every nine seconds.

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They leave school because
they are ill-prepared

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and have failed courses
repeatedly.

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Jobs and children
overwhelm them,

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school doesn't seem
relevant to their lives,

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and they don't connect
to school.

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Just over half of
Hispanic students and 56%

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of African American students
graduate from high school

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in four years compared
with 78% of White students.

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Some 1,700 U.S. high
schools--more than 1

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in 10--is a dropout factory
where no more than 60%

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of students entering the
school make it to senior year.

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These schools are mostly

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in large cities or
poor rural areas.

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The patterns that
lead to dropping

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out actually start
before high school.

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Early warning signs such as poor
attendance, repeating a grade,

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or behavior problems
can identify students

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who have fallen off
track to graduation,

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even in middle school.

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The transition to high
school can be challenging

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for all students, especially
those at risk of dropping out.

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Dropping out of school
affects the students

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as well as the economy.

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High school dropouts earn
roughly $250,000 less

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over their lives than
high school graduates.

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One estimate suggests that the
nation will lose $329 billion

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in wages, productivity,
and taxes from the dropouts

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of the class of 2007 alone.

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This is a problem
for a lot of students

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and a major problem
for many schools.

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What can we do?

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Dropout prevention experts have
identified these research-based

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strategies to help districts and
schools reduce dropout rates:

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* Utilize data systems to
collect and analyze a range

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of data on the extent of
the dropout situation.

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* Provide academic interventions
to engage students in school

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and improve academic
achievement.

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* Address the personal needs
of students through social

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and emotional support,
including programs

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and use of adult advocates.

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* Establish an engaging and
personalized school environment

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that includes rigorous
and relevant instruction.

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To understand how
serious the problem is,

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it's useful to have
current, reliable data

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on dropout and graduation rates.

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Regularly analyzing school level

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and student data is the first
step for determining the scope

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of the dropout problem and for
identifying at-risk students

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who need additional support.

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It's especially useful to have
data on academics such as grades

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and retention, attendance and
truancy, and behavior problems,

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such as disciplinary actions.

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Schools can use these data
to identify incoming students

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who are at risk of dropping out

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and to monitor all
students continuously.

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I don't think I'll
ever catch up.

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I'll never get this
high school stuff.

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Students who drop out generally
struggle with academics.

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Research suggests that
providing academic support

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such as test-taking
skills, study skills,

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or content instruction

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in key subjects can help
at-risk students keep

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up and stay in school.

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Academic support that helps
students stay on schedule

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to graduate, such as credit
recovery or accumulation,

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can make a difference.

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Schools can provide extra time
for these learning experiences

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with creative scheduling
options during

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and after the regular school day

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and with summer enrichment
programs.

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I don't get along with my
teachers or other students.

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Students at risk of dropping out
often wrestle with deep social

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and emotional problems
either as a cause or a result

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of their disengagement
from school.

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Schools can help students
socially and emotionally

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by teaching problem-solving and
conflict resolution strategies

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and by working with
community-based programs

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and social service agencies
to meet students' needs.

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Teachers and other school staff
can encourage at-risk students

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by recognizing their
accomplishments.

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Adult advocates can
provide needed social

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and emotional support and
connections to social services.

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Adults who play this
role should work

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with a manageable
number of students.

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They also need training
and access to resources.

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Further, for students to view
their advocates as dependable,

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they both need to commit
to meeting regularly.

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What they teach in school has
nothing to do with real life.

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I mean, all my friends agree.

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When numerous students are
at risk of dropping out,

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a school might consider
schoolwide changes

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to engage them.

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One approach suggested
by the research

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in many dropout prevention
programs is

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to make the school
warmer and more inviting

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by personalizing the
learning environment

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and strengthening
student-teacher relationships.

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Creating small learning
communities,

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ninth grade academies, team
teaching, smaller classes,

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advisories, and longer classes,
all give teachers more time

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to work closely with students

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and to develop stronger
relationships with them.

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This in turn can help
students feel connected

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to their teachers
and their schools.

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Extracurricular activities
also can help students make

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connections with each other
and with school staff.

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At-risk students need
to engage academically

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and feel connected
to the school.

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Schools can help make
academics more relevant

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by integrating them
with jobs and skills,

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by organizing academies around
careers, hosting career days,

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sponsoring work experiences,

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and helping connect
students to colleges.

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You will find materials on this
site for each of these practices

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that will help you work with
your staff to identify students

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who fall off track and
to intervene immediately,

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as well as to recover
students who have dropped out.

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Each practice includes tips to
help district staff, principals,

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and teachers plan for and carry
out the recommended practices.

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It is important to consider
implementing the practices

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in a coordinated
dropout prevention

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and recovery approach.

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If you are unfamiliar
with the practices,

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begin with the multimedia
overview

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and expert interviews
in Learn What Works.

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See how schools have
implemented these practices

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in See How It Works.

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Use the tools in Do What Works

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to explore what your
school is already doing well

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and what you can focus on next.

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Remember, there are
materials for educators

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at all levels of
experience here.

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Explore them for yourself and
then use them as you begin

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to implement these
research-based practices

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for dropout prevention.

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[Music]