DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 447 394 CG 030 512

TITLE Making a Difference: Report of the Task Force on DropoutPrevention, Intervention, and Recovery, Spring 1998.

INSTITUTION Maryland State Dept. of Education, Baltimore.PUB DATE 1998-00-00NOTE 46p.

PUB TYPE Reports Descriptive (141)EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS Academic Achievement; Academic Standards; At Risk Persons;

Cooperation; *Dropout Prevention; *High School Students;High Schools; Intervention; Prevention; School CommunityRelationship; *Statewide Planning; Strategic Planning

IDENTIFIERS Maryland

ABSTRACTThis publication is a report from a task force charged with

developing a vision and making recommendations for a comprehensive system ofdropout prevention, intervention, and recovery within the state of Maryland.The challenge was given urgency due to three factors: (1) rigorous standardsfor students that were part of school improvement programs could cause morestudents to drop out unless changes were made in instruction; (2) the numberof young people will increase over the next decade, as well as the proportionconsidered at risk; and (3) positive correlation between levels ofeducational achievement and learning in the new labor market of the 21stcentury will intensify. The Task Force agreed on the following visions: (1)

provide rigorous, relevant, and engaging instruction within a supportiveenvironment; (2) prevent students from starting down the path toward droppingout; and (3) collaborate with families, communities, employers, andpostsecondary programs to provide integrated support and learningexperiences. The report includes a description of who drops out and why; whocan make a difference and how; Task Force recommendations; how to implementthe recommendations; end notes; and attachments on programs serving at-riskstudents, dropout statistics, and program approaches. (Contains 10references.) (JDM)

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Task Force on Dropout Prevention, Intervention, and Recovery

Membership List

The Honorable Nancy K. Kopp

Maryland House of Delegates

Task Force Chairperson

Dr. Jon Andes

SuperintendentWorcester County Public Schools

Dr. Pamela G. Arrington

Senior Staff SpecialistMaryland Higher Education Commission

Ms. Gail Aveson

CounselorDorchester County Board tf Education

Hurlock Elementary School

Dr. Charles Beatty

Associate Dean for Student Affairs

University of Maryland

College of Education

Mr. James Piper Bond

PresidentLiving Classrooms Foundation

Ms. Sue Buswell

Executive DirectorMaryland Association of Boards of Education

Mr. James E. Callahan

Consultant

Ms. JoAnne L. Carter

Assistant State SuperintendentDivision of Comperuatory Education and Support Services

Maryland State Department of Education

Ms. 'Cathryn T. Coleman

Director of Pupil Services, Guidance, and

Special EducationCalvert County Public Schools

Mr. Alvin C. Collins

SeartaryMaryland Department of Human Resources

Mr. Michael Denny

Teacher, Social Studies

St Mary's County Public SchoolsLeonardumm High School

Ms. Elaine Gorman

Director of Secondary Education

Baltimore County Public Schools

Ms. Edwina Green

litvenik Services' Team LeaderMaryland PTA

Ms. Sharon H. Hansen

Assistant PrincipalAnne Arundel County Public Schools

Meade Senior High School

Ms. Linda Harris

DirectorOffice of Employment Development

Baltimore City

Ms. Chris Helfrich

Associate Dean

System for Student Success

Frederick Community College

Ms. Leigh Higgins

Assistant DirectorChoke Middle Schools Program

University of Maryland Baltimore County

Shriver Center

Mr. Benjamin Hosch

Principal, Oakarst Elementary SchoolPrince George's County Public Schools

Ms. Marie Keegin

AR' CoordinatorMaryland Department of Business

and Economic Development

Ms. Kathy McGuire

DirectorDepartment of Comprehensive Pupil Services

Montgomery County Public Schools

Dr. JaMes McPartland

DirectorCarter for Social Organization of Schools

johns Hopkins University

The Honorable Thomas McLain Middleton

Maryland State Senate

Staff to the Task Force

Mr. John E. Mohamed

Principal, Southeast Middle School #255

Baltimore City Public Schools

Ms. Katharine Oliver

Assistant State SuperintendentDivision of Career Technology and Adult Learning

Maryland State Department of Education

Mr. Terry L. Palm

State Farm Insurance Company

Mr. Patrick Patrong

Independent Living Program SpecialistMaryland Department of Human Resoling:

Social Services Administration

Mr. Dave Rudolph

Principal, North East Middle School

Cecil County Public Schools

Mr. Charles F. Stewart, Jr.

Superintendent of EducationDepartment cf juvenik justice

Ms. Connie M. Stewart

Supervisor of Elementary Schools

Wicomico County Public Schools

Ms. Ellen Stewart

Maryland State Teachers Association

Dr. Rosetta Stith

Director, Laurence G. Paquin Middk/High School #457Baltimore City Public Schools

Ms. Jennifer Valencia

StudentBlair High SchoolMontgomery County Public Schools

Ms. Margaret E. Williams

Executive DirectorFriends of the Family

Dr. Edmonia Yates

Member, Maryland State Board of Education

Projects CoordinatorBaltimore Urban Systemic Initiative

Morgan State University

Ms. Irene Penn Heckler

Maryland State Department of Education

Ms. Diana Bailey

Maryland State Department of Education

Ms. Marion Pines

The Johns Hopkins UniversityInstitute for Policy Studies

Ms. Lynda Lowry and Ms. Phyllis Larkins

Support Staff

Dr. Gerald Day

Maryland State Department of Education

Goals 2000 Subcommittee onDropout/In Strategies

MSDE Internal Support Team

MARYLAND STATEDEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Differ reReportof the

Task Forceon

DropoutPrevention,Intervention,

andRecovery

NANCY K. KOPPSIXTEENTH LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

MONTGOMERY COUNTY

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

CHAIR:SUBCOMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

MEMBER, CAPITAL BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE

CHAIR:COMMITTEE ON SPENDING AFFORDABILITY

HOUSE OF DELEGATESANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND 21401-1991

February 1998

Dr. Nancy GrasmickState Superintendent of SchoolsMaryland State Department of Education200 West Baltimore StreetBaltimore, Maryland 21201

Dear Dr. Grasmick:

OFFICE ADDRESS:221 HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING

(410) 841-3019

(301) 858-3019(TOLL FREE FROM WASHINGTON, D.C. AREA)

HOME ADDRESS:6301 DAHLONEGA ROAD

BETHESDA, MARYLAND 208181301) 229-0385

It is my pleasure as chair of the Task Force on Dropout Prevention, Intervention andRecovery to convey to you our final report. In the early fall of 1996, you charged the Task Forceto develop a vision and make recommendations for a comprehensive system of dropoutprevention, intervention, and recovery within the state's aggressive education reform efforts.

The thirty-four members of the Task Force, that you appointed, recognized the urgencyand the gravity of the challenge that you placed before them. With rising expectations andstandards both in education and in the work world, major system changes would be needed toprovide the safeguards and supports to ensure the success of all students.

Over the course of nine full day meetings, supplemented by several meetings of avolunteer subcommittee, members reviewed and discussed the materials provided by a variety ofexperts, as well as extensive statistical information and reports. Task Force members thenworked in small groups to better internalize and synthesize ideas, issues and recommendations.To elicit feedback, a draft report was submitted to an outside panel of national experts andwidely circulated. In addition, five discussion meetings were held with a wide variety ofstakeholders throughout the state. The comments and suggestions received from severalhundred interested people were discussed at the final meeting of the Task Force andincorporated, as appropriate, into the final report.

5

As chair and representing the entire Task Force, I would like to extend our thanks andappreciation to the many MSDE staff who shared their wisdom with us, but most particularly toIrene Hechler, Diana Bailey and Gerry Day of your staff and Marion Pines of the Institute ofPolicy Studies at JHU, for unfailing support, provision of resources, and authoring multipledrafts for Task Force consideration.

Each member of the Task Force thanks you for the opportunity to be part of improvingthe learning experience for all Maryland students, with our particular focus on those studentsmost at risk of not completing their education successfully. We look forward to the next step inthis important process of change...implementation. We do not anticipate that this task will beeasy or fast, but are confident that under your leadership, the effort will be successful.

Sincerely,

er40Nancy K. K ppChair

Table of Contents

Executive Summary ii

I. The Challenge 1

Who Drops Out of School and Why?

What Will Make a Difference?

II. Responding to the Challenge 6

Who Will Make a Difference and How?

III. Task Force Recommendations 16

IV Next Steps

V End Notes

VI. Attachments

Attachment A: Fiscal Year 1998 Programs

Serving At-Risk Students

Attachment B: Dropout Information:

United States and Maryland

Attachment C: Program Approaches

7

1.

,:,KING A DIFFERENCE

Executive SummaryAs we approach the 21st century, dropping out of school has espe-

cially dire consequences for young people and for society as a whole.Twenty years ago, in a less complex society and a less demanding jobmarket, almost 90% of high school dropouts could find regular workand lead satisfying lives. Today, only slightly more than a third of youngdropouts find full-time employment and only 11% of them are earningmore than poverty level wages'. High school graduates do twice as well,and college graduates fare six times better. Clearly, education pays offfor students.

Beyond the personal costs of dropping out of school, it has beencalculated that the average dropout costs the community more thanS300.000'. We know that 75% of the individuals received by theMaryland Division of Corrections report themselves as high schooldropouts, and each year of incarceration costs State taxpayers more than530.000 per inmate'. Over 50% of Maryland's public assistance clientsare high school dropouts. Clearly, investments in education pay off for

all of us.

It, therefore, makesand for the community,

sense, for the sake of the individual studentand for the economy as a whole, to assure

that all our young peoplegraduate from high school sothat they can begin to realizetheir full potential as self-sufficient individuals andcontributing members of thecommunity.

Recognizing that it is vitalthat all students graduate fromhigh school, and acknowledgingpotential impacts of the on-going statewide high schoolimprovement program andplans for the new high schoolassessments, Dr. NanCY S.Grasmick, State Superintendent

7.=SK FORCE OH C',7::PCUT ::1TERVENTION 6+ RECOVERY

of Schools, challenged 34 Marylanders, under thechairmanship of Delegate Nancy K. Kopp, to workwith a sense of focused urgency, to develop a vision of aneducation system characterized by a comprehensivesystem of dropout prevention, intervention, andrecovery, and to recommend changes needed toachieve that vision.

The Task Force first agreed on a vision. In the21st century, Maryland's educational system mustwork for all students. Schools must:

3 Provide rigorous, relevant, and engaginginstruction within a flexible, supportive, andculturally sensitive learning environment.Standards must be high and responsive to thedemands of the marketplace. School leadersmust truly expect, and work to assure, successfor all students.

I Prevent young students from startingdown the path toward dropping out, inter-vene when problems are anticipated ordiscovered, and actively work to recover students who havedropped out to assure that they too ultimately graduate.Individual schools, clusters of schools, and school systems must beorganized so that students are prepared to learn from the verybeginning and do not "fall through the cracks" particularly attimes of transition into or between schools and services.Counseling and other support systems must be able to followstudents during the entire education process. Educational optionsmust be available to students not responsive to the traditionalclassroom.

I Collaborate with families, communities, employers, andpostsecondary programs to provide integrated support andessential learning experiences both within and outside of thetraditional school environment.

The Task Force recognized that Maryland cannot achieve this visionwithout essential changes in planning, school organization, curriculum,

:.1AKING A OiFFERENCE

instructional methods, school climate,professional development, resourceallocation, and school-communityrelations.

During Task Force meetings,eight themes emerged from thepresentations, research findings,briefing papers, and evaluationsthemes that should inform and guidethe school change process. The eightthemes are:

The importance of effectiveearly intervention because thepathway to dropping out startsvery early. Schools must realizethat it is in their interest toanticipate potential problemsand address them as earlyas possible.

The need for continued inter-vention in middle and high

school, particularly around the transition years, since early inter-vention is not an "immunization shot" and problems occurthroughout a student's career.

.-The need to change instruction and the way it is delivered tounderscore the relevance of learning to "real world" applications.

The need for continuous support from caring adults to providestability and instill in students the confidence to succeed. This isparticularly needed in the case of students who move amongschools frequently and have little stability in their family lives.

The need for rigorous expectation of success for all students,coupled with flexibility in methods of instruction to assure mastery.

I The need for interagency and community partnerships in orderto share staff, expertise, and resources.

The need for accountability of all partners in the educationalprocess students. teachers, school staff, parents, and community.There must be clear, consistent, measurable outcomes.

i 0L.

TaSK F3RCE 'rEVENTIC_,!.:7ERVENTICN Si RECOVERY V

a The need to re-engage dropouts through recoverystrategies that lead to the attainment of the high schooldiploma. Particular methods of achieving this outcomemay include re-enrollment in traditional schools or useof alternative programs and providers. Schools andalternative programs have much to learn fromeach other.

Given the complex factors associated with dropping outof school, schools by themselves cannot ensure that allstudents will succeed. Achieving our vision requires the activeinvolvement of families, schools, employers. government, a

wide range of community agencies and organizations, post-secondary institutions, and the students themselves.Concerted action must be undertaken and sustained on manyfronts to fully address the needs of students and, in doing so,to prevent, intervene, and recover dropouts.

The Task Force, therefore, recommends that the Maryland StateDepartment of Education take specific steps to lead and support Stateand local efforts in this area. The Task Force's recommendations arebased on the eight themes identified above as the key elements for thisreport. They urge the Department to:

3 Demonstrate Commitment to Dropout Prevention ThroughBoth Statements and Action.

Make school completion for all students a top priority and aresponsibility of all school leaders at all levels.

Increase funding to support comprehensive services, supportlocal efforts for greater coordination of services among andbetween schools and other agencies, and create incentiveprograms to encourage innovation and more public/privateefforts.

Develop at Both the State and Local Levels and in EachSchool a Systemic Capacity to Solve the Dropout Challenge.

Create and distribute to all schools and school systems a

comprehensive dropout prevention template that can serve as aframework for needs assessment and planning.

Strengthen leadership and staff capacity, including increasedfunding for professional development.

st

Schools must realize

that it is in their-

interest to anticipate

potential problemsIiTe4Tfqs

and address them as _

early as possible.

Encourage and establish a process for periodically identifyingand disseminating information about tested promising prac-tices and programs, and urge their adoption by local agenciesand schools. This should include use of electronic media, suchas a Web Page incorporating latest research and best practices.

I Enhance Accountability to Increase the Return on Presentand Future Investments.

Improve State and local capacity to measure and determine theeffectiveness of programs and services over time and indifferent contexts.

Establish rigorous criteria to accompany all funding thatcontributes to dropout prevention, intervention, and recoveryto ensure that funded programs demonstrate positive results.Support positive programs and terminate or alter unsuccessfulones.

Revise the school performance reporting system to includedropout recovery results.

;L. ..

The Task Force stronglyurges Dr. Grasmick, theMaryland State Board ofEducation, and local schoolsystems and communities tomove expeditiously to addressthe themes and recommenda-tions in this report.

REF'OR7 7.:F THE TASK FORCE Ci% CPO:POUT ..71VENT10%, iUTERVENTION & RECOVERY

Tne ChallengeIn the early fall of 1996, Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick, State

Superintendent of Schools, challenged 34 Marylanders to work togetheras a Task Force. Under the chairmanship of The Honorable Nancy K.Kopp, the Task Force was charged to develop a vision and makerecommendations for a comprehensive system of dropout preven-tion, intervention, and recovery within the context of the State'saggressive education reform efforts. The challenge was given urgency bythree critical factors:

Rigorous expectations and standards for students are part of theongoing high school improvement program and the proposed highschool assessments planned for the class of 2004.

The absolute number of young people will increase over the nextdecade, as will the proportions of groups traditionally considered tobe "at risk".

The positive correlation between levels of educational achievementand earnings in the new labor markets of the 21st century willintensify.

It is the Task Force's belief that as the new high schoolimprovement program, with its proposed assessment plan, movesfrom development to implementation, it can be anticipated thatmany more students will "fall out" of secondary schools unlesschanges are made in instruction, supported by a continuum ofappropriate services and opportunities from pre-kindergarten tograde 12 to postsecondary education.

In accepting the challenge; Task Force members committed to thinkbeyond the current structure and to envision the major education systemchanges and new kinds of community partnerships that would providethe safeguards and supports that ensure the success of all students.

FACT:10,340 Maryland young people left school in 1995-1996without receiving a high school diplomat

FACT: Over 50% of Maryland's current public assistance clients aredropouts'.

FACT: 75% of the individuals received by the Maryland Division ofCorrections report themselves as high school dropouts°.

13

The absolute number

of young people will

increase over the next

decade, as will

the proportions of'

groups traditionally

considered to

be "at risk."

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Students drop out of

school because they

perceive a lack of

relevance ofschool

learning to life, a

sense of hopelessness

and lack of vision for

the future...

FACT: Only 11% of dropouts are able to find full time jobs payingover the poverty wage-.

FACT: Nearly 80% of Maryland firms that hire manufacturing orskilled trades workers reported either some or a great deal ofdifficulty finding qualified workers.

These facts make it clear that in order to enjoy a fulfilling life,staving in school, completing an education, and gaining high level skillsare of greater importance than ever before as labor market expectationshave become more demanding. In recognition of these realities, theMaryland State Department of Education has established a set ofrigorous performance standards for all school systems and schools in theState. Consistent with the long term national trend, Maryland's dropoutrates have declined from 1990 to 1996 from 6.5% to 4.58%. However,over this period, only a third of Maryland's 24 school systems and lessthan half of the secondary schools have achieved the satisfactory stan-dard that Maryland has set for the dropout rate'.

Who Drops Out of School and Why?

There is no single cause, single reason, or single profile of thestudent who will drop out of school. However, research over the past 20years identified student behaviors and characteristics that correlate withdropping out of school. Based on a review of literature and research, theNational Center for Educational Statistics (LACES) identified six charac-teristics associated with risk of educational failure. Subsequent studiesusing the National Educational Longitudinal Studies: '90 and '92 publishedin 1995 proved these factors to be good predictors of low achievementand dropping out. Characteristics associated with youth most at risk ofdropping out of school are:

lives in a single-parent household,

lives in a low-income household,

is home alone more than three hours a day,

is the child of high school dropout (s),

has a sibling who dropped out of high school, and

speaks limited English.

The reasons students drop out of school are varied and complex.Students are pulled out, pushed out, and drop out of school (Sklarz,1994)10. Students are pulled out because of farrnrc couch as teen parenting,

REPORT OF THE TASK FORCE ON OPCROUT PREVENTION. INTERVENTION & RECOVERY 3

substance abuse, lack of perceived value of schooling by peers, fami-lies, and communities, financial and family responsibilities for careand support, and the attraction of money and peer groups outside ofschool. Students are pushed out of school because of behavior andattendance problems that result in disciplinary action and skills defi-ciencies that grow over time, placing students at performance levelswell below their peers. Students drop out of school because theyperceive a lack of relevance of school learning to life, a sense ofhopelessness, and a lack of vision for the future, and the inabilitY ofschools and communities to provide the wide range of supportservices and alternative programs and strategies to meet their needs.

Rush and Vitale (1995) identify dropping out as a process thatbegins during the elementary years and increases in likelihood as

students experience more and more difficulties in the later schoolyears". Departing from the many previous studies that focus onfamily background and intelligence as key predictors, Rush and Vitaleidentify academic achievement, educational aspirations, and feelings ofself worth as key predictors. Focusing more specifically on the questionof whether schools actively contribute to students dropping out. basedon data from the follow-up study of the National EducationalLongitudinal Study of 1988, Wu (1993)12 found that:

There is a relationship between high dropout rates and poorlyorganized academic programs.

There is a relationship between high dropout rates and moraleproblems in schools.

Students' exposure to poor teachers is more likely in schools withhigh dropout rates.

Students attending schools with a high dropout rate were morelikely to have fewer opportunities for "purposely conceived. well-planned, well-organized. and well-executed" classroom activities.

What Will Make A Difference?

The Task Force examined the broad range of state-administerededucation funding programs (approximately S200 million in FY '93),that relate in varying degrees to dropout prevention, intervention, andrecovery. It sought to understand how these State and federally fundedefforts contribute to progress made in student and school performance,with an emphasis on decreasing the school dropout rate. The Task Force

.1. 5

There is a relationship

between high dropout

rates and poorly

organized academic

programs.

DIFFERENCE

...there is broad

agreement that

insufficient attention

and resources are

devoted to providing

the type of consistent

supplemental support

and assistance needed

by students.

found that most programs have historically been administered as sepa-rate initiatives at the State and school system levels. This iscounterproductive and must be changed. These programs must worktogether in a focused and coordinated way in order to reduce the schooldropout problem.

The Task Force surveyed local school systems to identify schoolpractices, programs, and strategies of demonstrated effectivenessand to understand local issues that pertain to dropout prevention,intervention, and recovery. While programs and services differamong school systems and schools, there is broad agreement thatinsufficient attention and resources are devoted to providing thetype of consistent supplemental support and assistance neededby students. Issues and needs identified through the localsurvey include:

Additional funding to support coordinated approaches to dropoutprevention, intervention, and recovery;

More intensive, school-based academic counseling and supportservices. Virtually all respondents to the survey indicated a need formore pupil services staff and program options at all levels (guidancecounselors, pupil personnel workers, psychologists, nurses, supportservice programs, and alternative education);

Appropriate class size to meet individual needs of students;

Ongoing career development and quality career-related programsavailable to all students;

More flexible schedules and programs, and transportation thatenables all students in need to access summer, evening, andweekend programs;

Development of effective methods to follow up on andre-engage dropouts;

Strong early childhood programs coordinated with and buildingon existing initiatives in schools and communities;

Sharing of effective programs and practices among schoolsystems and schools;

Development and/or expansion of active partnerships includingschool, families, communities, agencies, and employers workingtogether in a comprehensive approach to dropout prevention; and

..t. 16

REPO, 1,-4E T:-S.;: FORCE ON :R:DOtr. RRE1ENT,CN. N7ERVENT:O'l ECCVERY

Analysis of the potential impact of the high school reform efforts.including the proposed assessments, on students' decisions to dropout of school.

Key themes and issues consistently came to the fore in the TaskForce discussion of program models, research findings, briefing papers,evaluations, and surveys of local systems. These themes are:

The importance of high quality early intervention becausethe pathway to dropping out starts very early and skills need tobe reinforced throughout the primary grades. Integratedprograms and recognition that all staff have a responsibility forall students is critical.

The need for continued and sustained intervention inmiddle and high schools, with particular attention to thetransition grades since early intervention is not an "immu-nization shot." Except for Maryland's Tomorrow, there is acomparative void in State resources allocated at the middleschool and high school levels.

The need to make curriculum and instruction more rele-vant to the "real world" as exemplified by CareerConnections, which stresses learning by doing, earning whilelearning, and curricula organized around career clustersplanned with the full participation of local business.

The need for continuing support from caring adultsi.e., mentors, advisors, teachers, case managers, advocates,and counselors is perceived by both youth and researchersas a critical stabilizer in the often chaotic lives of manyyoung people.

The need to maintain high expectations for all studentsand to adjust teaching styles to assure mastery since awatered down curriculum will shortchange students in acompetitive global economy.

The need for State and local interagency and communitypartnerships to share staff, ideas, data, resources and developjoint initiatives, underscoring the belief that it takes a wholecommunity working together to help a child achieve success.

The importance of accountability and continued emphasison achieving positive results could be enhanced by usingstrategies based on research and evaluation and sharingpromising practices.

The need to re-engage and re-enroll dropouts throughaggressive recovery strategies that create high quality education-)ptions and work programs that lead to a high school diploma.

I

The need for

continued and

sustained

intervention in

middle and high

schools, with

particular attention

to the transition

grades since early

intervention is not an

"immunization shot."

7.

... Maryland will need

to focus, with

renewed urgency, on

those aspects of

education reform

which support

students and develop

a public education

system that has

little tolerance for

students dropping out

of school.

Responding to the Challenge

Task Force Vision of Where We Ought To Be

Education systems in Maryland work for all students becauseschools:

Provide instruction that is rigorous, relevant, andengaging within a learning environment that is nurturing,respectful, and culturally sensitive.

Prevent, intervene, and recover dropouts by pro-activelyanticipating and responding to early warning signals, byproviding a continuum of services and alternatives as a safetynet for students experiencing difficulty, and by reconnecting outof school youth.

Collaborate with families, communities, employers, andpostsecondary programs to provide the integrated supportand essential learning experiences to help students preparefor the future as citizens, workers, and lifelong learners.

With this vision in mind, the Task Force believes that it is ineveryone's interest to make dropout prevention, intervention, andrecovery a priority for action. In addition to increasing the personalconfidence and well-being of the individual, high school completion isimportant to our society. A prepared and able workforce, self-sufficientfamilies, safe and vibrant communities all require that students servedby public schools acquire and apply skills and knowledge in ways thatwill permit them to lead productive, contributing lives. Failure toprovide the opportunities and supports needed by potential dropouts tobe successful in the learning enterprise has disastrous and far reachingconsequences that impact not only our current generation of students,but generations to come. Research indicates a strong relationshipbetween the educational attainment of parents and that of their children.The individual successes achieved now translate to multiple successes forfuture generations.

18

:r THE 'FAS.< FORCE C..OPOUT ilIERVP.NTIO; u RECOVERY

The challenges noted in this TaskForce report are real. Changing demo-

;

graphics point to increasingly more :TYy ' /

9.-students in poverty; more students in-*-

need of support, nurturing, and a senseof belonging by schools, families. andcommunities; more students withcomplex problems that impedelearning; and, therefore, more students -at risk of dropping out of school.Mandates for schools and students toachieve higher standards of perfor-mance will increase the quality ofpublic education for all students, butwithout substantial academic andpersonal support systems, these samerequirements could serve to push at- ,risk students out of school. Failure toboth learn from and expand and repli-cate the strategies, programs. and practices that are known to work forat-risk students critically affects our ability to achieve success with all ofour students.

The Task Force believes that for its vision to be achieved, larvlandwill need to focus with renewed urgency on those aspects of educationreform which support students and develop a public education systemthat has little tolerance for students dropping out of school.

The Task Force recognizes that dropping out of school is a processand not an event. Mastery of essential skills in the early learning yearsand achievement of early critical developmental milestones profoundlyaffect students' success in school in later years. New developments inbrain research underscore the vital importance of the early years of life(birth to three) as a unique "window of opportunity" for the develop-ment of the critical connections for language. motor, and cognitivedevelopment. "By third grade. students who eventually drop out of highschool are significantly different in behavior, grades, retention, andachievement scores from those who eventually graduate." (Chester Finn,1989) Early indicators serve as beacons for early intervention.

...dropping out of

school is a process

and not an event.

..AKING A DIFFERENCE

...it is imperative

that schools and

communities reach '-

out engage, and

support families...

However, early intervention alone will not solve the schooldropout problem. Concerted and continuous efforts need to bemade across the grades to actively engage students in learning;provide the educational options. programs, and structures thatwill help students with differing needs; identify studentsconfronting difficulty at the earliest point for intervention; andput in place a full continuum of services that provide academicand personal support. Beyond programs and activities thatpromote learning, the most important dimension is the humandimension. Throughout the learning continuum, a caring,nurturing environment needs to exist for every student.

Given the complexity and multiple factors associated withdropping out of school, ensuring that all students benefit fromand succeed in school cannot be accomplished by schools alone.The Task Force strongly believes that achieving school

completion for all students will require the active involvement offamilies, schools, employers, government, a wide range of commu-nity agencies and organizations, postsecondary institutions, andstudents themselves. The Task Force believes that concerted actionmust be taken and sustained on many fronts to fully address the needs ofstudents and, in doing so, prevent, intervene, and recover dropouts.

Who Will Make A Difference and How?

II Families provide the earls- stimulation, nurturing, and learningopportunities that enable young children to master the foundationskills and attitudes toward learning that are essential for achieve-ment in school. Throughout the years of schooling, families set theexpectations and provide the advocacy and reinforcement necessaryto help students meet with success. Research provides compellingevidence that when parents and other family members are involvedin education, the school performance of their children increases.Because of the importance of family participation and involvement,it is imperative that schools and communities reach out, engage, andsupport families so that they have the information and understandingto be productively involved with schooling in five key dimensions:

Parenting - Universally. parenting is a most rewarding, but verydifficult job. Competent parenting requires an understandingof child development and practices of nurturing, disciplining,

J. .4.

EPORT OF THE TASK FORCE ON _ .OUT RREVENTIC:. SECOVERY

supervising, and teaching. Schools and communities cansupport parents and families by providing developmentallyappropriate parenting information.

Communicating - Ongoing, two-way communication betweenhome and school is essential. Families should express concerns,provide information and insights, and discuss mattersregarding children's progress. Schools need to create awelcoming environment. communicate routinely with parents,and respect the contributions that family members make to thelearning process.

Reinforcing Learning Families strongly influence the expec-tations and aspirations of children and contribute to children'sunderstanding of the importance of learning. By establishingan environment in which learning is important, families set thestage for school success. By creating a setting that requires thecompletion of homework. discussion of school activities,reading, and reinforcing skills at home, families supportlearning and send a powerful message of its importance.

Volunteering Students benefit from family participation inschool activities. Whether on site through tutoring or at hometelephoning other families to organize events, parental volun-teering signals to students that families value and contribute toschooling. It also allows family members to observe and be apart of the activities in the school.

Decision-Making Parental participation in school planningand decision-making helps to ensure that decisions benefitchildren, increases the school's understanding of the learningneeds of all students, and requires school personnel toacknowledge the importance of family-school partnerships.

a Students need to understand the importance of the high schooldiploma to their own future employment, self-sufficiency, and well-being. Students need to recognize that their own behaviors anddecisions can promote or derail their future opportunities in schooland in life. By assuming responsibility for their own learning andby setting high expectations for themselves and their peers.students contribute greatly to creating an environment in whichschool completion matters. Resisting negative influences, seekingpositive peer group affiliations, participating in positive andproductive activities, helping younger children through tutoring ormentoring are all was in which students can take an active rolein dropout prevention.

21

...achieving school

completion for

all students will

require the active

involvement of

families, schools,

employers,

government a wide

range of community

agencies and

organizations,

postsecondary

institutions,

and students

themselves.

...providing

information and

experiences that

lead students to

understand the

positive effects of

school completion

and the consequences

of dropping out

of school;

It is important that families, schools, and communities create theopportunities and supports to help students have a positive vision oftheir future and engage in the types of activities and relationshipsthat build success. This includes providing information and experi-ences that lead students to understand the positive effects of schoolcompletion and the consequences of dropping out of school;providing multiple opportunities that engage students in positivepeer group affiliations through community service, clubs, andprojects; and through careful supervision of students' activities andnetworks both in and outside of school.

Community agencies, organizations, businesses, and other insti-tutions are essential partners in dropout prevention, intervention,and recovery. Schools and school systems do not have the capabilityand cannot provide the full range of supports needed to bringabout success for all students. The complex and diverse needs andcircumstances of students and their families demand that schools,community agencies, and community institutions work in tandemto ensure streamlined, effective services. From faith/religious insti-tutions to government administered health programs and juvenileservices, the importance of joint initiatives and complementaryprograms and services is clear. Dropout prevention, intervention,and recovery relies on working grassroots partnerships and theinvolvement of Local Management Boards in support of students.Community agencies, organizations, and institutions should:

Examine ways to use schools as hubs for service delivery andestablish school-linked services wherever possible.

Establish strong connections for referral, information sharing,and collaborative problem-solving.

Participate in joint initiatives that provide a holistic approach toservice delivery such as programs that bring together schools,juvenile services, and other agencies to decrease the incidenceof truancy, and school-connected family support centersthat combine services to help teen parents and theiryoung children.

Promote the importance of school completion with children,youth, and parents served by community organizationsthrough publications, personal contact, and other means.Actively participate in dropout retrieval initiatives by usingcommunity organizations to identify, refer. and serve out ofschool youth.

=.EPORT OF THE TASK FORCE C1:4 OROPOU7 7REVENTIGN, t;:rER',ENTiON & RECOVERY 11

Employers are dependent on the education system for the devel-opment of their potential workforce and consumers. During thepast two decades, the nation's labor markets have been character-ized by turbulence and massive structural change. Causes includeimportant shifts in the industrial and occupational composition ofemployment, continuous technological changes in the workplace,corporate restructuring and downsizing for survival in competitiveglobal markets, growing diversity in the workplace, and rising levelsof foreign immigration. Employers expectations are rising forYoung workers. Employers demand higher cognitive skills levelsthan ever before in our history. Employers have a huge stake in theproduct of the education system and are essential to ensuring thatstudents graduate with the skills, knowledge, and experiences foreffective workforce entry. Because of this, employers can contributeto dropout prevention. intervention, and recovery and should:

Create opportunities for students and teachers to experienceworkplace settings to connect school and work. This occursthrough sponsoring shadow days, internships, field trips, guestspeakers, presentations, paid work experience, and other work-place learning opportunities.

Collaborate with schools and school systems to develop specialjoint programs where students fulfill graduation requirementswhile working, such as through apprenticeship-schoollinkage programs.

Use student performance in school as a criteria in hiring deci-sions to reinforce the connection between achievement inschool and successful employment.

Provide input to local school system curriculum developmentefforts to assure relevance.

Implement programs that encourage employees to serve asmentors and tutors for at risk children and youth.

Provide information, resources, and leave policies thatencourage parents to be involved in children's schooling andenable participation in parent-teacher conferences, field trips,and other school activities.

Establish incentive programs through workplaces to encouragestudents to continue in school and meet rigorous expectations.

9 Higher education institutions provide essential services in fourdimensions: (1) teacher and staff preparation; (2) professionaldevelopment; (3) research bridged with practice; and, (4) delivery ofservices to youth. with primary responsibility for teacher prepara-

Employers demand

higher cognitive skills

levels than ever

before in our history.

Employers have a

huge stake in the

product of the

education system-

and are essential to

ensuring that

students graduate

with the skills,

knowledge,

and experiences

for effective

workforce entry.

L, K I N G NCE

With primary

responsibility for

teacher preparation,

colleges and

universities need to

deliver programs that

result in a teaching

force that is able to

work effectively with

all students,

particularly those

who are at risk of

dropping out of

schooL

tion, colleges and universities need to deliver programs that resultin a teaching force that is able to work effectively with all students,particularly those who are at risk of dropping out of school. Thisincludes providing the coursework and multiple, supervised fieldexperiences to ensure that new teachers have high expectations forstudent performance, are equipped with the skills and experiencesto adjust instruction to the learning styles and needs of all students,can identify and address early warning signals of difficulty, areknowledgeable of and able to deliver effective teaching practices,can collaborate with family and community agencies, and have thepersonal characteristics that embody caring, nurturing influencesfor students. As partners in continuous professional development,colleges and universities need to provide practical opportunities forprofessional development that help school and related staffsupgrade skills and knowledge to strengthen capacity. Higher educa-tion institutions also play an important role in educational andrelated research and bridging the knowledge gained to practice.

Community colleges and the college/university system are instru-mental partners in improved delivery of services to youth. Majorstrides can be achieved in dropout prevention and recovery ascolleges and universities further develop partnerships with schoolsand employers to fully assume this role. Higher education institu-tions should:

Strengthen programs in critical areas to better equip teacherswith the skills and knowledge needed to work effectively withstudents from diverse backgrounds given the complex prob-lems and circumstances that many students confront.

Assure that prospective teachers are proficient in strategies forteaching reading and math.

Implement joint programs at the elementary, middle, and highschool levels that encourage students to plan and prepare forfurther education, particularly targeting students with littleexposure to postsecondary settings.

Establish structures that promote co-enrollment opportunitiesand summer learning for young people in the college setting.

Provide incentives to encourage faculty to partner with localschool systems.

Find ways to credential work-based learning for postsecondaryadmissions.

..24

REPORT OF THE TASK FORCE ON DROPOUT F-7. EVENTION, INTERVENTION & RECOVERY 13

Operate innovative. alternative learning programs in thecollege or community setting that deliver specialized instruc-tional programs with pathways to college for young peoplewho find it difficult to succeed in a more traditional highschool environment.

Collaborate with schools and community services to fullyestablish college linked programs that help prepare youth forcapable parenting.

Establish community service programs that encourage andassist college students in serving as mentors and tutors foryounger students.

Conduct research to identify teaching strategies that meet theneeds of at-risk students.

II Schools need to examine how they promote and how they mayhinder student success and make the critical changes and contin-uous improvements necessary to foster the achievement of allstudents. Schools should:

Engage in comprehensive planning and decision-making withcritical stakeholders. including parents and community serviceproviders and employers, to ensure that school services reflectthe joint vision and connections for rich learning opportunitiesand essential student supports, particularly for students in at-risk circumstances.

Use accountability measures to drive continuous improvementby routinely examining disaggregated data and informationfrom a wide range of sources to determine important areas forimprovement and to put in place strategies and practices thatare likely to be effective.

Restructure to provide, wherever possible, smaller learningcommunities, more flexible schedules for students and staff,options and alternatives through which students can learn anddemonstrate proficiency, including community and workplace-based programs and activities.

Improve instruction to ensure that a common core of relevant,rigorous offerings and expectations truly exist for all studentsand that methods of instruction are culturally sensitive, accom-modate different learning styles, focus on mastery, and includeuse of technology.

.Examine school practices to ensure that disciplinary actions

25

Schools should

restructure to

provide...

smaller learning

communities,

more flexible

schedules...options

and alternatives...

including community

and workplace-based

programs and

activities.

A

:ERENCE

School systems should

put in place practices

that personalize

learning for all

students, and

use instructional

practices that focus

on mastery of

essential skills.

provide consequences to modifystudents' behaviors without disengagingstudents from learning.

Develop support systems so that acontinuum of pupil services and supple-mental academic assistance exists withinthe school, including extended day andextended year programs, that arestrongly connected to communityservices for children, youth, and families.

Ensure that instructional methods reflectthe needs of students so that studentsbenefit from alternative educationapproaches and not just an alternativeeducation placement.

Monitor each student's performance to identify difficulties atthe earliest point of intervention, provide case management toensure that students stay on track, and prepare and supportstudents before, during, and after key transition periodsbetween critical grade levels and between and among servicesand alternatives.

Develop leadership and staff competence in working effectivelywith students who are at risk of early school leaving throughcohesive and practical staff development strategies such asmentoring and training that provide for application of skillslearned.

Establish vital school-home-community partnerships to bringtogether essential resources and services in a comprehensive,accessible, and understandable way for students and their families.

Actively intervene to re-engage students who have dropped outof school by providing alternatives and supports that permit a"fresh start".

School systems support the efforts of schools and establish poli-cies, partnerships, and programs that prevent, intervene, andrecover dropouts. School systems need to engage stakeholders, atall levels, in planning and decision-making and develop partner-ships with parents, community agencies, organizations, highereducation, and employers that will help schools deliver relevant,learning rich, and connected services. School systems should alsotarget assistance and support to help schools achieve continuousprogress in serving students who are at risk of dropping out of

26

TEPORT CF THE TASK FORCE DROPOUT =ri.'EriTiO;. ;:1TERVENTION & RECOVERY 15

school, put in place practices that personalize learning for allstudents, and use instructional practices that focus on mastery ofessential skills. Additionally, school systems should:

Examine school system disciplinary policies and procedures sothat they do not disengage students from the learning process,but provide options, wherever possible, to continue learningeven when a student must be separated from a particularschool.

Provide staff assignment policies and procedures that ensurethat students who are most at risk benefit from instructionfrom competent, capable. and caring teaching staff.

Apply research to practice so that schools are aware of and haveaccess to methods of instruction and student support that havedemonstrated effectiveness for students in at risk circumstances.

Ensure that schools benefit from and apply advances in tech-nology to learning.

Encourage programs and sustained activities that prepare andsupport students as they transition between levels of schoolingand among programs and services.

Engage in joint initiatives with community agencies and orga-nizations to provide innovative programs and services tailoredto meet the needs of potential and re-engaged dropouts as anatural part of the learning enterprise.

Actively participate in community-based partnerships torecover dropouts and re-connect youth to schooling.

M State government should provide policy, leadership, assistance,and resources to encourage and support interagency collaborationand comprehensive strategies that prevent and recover dropouts.Specifically, State government should:

Provide funding to implement Task Force recommendations.

Seek federal financial and technical support.

Encourage business participation and foundation support ofthese initiatives.

Encourage widespread support at every level of government toensure that resources and attention are focused on preventing,intervening, and recovering dropouts.

Coordinate State level initiatives that impact dropout preven-tion, intervention, and recovery.

Identify, disseminate, and support adoption of best practices.

27

Apply research to

practice so that

schools are aware

of and have access

to methods of ,F

instruction an

student supportlhat

have demonstrated

effectiveness for

students in at risk

circumstances.

E C

Implementation

of these

recommendations will

enable Maryland to

realize the full intent

of its reform initiative

and strengthen its

capacity to help all

students succeed.

III. Task orce RecommendationsRecognizing that ensuring high school completion for all students

requires that action be taken by schools and communities, the Task Forcerecommends that the Maryland State Department of Education takespecific steps to lead the State and assist local efforts to prevent and recoverdropouts. These recommendations are based on the eight themes identifiedby the Task Force earlier in this report. (see p. 5)

1. Demonstrate Commitment to Dropout Prevention Through BothStatements and Action.

3 Make School Completion for All Students a Top Priority

Alert school and community leaders to the urgency of the dropoutchallenge and ways that the challenge can be successfully met.Mobilize to engage students, families, employers, schools, andcommunity organizations in understanding the problem andtaking action.

Promote education reform strategies that have both high expecta-tions and the essential support services to enable all students toachieve rigorous standards.

The relationship among student success, capable families, productiveworkplaces, and vibrant communities needs to be clearly understoodand advanced by all. Achieving an education system with little toler-ance for students dropping out of school will require the involvementof each school community, supported by its larger community, to seethat critical changes in school organization and instruction are madeand integrated support services are available for all students in need.

Focus and Increase Funding to SupportComprehensive Services

Fully implement a consolidated, comprehensive planning approach.

Provide funding incentives to encourage interagency and commu-nity collaborative efforts, such as family support centers connectedto high schools.

Seek new funding to increase capacity, build on current successfulprograms and strategies, and address gaps in services identifiedthrough comprehensive needs assessment processes.

Expand and replicate effective student service delivery and staffdevelopment initiatives so that they operate in all communitiesevidencing need.

26)

The Task Force found thatresources to address thedropout problem wereinsufficient in the earlylearning years and before,during, and after the keytransition periods at themiddle and high schoollevels. Clearly, the TaskForce believes that creativeuse of existing funds andincreased partnering withthe community is an essen-tial part of responding to the dropout prevention issue; but these stepsalone are not sufficient to adequately address the problem. An increasein State aid for dropout prevention, intervention, and recovery toexpand resources for all students at-risk across all grades levels

is imperative.

SEPORT "."): THE _- OUT ..EVENTIC:1. ;H:FIVENTION et RECOVERY

2. Develop at Both the State and Local Levels and in Each SchoolSystem a Systemic Capacity to Solve The Dropout Challenge.

M Create and Implement a Comprehensive Dropout PreventionTemplate for Needs Assessment and Planning

The Task Force believes that A larvland's educational systems andcommunity partners need a framework for dropout prevention; a flex-ible and comprehensive needs assessment template that can be used toguide local planning and action. To this end, the Task Force identifiedthe positive and effective characteristics of schools and school systemsthat prevent and recover dropouts. The Task Force recommends thatthe Maryland State Department of Education further develop thistemplate/framework as part of a needs assessment process that includesstrategies for disaggregrating and examining local data and linkingneeds to promising practices in student learning and support. Thedevelopment effort should involve school systems and communitypartners. The resulting- framework will provide a resource for schoolsand communities to use to identify needs and gaps in services and helpdevelop comprehensive plans that address the unique needs evidencedwithin the school and community:

29

17

18 '.1AKING A DIFFERENCE

Strengthen Leadership and Staff Capacity

Continued collaboration with the Maryland Higher EducationCommission and the K-16 Partnership is essential, with an emphasison requiring preservice courses, field experiences, and professionaldevelopment in areas related to dropout prevention, intervention, andrecovery. This includes identifying research-based best practices inteacher training programs that ensure graduates with effective skillsand appropriate sensitivities, and the design of staff developmentoptions that integrate instruction, student support, and schoolimprovement. The Task Force further recommends that leadershipacademies, professional development schools, mentoring, and otherexperiential, practical staff development strategies be used tostrengthen professional and leadership development.

Encourage Adoption of Promising Practices

Promising practices exist throughout the State and nation. We need touse all available means to ensure that these promising programs andpractices are accessible to all Maryland schools. with the technicalexpertise available to assist schools in adopting practices that havedemonstrated effective outcomes. Therefore, the Task Force recom-mends that the State disseminate information, showcase workingprograms and strategies, and strongly encourage and assist local schoolsystems and schools to adopt effective programs and practices that will:

Assure mastery of literacy and math skills in elementary schools.

Reorganize schools within existing facilities to create learning envi-ronments that meet the diverse needs of students.

Provide alternative approaches and options for students.

Create and expand transition support strategies and practices thatassist students through key periods of transition (from preschool toelementary to middle to high to postsecondary, and between andamong alternatives/options).

Establish a continuum of academic and personal support throughschool, interagency, and community partnerships.

Develop Models and Guidelines for Dropout Recovery

Dropout recovery is currently a second-chance system. Clear proce-dures and model programs need to be established to demonstrate howState aid may support community alternatives, including those thatcombine work and learning, that are approved by local school systems.This includes both developing pilot sites to demonstrate working

REPORT OF THE TASK FORCE ON DROPOUT PREVENTIEr, INTERVENTION & RECOVERY 19

models that meet rigorous standards and creating a system of docu-menting dropout retrieval outcomes.

3. Enhance Accountability to Increase Return on Present andFuture investments.

Improve State and Local Capacity to Determine theEffectiveness of Programs and Services Over Time

This includes building data system capacity, at both the State and locallevels, to track the long-term outcomes of initiatives supported bypublic funds. Current systems need to be reviewed to establish clearand universal definitions. Data collection procedures that provide anaccurate picture of dropout rates and re-enrollment results are needed.

Establish Rigorous Criteria for all Funding Sources ThatSupport Dropout Prevention, Intervention, and Recovery toEnsure That Funds Demonstrate Results

As a part of achieving this accountability, the Department's Requestsfor Proposals and Requests for Applications should specify criteria toensure that:

Proposed programs/services are based on needs assessment andresearch findings.

Proposed staff development meets quality standards.

Evaluation meets minimum requirements to ensure that all fundsare attached to a process that can discern effectiveness.

Interagency collaboration is evident.

Continued funding is contingent on demonstration of results.

By providing criteria in these critical areas for proposal and applicationdevelopment and approval, the Department would further assure thatpublic funds supporting dropout prevention, intervention, andrecovery will yield the outcomes intended in their appropriation.

I Revise the School Performance Reporting System to IncludeRecovery Results

The importance of recovery efforts re-engaging dropouts is a

new area of effort recommended in this report. This will require jointefforts between schools and communities. Current school performancesystems will need to be revised to move from an event basedaccounting of dropouts, which is subject to counting the same dropoutmore than one time, to a method that is sensitive to and accounts forsuccessful recovery efforts. 3

=K!!:.; /C:

IV. Next Steps

The Task Force on Dropout Prevention, Intervention, andRecoverys recommendations embrace Alan- land's strategy for educationreform. Implementation of these recommendations will enableMaryland to realize the full intent of its reform initiative and strengthenits capacin- to help all students succeed. The Task Force stronglysuggests that a State implementation team be established as soon aspossible to establish priorities and to plan the implementation of the

The implementationrecommendations. The implementation team should be charged to

team should move these recommendations forward by developing an action plan that

be charged to defines strategies, timelines, resources, and expected results. The planshould be in place by December 1998.

move these

recommendations Issues for Further Examination

forward by A draft version of the Task Force report was presented to several

developing an action hundred individuals for review and comment. While most of thecomments and suggestions resulting from the review process are

plan that definesreflected in the final report, five were deferred to the implementation

strategies, timelines, phase for further examination. These issues require extensive discussion

resources, and and technical expertise beyond the initial scope of the Task Force. TheTask Force believes that these issues are worthy of in-depth discussion

expected results. and require the perspective of a broad range of individuals, technicalThe plan should experts, and stakeholder organizations for resolution.

be in place byThe five issues are:

1. Mandatory School Attendance. Should the age for manda-December 1998. tory school attendance be increased from age 16 to age 17 or

18? The Task Force noted that the current requirements mayprovide a signal to youth that school participation is optionalonce age 16 is reached. Yet, extending the required age wouldbe of little use without having a full range of appropriatelearning alternatives, options, and support systems in place.Implications of increasing the mandatory age are many andinclude such things as costs for truancy abatement, potentialimpact on early satisfaction of graduation requirements, andpotential effect on community programs, including those ofcolleges and universities.

2. General Equivalency Diploma (GED). How should theGED fit within a comprehensive system of dropout preven-tion, intervention, and recovery? Currently, the GED providesa vehicle for many individuals to achieve a high school diploma

32_

REPORT OF THE TASK FORCE ON DRCPIDUT PREVENTION. INTERVENTION de RECOVERY 21

after dropping out of school. The Task Force noted theimportant function that the GED assumes in creden-tialing youth for entry into community colleges. Areview of research and significant discussion are essen-tial to clarifying the part that the GED and statefunding for GED programs should play within acomprehensive system of dropout prevention, inter-vention, and recovery.

3. Funding Allocation. How can distribution of funds beassured across the grades when Free and Reduced PriceMeals (FARM) data are considered in the fundingformula for programs targeted toward children who areconsidered to be at-risk? The Task Force recognizedthat older, FARM "eligible" students were less likely toparticipate in the Free and Reduced Price Mealsprogram due to several factors, including perceivedstigma. When funding decisions are made solely onFARM data, it is believed that high schools do notproportionately benefit from these funds. Furtherinformation is needed to determine the nature andextent of this issue. Funding models that mitigate thisproblem may need to be identified and examined forpotential use.

4. Interagency Commitment and Participation. How canactive interagency and community commitment, participation,and accountability for dropout prevention, intervention, andrecovery be assured? The Task Force recognizes that many ofits suggestions and recommendations rely on the full participa-tion of many individuals, agencies, and organizations at boththe State and local levels. The implementation team shouldconsider strategies and plan specific actions that will result inthe full participation of the people and entities necessary toachieve implementation of the Task Force recommendations.

5. Confidentiality. How can agencies best share critical informa-tion to enable students and their families to receive seamlessand holistic services? Throughout this report, the urgent needfor interagency communication and collaboration on behalf ofYoung people is stressed. Youngsters in need of intensivesupport are usually known to multiple agencies. The need foragencies' staffs to work together effectively is imperative. Rulesand regulations prohibiting the sharing of important informa-tion, while protecting confidentiality, may also make theprovision of integrated services difficult. The implementationteam should examine this issue and where appropriate proposestrategies that will improve information sharing arriGAg agencies.

22 %IAKING DIFFERENCE

V. End Notes1. Generation of Challenze: Pathways to Success for Urban Youth. Policy Issues Seminar, 97-03. Baltimore,

MD: Johns Hopkins University Institute for Policy Studies. Sar Levitan Center for Social PolicyStudies. June 1997.

2. ASUCL-1 Communications Board. 1996.

3. Generation of Challenze: Pathways to Success for Urban Youth. Policy Issues Seminar, 97-03. Baltimore,

NID: Johns Hopkins University Institute for Policy Studies. Sar Levitan Center for Social PolicyStudies. June 1997.

4. Maryland State Department of Education (1997). The Fact Book: 1996-1997. A Statistical Handbook.

.1Iaryland Public High School Dropout and Retentions. Grades 9-12: 1995-1996. Baltimore. MD: Division of

Planning. Results. and Information .\ lanartement.

5. Maryland Department of Human Resources.

6. Intake Reports. \Iarviand State Department of Education

7. Generation of Challenge: Pathways to Success for Urban Youth. Policy Issues Seminar, 97-03. Baltimore,

.N ID: Johns Hopkins University Institute for Policy Studies. Sar Levitan Center for Social PolicyStudies. June 1997.

8. Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development: Survey of 1,000 Businesses,October 1997.

9. Maryland State Department of Education (1997). .1 laryland School Petfirmance Report: 1997. State and

School Systems. Baltimore. MD: Division of Planning, Results, and Information Management.

10. Sklarz. David P. (Summer 1994, Vol. 1. Number 1). Research Into Practice: Reexamining, Redefining, and

Redesigning Schools. The Journal of At-Risk Issues. Clemson. SC: National Dropout Prevention Center andNetwork

VI. Attachments

Attachment A: Fiscal Year 1998 Programs Serving At Risk Students

Attachment B: Dropout Information: United States and Maryland

Attachment C: Program Approaches

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REPORT OF THE TASK FORCE ON DROPOUT PREVENTION. INTERVENTION & RECOVERY 25

ATTACH ',V1ENT B

Drop Out Rates in the U.S. and Maryland

American society is becoming increasingly demanding of its citizens. Our age hasbeen called post-modern, post-industrial, post-atomic, the communications age, andthe computer age. By any name, it is a high tech world that requires more skill andknowledge from its citizens. In order merely to survive, it has become essential toacquire the fundamental abilities and credentials that open the doors to employmentand advanced education. As these facts gain wider recognition and as a result of strongefforts made by public schools, it is not surprising that a higher percentage of studentshave been completing high school. The high school credential is an imperative firststep on the ladder to self-sufficiency; the fate of high school dropouts in today's societyis one of extremely limited opportunity when compared with opportunities in the lesscomplex world of yesterday.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, the long term national trend fordropouts has been decliningover the past two decades(6.7% in 1979 to 4.5% in1993). This trend isconfirmed by recent dropoutrates in A Iaryland.

dropout rate has declined in aperiod during which gradua-tion requirements wereincreased. Maryland rateswere 6.5% in 1990, 4.95% in1994 and 1995, and 4.58%in 1996.

Maryland is close to thenational average inpercentage of dropouts. Inthe 1995-1996 school year,11,357 students (4.58%) ingrades 9-12 withdrew fromschool before graduation orcompletion of a state-approved program. However,

CHART AComparison of Maryland and National Dropout Rates

1990 1996 MARYLAND

CI NATIONAL

'8%1996 II4.

1995 II Ij 4.95%

'4.95%1994 111

-

1993

1992

1991

1990

111.77- -,------77177! 5.30 oI

11

I 5.4 %! '*I" '',..7.77... 7:=1 ::- .'" :".:2::: 4.50%

1 I

1

I 5.20°1%.-.1:-.7.4-1:,:=. .'. :--.",-::: . -^7.-.;

4 30%II I

E."..-- --, --:-.....77!...-..., _ .,-,;,-- 71 I .00%I

11

6.50%.

r ,'M7:.. '4.13::ff-.4.:.:::".1'-'-'2..1 4.00% i

0.00% 1.00% 2.00% 3.00% 4.00% 5.00% 6.00% 7.00%

1. National statistics are based on Grades 10 to 12 as of October 1995 and nodata is available for '95 and '96. Source: The Condition of Education, 1996.

2. Maryland statistics are based on Grades 9 to 12 as of July. Source: MSDE,Maryland School Performance Reports.

In 1994 new survey collection techniques and population weighting were used.

I Calculated as r. tar rarer. The pereen: of loth-12th graders who were dropouts a year later. The Department of Education calculated these ratesas oi October. In Maryland event ants are calculated as of July 1 and arc based on grades 9 to 12. I: is important to note that the dropout rate is afrequency count of dropping out and not a count of individual students.

26 MAKING DIFFERENCE

ATTACHMENT B

CHART BMaryland School Systems

Meeting Satisfactory State Standard Dropout Rate (3'.3)

10

9

8

7 ."

100

5 -4

3

2 --'

1

0-A51990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996

6

:t. /MS

Source: Maryland State Department of Education N= 24

this exceeds the MSPP satisfactorystandard rate of 3%. Therefore,Maryland is considered, by its ownstandards, to be performing at a lessthan satisfactory level with respectto dropout rates. Trend data on theperformance of Maryland schoolsystems and schools further supportthis conclusion. Chart B shows thenumber of school systems in Marylandthat were able to achieve a satisfactoryrating on the student retention stan-dard from 1990 to 1996. Over theseven-year period, only about a thirdof the 24 school systems in Marylandhave been able to achieve thesatisfactory standard.

Chart C shows thepercentage of secondaryschools that achieved either asatisfactory or excellent rating onthe student dropout rate stan-dard from 1992 to 1995. Lessthan half of all schools have beenable to reach this performancebenchmark.

CHART CPercentage of Maryland Secondary Schools

Meetina State Dropout Rate Standards

i % EXCELLENT

% SATISFACTORY

11

1.4%

19951 0 45.2%

I 1.1%1994 1 48.4%

2.1%1993 111 045.8%

1.7%1992 045.4%

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0%

Source: Maryland State Department of Education

The picture looks even lesspromising when examining"holding power," the degree towhich students who enter ninthgrade graduate four years later'.Statewide, this statistic hashovered around 75% for the pastfew years.

This statistic does not take into account student mobility, nor does it include students who took longer than tour Wars to eraduate.

REPORT OF THE TASK FORCE ON DROPOUT PREVENTION, INTERVENTION & RECOVERY 27

ATTACHMENT C

The Task Force reviewed research findings from a variety of sources and particu-larly noted the approaches summarized below:

Extended Elementary Education Program (EEEP), a state-funded programfor four- year-olds who live in a Title 1 school area and are determined to bepotentially at risk of not succeeding in school. The program provides daily two-and-a-half hour sessions designed to meet the cognitive, social, emotional andphysical needs of young children. Groups of 20 youngsters are supervised by twoteachers who assess their growth and development over time. Parents have dailyopportunities to participate in the school-based program as well as enrich theirchildrens' learning outside of school. EEEP is serving over 8.000 youngsters in 23Maryland school systems.

Longitudinal studies have demonstrated reductions in special education assign-ments, and significant improvements in test scores at the 3rd, 5th and 8th gradelevels over children who did not have the pre-K experience, demonstrating thatthe positive effects of EEEP persist through the middle learning years.

Success for All, a program model designed to ensure that students begin withsuccess in the early grades and maintain success through the elementary years.Quality pre-school, full-day kindergarten; an intensive reading program 90

minutes a day involving homogenous reading groups that are reassessed andregrouped every eight weeks; one-to-one tutoring for students with difficulties;cooperative learning approaches to intermediate reading, language arts, writingand math; and family support services to increase family involvement -- these arethe hallmarks of the Success for All program. The model has been carefullyresearched and has been shown to produce significantly higher reading achieve-ment, reduce special education assignments and increase attendance. It has beenimplemented in over 140 elementary schools in 56 districts in 20 states, manyusing redirected Title I as the funding source.

The Comer School Development Model, is designed to address the needs ofthe whole child by emphasizing school-based mental health services and parentand teacher involvement in restructuring the school's program. This model is lessspecific content-focused and more concerned with principles, such as consensusdecision making, collaboration, school planning management teams, mentalhealth teams and staff development. School and district level evaluations havefound that the Corner model increases student achievement over that in similarschools, with significantly higher averages in math, reading and language scoreson the California Achievement Test. Some Corner schools have achieved signifi-

41

Z3 .ERENCE

:471-ACH ,./1E1\11"

cant declines in suspension and absences. The Corner model has been operatingin over 150 schools and redirected Title I funds can be a funding source.

The models described above have, for the most part, been implemented at theelementary level. The Task Force recognized its charge as system-wide and thus alsostudied findings from initiatives that focus on adolescent and high school youth:

Dropout Demonstrations, were eighty-nine demonstration projects funded bythe U.S. Department of Education in the late 80's. Sixteen were evaluated by theAmerican Institutes of Research in Palo Alto. California. Findings from the three-yearstudy published in 1996 were mixed, with the most positive results found at the highschool level. The contributing factors were identified as:

Adding services (classroom based) instead of pulling students out;

Access to career counseling, work experience and paid work;Flexible class schedules;

Access to a range of coordinated services from multiple agencies; and

Counseling services and adult advocacy: a "network of supportive adults."

The lead researcher, Dr. Robert J. Rossi, concluded that the theme of "care,concern and advocacy" was found in all of the demonstration projects that achievedpositive student results, and should be key elements of any dropout prevention initiative.

Maryland's Tomorrow (MT), in its tenth year of operation, is mostly a state-supported initiative that funds local areas to bring together the resources of schools,the workforce development system, parents, and the business community in a compre-hensive effort to assist youth who are at risk of school failure. Students are identified inthe 8th grade who are below grade level in reading or math or who are over age forgrade because of school failure. Intervention starts the summer before entering highschool and continues for a year after graduation. Building on lessons learned from thedropout demonstrations cited above, MT is characterized by sustained relationshipsbetween students and caring adults, a comprehensive mix of practical services (basicskills instruction, career skills development, personal skills development), high expecta-tions and standards, intensive services in the 9th grade and continuity of supportivestudent/advocate involvement on a year-round basis. A variety of summer learningexperiences are available to participants, as well as summer jobs provided as part of thecollaborative arrangement with the local workforce development system. Currentlyoperating in every school district in Maryland, the program serves about 6,000 highschool students in 75 schools, reaching only a portion of the students identified as atrisk of dropping out. Research findings in a comparison group evaluation showed thatthe program produced a 27% decline in the number of dropouts in the first three full

REPORT .:"F THE TASK FORCE Cr: DROPOUT PREVENTION, INTERVENTION & RECOVERY 29

TTACHMENT C

cohorts and outperformed comparison group students on the Alan-land FunctionalTests in 100% of the evaluated schools by the third cohort.

Career Connections is Maryland's name for its School-to-Career state-widesystem reform. With seed funds from the federal government, Career Connections isabout curriculum change; helping students begin to understand the relevance of whatthey are learning; instructional change so that students become active learners; andwork-based learning so that students get real world experience to help shape theircareer choices. The strategies are built on research funded by the Office of Vocationaland Adult Education in the U.S. Department of Education and conducted by theResearch Triangle Institute in North Carolina and the American Institutes forResearch in Palo Alto. Their studies found that three factors were most critical to thesuccess of dropout prevention programs:

The integration of vocational and academic curricula;

Counseling with attention to personal issues, career counseling, employabilitydevelopment, and life skills instruction: and

Personal, supportive attention from adults.

Career Connections when fully implemented will be a K-16 system that integrateseducation reform, economic development, and workforce development. Recentnational studies of school-to-work/careers found that students not only gainedconcrete skills but were less likely to drop out and more motivated to moveon to college.

To summarize, it seems clear that the evaluations and research incorporate broadand fundamental principles that must undergird a successful dropout preventionstrategy. The core principles being:

The continuity of support from caring adults;

Creative forms of instruction to ensure learning;

A combination of guidance and high expectations;

Rich connections to the workplace; and

Effective linkages to the community.

43

30 ,.'AKING A DIFFERENCE

ATTACHMENT C

"Scaling Up" Innovative Practices

While there is a body of knowledge that describes and supports numeroussuccessful practices, principles, projects and programs, concern has been expressedabout the capacity of school systems and the practitioners who work in them to incor-porate and extend new ideas about teaching and learning at a scale that will reach andbenefit the hundreds of thousands of students in need. Dr. Sam Stringfield of theCenter for Research on the Education of Students Placed at Risk at Johns HopkinsUniversity has developed some hypotheses regarding successfully going to scale:

At the program/design level: Clearly stated goals as well an understanding of thecurricular, instructional, and organizational mechanisms that the reform proposes areessential. Technical assistance must be available in order to uphold at least minimumimplementation standards as well as full knowledge of the resources needed to achievestrong implementation.

At the school level: School staff must understand and share in the school's goalsand agree to work with a strong facilitator and/or leadership team. An honest self-assessment process is needed to identify the reform design and strategies that build ona school's strengths and address its weaknesses. The entire school must understand andbe prepared for several years of work to achieve the institutional change.

Maryianc State Department of Education

200 West Baltimore Street Baltimore, Maryland 21201

Rose LaPlaca

PresidentState Board of Education

Edward Andrews

Vice President

State Board of Education

Members of the Board

Rayinomi V. Barden Adrienne L. Ottaviani

Philip S. Benzil Walter Sondheim, Jr.

George W. Fisher. Sr. John Wisthoff

Morris Jones Edmonia T. Yates

Judith A. .`,1c1-1ale Richard E. Sharpe. Jr. (Student Member)

Nancy S. Grasmick

Seagram-Treasum- of the BoardState Superintendent of Schools

JoAnne L. Carter

Assistant State SuperintendentDirill0fl of Compensatory Education

and Support St7liTS

Irene Penn Heckler

ChiefFamily birch:anent and Dropout Interrention Braneh

aision of Compensatory Education and Support Serzices

Parris N. GlendeningGovernor

The Maryland State Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, age.national origin, religion. or disability in matters affecting employment or in providing access to programs.

For inquiries related to departmental policy, contact the:Equity Assurance and Compliance Office, Maryland State Department of Education

200 1V:it Baltimore Street. Baltimore. Maryland 21201-140--A--c425 VOICE 410-333-6-142 TTYITDD 410-333-2226 FAX

--"'"--.7r4;

'..1,-.4.4;,.. >

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U.S. Department of EducationOffice of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI)

National Library of Education (NLE)

Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC)

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