MANOR ISD DROPOUT PREVENTION

1. MANOR ISDDROPOUTPREVENTION

2. MANOR ISD DROPOUT PREVENTION MISSION Collaborate with Manor ISD school, parent, business and community representatives with diverse perspectives to develop an effective dropout prevention plan that coordinates programs and services.

3. SILENT EPIDEMIC: BY THE NUMBERS Each year, almost ONE THIRD of all public high school students -- 1.2 million -- fail to graduate with their class. That’s one student every 26 seconds. ABOUT HALF of African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans in public schools fail to graduate. There are nearly 2,000 HIGH SCHOOLS with low graduation rates, concentrated in about 50 large cities and in 15 primarily southern and south western states.

4. DROPPING OUT: DRAMATIC CONSEQUENCES Dropouts are more likely than High School Graduates to: • Be Unemployed (3 times more likely) • Live in Poverty • Earn Less • Have Children Early • Die Early • Be in Poor Health • Have Children Who Drop Out • Not Participate in Civic Lives of Their Communities • Need Social Welfare Assistance • Go To Prison (8 times more likely) • Become Single Parents/Get Divorced

5. DROPPING OUT: DRAMATIC CONSEQUENCES • Dropouts earn $9,200 LESS PER YEAR than high school graduates. • High school dropouts on average earn about $1 MILLION LESS over their lifetimes than those who graduate from college. • Dropouts are: • FOUR TIMES LESS LIKELY TO VOLUNTEER • TWICE LESS LIKELY TO VOTE OR PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY PROJECTS • Represent ONLY 3 PERCENT OF ACTIVELY ENGAGED CITIZENSin America today • Median earnings of families headed by a high school dropout DECLINED BY NEARLY A THIRD between 1974 and 2004.

6. DROPPING OUT: ECONOMIC IMPACT The U.S. government would reap$45 BILLION in extra tax revenues and reduced costs in public health, crime, and welfare payments if the number of 20-year OLD HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS WERE CUT IN HALF. The LOST LIFETIME EARNINGS in Texas for the class of 2008 dropouts alone totals more than $30.7 BILLION. Each class of dropouts costs Texas $1.5 BILLION IN HEALTH CARE during their lifetimes. More than $46 BILLION would be added to Texas’ economy if students of color graduated at the same rate as white students. Texas’ economy would gain more than $691 MILLION in reduced crime spending and increased earnings each year if the male high school graduation rate increased by just 5 PERCENT.

7. DROPPING OUT: ECONOMIC IMPACT The average annual income for a high school dropout in 2005 was $17,299 compared to $26,933 for a high school graduate. A high school graduate contributes about $60,000 LESS IN TAXES over a lifetime. The nation spends an average of $9,644 A YEAR to educate a student. The average annual cost per inmate is $22,600. A 10% increase in the male graduation rate would reduce murder and assault arrest rates by about 20%, motor vehicle theft by 13%, and arson by 8%.

8. WHO THEY ARE: STUDENTS IN EVERY SCHOOL • Big dreams, ambition to graduate, some college • 88% had passing grades, with 62% having Cs and above • 58% dropped out with just two years or less to complete high school • 66% would have worked harder if expectations were higher • 70% were confident they could have graduated • 81% recognized graduating was vital to their success

9. ONE DROPOUT’S VOICE: JYNELL HARRIS “I was one of the lucky ones. I graduated while others didn’t. It shouldn’t be about luck. All kids need a fair chance from the very beginning. It’s not just about graduating, although that is an important goal, it is about graduating ready and giving kids what they need from the very beginning—support, compassion, and commitment” National Summit on America’s Silent Epidemic MAY 2007

10. REASONS FOR LEAVING SCHOOL: TOP FIVE FACTORS DROPOUTS IDENTIFY The Silent Epidemic, March 2006 Civic Enterprises LLC

11. REASONS FOR LEAVING SCHOOL: 70% said they were not motivated to work hard. 67% would have worked harder if more were demanded of them. 70% were confident they could have graduated, including a majority with low GPAs. 80% said chances of staying in school would have increased if classes were more interesting and provided real-world learning opportunities. Most said that higher expectations and improved supervision from teachers would have kept them in school. The Silent Epidemic, March 2006 Civic Enterprises LLC

12. REASONS FOR LEAVING SCHOOL: TOP 10 REASONS 10TH GRADERS DROPPED OUT IN 2002-04 Missed too many school days …………………… 44% Thought is easier to get a GED ………………….. 41% Poor grades/failing school ……………………… 38% Did not like school ………………………………. 37% Could not keep up with school work …………….. 32% Got a job ……………………….……………… 28% Pregnancy (females only) ………………………. 28% Felt unable to complete course requirements …… 26% Could not get along with teachers ……………… 25% Could not hold a job at the same time …………. 22% Rotermund, California Dropout Research Project, Statistical Brief Number 2, May 2007

13. WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT DROPOUTS: Dropping out is more of a process that an event, many times beginning in early elementary school or sooner. Poor academic achievement is one of the strongest predictors of dropping out. Preschool improves school readiness, which decreases the chances of students dropping out. Absenteeism, delinquency, and substance abuse are strong indicators of dropping out. Access to social and financial resources strongly influence the likelihood that a student will graduate.

14. STUDENTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO DROPOUT IF THEY ARE: Poor Members of minority groups Male Transferred among multiple elementary and middle schools Retained/overage for their grade From single parent families Have a mother who dropped out from high school Have parents who provide low support for learning Have parents who do not know their friends parents Taking on adult responsibilities – parenting, married, employed

15. STUDENTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO DROPOUT IF THEY HAVE: High rates of absenteeism or truancy Poor classroom behavior Less participation in extracurricular activities Bad relationships with teachers and peers “In the meantime, they are literally waving their hands saying ‘help’ through poor attendance, acting out and/or course failure.” --Robert Balfanz National Summit on America’s Silent Epidemic (May, 2007)

16. PREDICTIVE CHARACTERISTICS

17. KEY FINDINGS: WHAT STUDENT VOICES TEACH Early alarm bells can identify with nearly 70 PERCENT CERTAINTY a student in the third grade who will go on to drop out from high school – attendance is a key predictor. Students want STRONG ADULT-STUDENT RELATIONSHIPS, one-on-one attention and parents more engaged in schools. Only 47 percent of dropouts said they or their parents were evenCONTACTED BY THE SCHOOL when they were absent; less than half after they dropped out.

18. Leadership is not built into schools to plan, implement, and monitor new strategies and continuous efforts Empowerment or ownership is not built at the local level Stakeholders – schools community, businesses, and families – are not actively involved in the process Local capacity is not built for continuous improvement and change MOST CRITICAL REASONS FOR FAILURE OF OLD APPROACHES:

19. "Dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It's not just quitting on yourself, it's quitting on your country. And this country needs the values and talents of every American.”President Barack Obama Speech to Join Session of Congress February 24, 2009

20. DROPOUTS SPEAK: IMPROVING STUDENT’S CHANCES

21. 10 STRATEGIES TO REDUCEDROPOUT RATES Engage and Partner with Parents Cultivate Relationships Pay Attention to Warning Signs Make Learning Relevant Raise the Academic Bar Think Small Rethink Schedules Develop a Community Plan Invest in Preschool Adopt a Student-Centered Funding Model The George Lucas Educational Foundation

22. CHANGE NEEDED ON 3 FRONTS: School Curricula Will Need to Grow More Rigorous and Relevant Data and Systems Will Need to Grow More Robust to Keep a Focus on Those Most At-Risk of Dropping Out Student Support Will Need to Become More Comprehensive and Integrated Across Schools, Communities, and Families America’s Promise Alliance

23. ENGAGED FOR SUCCESSSERVICE-LEARNING AS A TOOL FOR HIGH SCHOOLDROPOUT PREVENTION • 82% of students who participated in service-learning say their feelings about attending high school became more positive as a result of service-learning • More than 75% of all students agree that service-learning classes are more interesting • 45% of service-learning students believe service-learning classes are more worthwhile • 77% of students in service-learning programs said that service-learning had a big effect on motivating them to work hard • Research shows that service-learning can help increase students’ self-confidence, leadership skills, and sense of empowerment

24. SERVICE-LEARNING A teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities; and can occur in schools, universities, and community-based and faith-based organizations.

25. POLICY PATHWAYS:IN SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES • Offer DIFFERENT schools/classroom experiences for different students, with a challenging and engaging curriculum • Examine COMPULSORY SCHOOL AGE REQUIREMENTS under state laws • Create EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS • Engage parents in school by having them work with their children on INDIVIDUALIZED GRADUATION PLANS • Mobilize ADULT ADVOCATES • Utilize SERVICE-LEARNING to engage students in academic areas where they’re struggling

26. Parents’ Report: One Dream, Two Realities Debunks the myth that parents with lower income, with children in lower performing schools are less likely to engage in their child’s education. Sixty percent of parents see a much more demanding world for their children Parents share high aspirations for their children with over 90 percent of African American and Hispanic parents viewing college as very important for their children School performance, more than a child’s grades, drives parent satisfaction Parents of students in low-performing schools are much less likely than their peers to talk with their children’s teachers

27. One Dream, Two Realities:THE WAY FORWARD • Prompt notification to parents of academic or other problems • Earlier contact with parents in 8th and 9th grades on what constitutes success • More information about requirements for graduation and college admission • Single point of contact, homework hotlines and flexible times for parent/teacher conferences • Teachers should incorporate families into homework assignments • Schools should develop and distribute parent information packets • Parent volunteers should be recruited

28. STUDENTS WITH INVOLVED PARENTS, NO MATTER WHAT THEIR INCOME OR BACKGROUND, ARE MORE LIKELY TO: Earn higher grades and test scores, and enroll in higher-level programs Be promoted, pass their classes and earn credits Attend school regularly Have better social skills, show improved behavior and adapt well to school Graduate and go on to post-secondary education Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (2002)

29. PARENT AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZING:RESULTS Upgraded school facilities Improved school leadership and staffing Higher quality learning programs for students New resources and programs to improve teaching and curriculum New funding for after-school programs and family supports Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (2002)

30. Grad Nation:A GUIDEBOOK TO HELP COMMUNITIES TACKLE THE DROPOUT CRISIS • The goal of Grad Nation is to give you and your community the tools you need to: • Understand the dimensions of the dropout challenge • Develop an effective plan to combat high dropout rates • Build strong partnerships to make lasting change happen • Rally your community to end the dropout crisis • Grad Nation contains research-based guidance for step-by-step addressing the dropout crisis in your community, along with ready-to-print tools and links to additional online resources.   • The guidebook is divided into four parts: • Rallying Your Community to End the Dropout Crisis • Understanding Your Community’s Dropout Crisis • Solutions for Comprehensively Addressing Your Community’s Dropout Crisis • Moving Forward to Create Lasting Change  

31. “When more than one million students a year drop out of high school, it’s more than a problem, it’s a catastrophe. Our economic and national security are at risk when we fail to educate the leaders and the workforce of the future. It’s time for a national ‘call to arms’ because we cannot afford to let nearly one-third of our kids fail.” GENERAL COLIN POWELL

32. Lucy Cochrane Director of Dropout Prevention (512) 278-4429 lucy.cochrane@manorisd.net