MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

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MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

• WHY DROPOUT PREVENTION?

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Reasons for Leaving School

• Classes were not interesting 47
• Missed too many days and 43
• could not catch up
• Spent time with people who 42
• were not interested in school
• Had too much freedom and not 38
• enough rules in my life
• Was failing in school 35

(The Silent Epidemic Perspective of High School
Dropouts, 2006)
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Characteristics of Dropouts

• Absent more than 10 days
• Participated in no school activities
• Received more counseling
• Disliked school
• Failed 3-5 classes
• Retained one year
• Received 5-9 discipline referrals
• Were identified in middle school

(Huffman, K.L., WVU Dissertation, 1999)
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Students Reasons for Staying in School

• Supportive family
• Involvement with committed adult
• Persevering attitude
• Respectful relationship with teachers
• Satisfaction with learning experiences
• Relevant curriculum
• Fair discipline policies

(Christenson et al., 2000)
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MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

• WHY DROPOUT PREVENTION?
• THE MISSISSIPPI PERSPECTIVE

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Figure 1Enrollment by Grade
Source Mississippi Department of Education,
Office of Research and Statistics
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Percent Proficient or Above MCT by Grade
4 percentage point decrease between grades 2 5
9 percentage point decrease between grades 2 5
29 percentage point decrease between grades 5 8
9 percentage point decrease between grades 2 5
23 percentage point decrease between grades 5 8
23 percentage point decrease between grades 5 8
Source Mississippi Department of Education,
Office of Research and Statistics
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Demographic Differences - Ethnicity
Percentage of students scoring proficient or
above
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Demographic Differences Socioeconomic Status
Percentage of students scoring proficient or
above ED Economically Disadvantaged Non-ED
Not Economically Disadvantaged
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Percent Proficient or AboveHigh School Subject
Area TestsRace / Ethnicity
Source Mississippi Department of Education,
Office of Research and Statistics
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Percent Proficient or AboveHigh School Subject
Area TestsSocioeconomic Status
Source Mississippi Department of Education,
Office of Research and Statistics
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Dropout / Graduation Data by Gender
Source Mississippi Department of Education,
Office of Research and Statistics
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Dropout / Graduation Databy Gender Race
Source Mississippi Department of Education,
Office of Research and Statistics
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Categories of Factors ContributingTo Students
Dropping Out

• Individual factors
• Family factors
• School factors
• Community factors

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School Factors

• Lack of program for challenged students
• No significant, interested adult
• Lack of alternatives for learning
• Lack of active learning instruction
• No individual learning plans
• Behavior and discipline issues
• Retention policies

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State Plan Timeline Critical Components

• Local Dropout Prevention Teams
• Local Action Plans
• Seven Critical Components
• Public Relations Dropout Prevention Awareness
  Campaign
• Assessment of Current Initiatives
• School Attendance Officer (SAO) Staff Refocusing
  Study
• Dropout Recovery Program
• Transition Plans for Dropout Prevention
• Federal Programs/Funding Opportunities
• Research Partnerships

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1 Factor for Identifying At-Risk Students

• Truancy

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School Attendance
Compulsory School Attendance Law 37-13-91
Compulsory-school-age child" means a child who
has attained or will attain the age of six (6)
years on or before September 1 of the calendar
year and who has not attained the age of
seventeen (17) years on or before September 1 of
the calendar year and shall include any child
who has attained or will attain the age of five
(5) years on or before September 1 and has
enrolled in a full-day public school kindergarten
program.  Provided, however, that the parent or
guardian of any child enrolled in a full-day
public school kindergarten program shall be
allowed to disenroll the child from the program
on a one-time basis, and such child shall not be
deemed a compulsory-school-age child until the
child attains the age of six (6) years.
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Whos Accountable??
School District Superintendent
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How does attendance correlate to Dropout
Prevention

• Truancy is linked to delinquency, drug
  involvement and dropping out of school.
• Student nonattendance is a problem that extends
  much further than the school.  It affects the
  student, the family, and the community.
• Absenteeism is detrimental to students'
  achievement, promotion, graduation, self-esteem,
  and employment potential. Clearly, students who
  miss school fall behind their peers in the
  classroom. This, in turn, leads to low
  self-esteem and increases the likelihood that
  at-risk students will drop out of school.

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Attendance Flowchart
Student misses 5 unexcused days
Superintendent or his/her designee reports to SAO
SAO notifies the parents via letter and/or phone
call/home visit
Student misses 12 unexcused days
SAO will file a petition in a court of competent
jurisdiction
SAO will contact the parent/legal guardian
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Judicial Proceedings

• Child in need of supervision
• Delinquent
• Educational Neglect

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Parental Responsibility
According to the law, any parent/custodian found
to be out of compliance with the law is subject
to a 1,000 fine, up to one year in jail, or both.
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Measures to Consider
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Attendance Matters
Good school attendance is very important. School
Attendance correlates very closely with academic
performance in school therefore, enforcing
compulsory school attendance is everyones job.
If allowed to continue violating the school
attendance law, children will sooner or later
become a dropout statistic. Every child deserves
an education, and we must see that they attend
school in order to have access to the general
curriculum.
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EDUCATION AND THE PROCESS OF EDUCATING IS A
TOTAL INTEGRAL, CONTEXTUAL SITUATION WHICH
INCLUDES STUDENTS, TEACHERS, PARENTS,
ADMINISTRATION, AND ENVIRONMENT. --Jean Huston
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Office of Dropout Prevention/Compulsory School
Attendance Staff

• Sheril R. Smith, Ph.D., Director
• Office of Dropout Prevention
• 601-359-5743
• srsmith_at_mde.k12.ms.us
• Ms. Toni Kersh, Bureau Director
• Office of Compulsory School Attendance
• Enforcement
• 601-359-3178
• tkersh_at_mde.k12.ms.us
• Ms. Martha Garrett, Division Director
• School Counseling
• 601-359-3934
• mgarrett_at_mde.k12.ms.us
• Ms. Gail Simmons
• Regional Service Officer, School Counseling
• 601-359-1712

• Caldon Williams
• Division Director, Alternative Education
• 601-359-3183
• cwilliams_at_mde.k12.ms.us
• Ms. Debbie Sahler
• Education Specialist, Alternative Education
• 601-359-5743
• dsahler_at_mde.k12.ms.us
• Dot Baskin
• Project Officer
• 601-359-3178
• dbaskin_at_mde.k12.ms.us
• Ms. Paulette Brinson
• Project Officer
• 601-359-3176
• pbrinson_at_mde.k12.ms.us