Dropout Early Warning
System (DEWS)
Pilot Program
Spring 2008
Purpose of Program
To identify students who exhibit
characteristics of dropping out and
actively work with these students to
prevent them from dropping out and
increase their chance of completing
high school
Dropout Early Warning
System (DEWS)
• Reporting system that identifies
potential dropouts and brings these
students to the attention of school,
district and state personnel.
Indicators/Triggers Used by
DEWS to Identify At-risk
Students
• Student attendance
– Absent 10% of days enrolled
• Student course achievement
– Current Year GPA ≤ 1.00
– Drop in GPA ≥ 0.50
• Student behavior
– Discipline count is 7% of days enrolled
• Student age
DEWS
Reporting Capabilities
• Allows different levels of reporting.
– Detailed student level
– District summary chart
– State summary chart
• Allows editing of triggers
• Linked to a notification System
Detailed Student Level
• Alphabetical listing of at-risk students
by district
• Identifies data that placed students on
the list
• Complete listing emailed on the 1st and
15th of each month
• New student listing emailed on other
days
Student Level
District Summary
School Level
• Number and Percent of students by
category
• School listing within a District
• Two Reports
– Grades 8-12 – green header
– Grade 9 only – red header
District Summary
School Level
Reporting Method
• Read-only Detailed reports emailed to
users
(Superintendents, Principals,
Assistant Principals, Counselors)
• Electronic summary reports generated
by users
– Available any time
– Sort capability
– Drill down to student level
Report Access
• Detailed student level
– School
– District
• Summary school level
– School
– District
– State
• Summary district level
– District
– State (LDE)
DEWS PILOT PROGRAM
Requirements for Schools
• Generate and Examine DEWS Reports
– Develop process to “check” EWS data
• Is student really at-risk??
• Is student newly at-risk??
– Determine distribution strategy (Consider FERPA)
• Develop an Intervention Program
- Must include 9th grade; may include other grades
- Should focus on newly at-risk students
Dropout Intervention Program
Interventions should be:
•
•
•
•
Immediate
Appropriate
Sufficient
Take advantage of electronic capabilities
to notify parents, truancy officers, etc.
• Be integrated w/ Positive Behavior
Support Program
Dropout Intervention Program
Regional Workshops
• Regional Workshops for School
Leadership Teams
• Purpose is to support development of
intervention plan (sharing best practices)
• Organized by RESCs
• February-March
• Exact dates/locations TBA
• Participation optional
DEWS Pilot Program
Deadlines
• $3700/$370 Allocations
– Budgets and assurances due immediately
– January 15 expiration date
– February 8 reimbursement request deadline
• $3,000/$300 Allocations
– Budgets and assurances due immediately
– May 15 expiration date
– May 31 reimbursement request deadline
DEWS Pilot Program
Deadlines, cont.
• Final Reports
– Due to LDE by May 31
– Report forms to be provided by LDE
• District level report
• School level report
RESOURCES
• Approaches to Dropout Prevention: Heeding
Early Warning Signs With Appropriate Interventions,
National High School Center
• What Matters for Staying on Track, Consortium for
Research on Chicago Public Schools, University of
Chicago
• Making Good on a Promise: What Policymakers Can Do
to Support the Educational Persistence of Dropouts,
Jobs for the Future
Questions???
Contact:
Bobby Franklin
[email protected]