Schools
How Should Greenfield Schools Prevent Dropouts?
The Greenfield School Board discussed its Dropout Prevention Plan earlier this week. Do you think this is a problem in Greenfield?
Greenfield School District officials discussed and approved a Dropout Prevention Plan earlier this week. What do you think the district should to do prevent dropouts?
In a brief presentation Monday evening, Director of Pupil Services Monica Warnke laid out the district's plan, which relies heavily on "proactive" measures and state initiatives like Response to Intervention.
Greenfield's dropout rate has decreased slightly in the last five years, from 1.89 percent in 2007-2008 to 0.76 percent in 2011-2012, which is the most recent data available.
But Warnke said more can still be done to boost the graduation rate.
"How can we serve our kids when they're not being successful with the core curriculum?" Warnke said, modeling the central questions to dropout prevention. "What are things that we as a district and a building and a classroom can we do to proactively help them in a variety of areas?"
Who are potential dropouts?
According to new Superintendent Lisa Elliott, the district's plan identifies "at-risk" students in grades 5-12, or students for whom two or more of the following apply:
- Students one or more years behind their age group, by credit
- Students two or more years behind their age group, by basic skill levels
- Students identified as habitual truants
- Students who are also teenage parents
- 8th grade students scoring below average on the state WKCE test
- 8th grade students who failed to move up to 9th grade
What should be done to reduce the dropout rate? Tell us in the comments.
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