Dropout Initiative

In 2003, the Workforce Board, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Employment Security Department received $1.34 million in Workforce Investment Act funds to develop a Dropout Prevention and Retrieval Initiative which would address the state’s dropout problem. Using their portion of the grant as ‘seed capital’, each of the state’s 12 workforce development councils (WDCs) worked closely with school and community organizations to leverage additional funding from the Basic Education Act. By combining the two funding sources, they have been able to coordinate a range of direct services to keep, retrieve, and retain youth in school. Each program is ‘local community specific’.

Project Summaries - February 2005

North Central – “Learning Center Plus” Project

Served 20 youth (All dropouts)

This project built on existing relationships with Wenatchee, Moses Lake, Brewster, and Okanogan School Districts and with Juvenile Services, Mental Health, and the Department of Social and Health Services. Students enrolled in the Learning Center Plus project received an individual evaluation to assess current high school credits, requirements for graduation, and transcription of credits toward graduation. The Learning Centers provided a hands-on learning environment, with activities emphasizing life skills training and mentoring.

Contact: Lisa Romine, 509.663.3091, lisar@skillsource.org.

Eastern Washington Partnerships – “Project Drop IN”

Served 24 youth

This project worked with Rural Resources Employment and Training and included Clarkston and Mary Walker school districts. Students received basic education and workplace skills, and could join a support group to keep them engaged in school. “Project Drop In” staff received community training to gain a better understanding of the challenges that students face while working to earn a high school diploma and enter the workforce. The project put in place a tracking system to document students’ progress toward gaining a high school diploma.

Contact: Josie Darst, 509.685.6128, Jdarst@ruralresources.org

Tri-County – “Kittitas Rural Education and Service Training (KREST)”

Served 30 youth

This project worked with the Cle Elum-Roslyn, Easton, and Thorp school districts, and Opportunities Industrialization Center of Washington (a community-based organization). Participating school districts and community service providers referred students to the KREST Center. Early intervention and strategies were designed to interest, motivate, and support the at-risk students. The KREST Center recovered dropout students, and helped students complete their education by addressing the issues that cause premature exit from school.

Contact: Tamara Bosler, 509.574.1950, Tamara.bosler@co.yakima.wa.us.

Seattle-King – “Improving Educational Access & Achievement for Highline Students”

Served 27 youth (All at-risk)

This project worked with six local communities of the Highline School District in two different programs. King County WorkSource’s “YouthSource” program recovered dropout students in their one-stop youth education and employment center. These students received case management services, including deployment of barrier reduction strategies, to attain their high school diploma and vocational training. The University of Washington Small Schools Project and the Big Picture Company have designed a small high school to enroll ninth graders at risk of dropping out. This school opened in 2005 and students received an Individualized Learning Plan, and participated three days a week in school-based activities, and two days a week off-site working in internships. 

Contact: Beth Blanchard, 206.448.0474, bblanchard@seakingwdc.org.

Spokane Area – “The NET:  Alternative for Education and Training”

Served 22 youth (All dropouts)

This project continued its work with Educational Service District #101 and 12 school districts, including Central Valley, Cheney, Deer Park, East Valley, Freeman, Liberty, Mead, Medical Lake, Nine Mile Falls, Riverside, Spokane, and West Valley, and the Spokane Area Skills Center. The NET project gave students an achievement test and one-on-one counseling to develop an Individual Instruction Plan. Students received classroom instruction, career counseling services, workforce development opportunities, and online course work. Students meeting the motivation requirements for independent coursework were given a donated computer for home use on a long-term loan basis.

Contact: John Baumhofer, 509.625.6210, jbaumhofer@wdcspokane.com.

Tacoma-Pierce – “Multi-District Dropout Prevention”

Served 333 youth (All at-risk)

This project worked with Bethel and Puyallup Districts. Students worked with certified staff at each district to develop an Individualized Success Plan. These plans improved attendance and provided advocacy with teachers, parents, social workers, school administrators, and community programs.  School district staff were able to access a website providing best practices to prevent and retrieve dropouts, and a catalog of available vocational college-based high school programs.

Contact: Stacey Daniels, 253.591.5450, Sdaniels@pic.tacoma.wa.us.

Olympic – “Academic Intervention Specialist” Project

Served 50 youth (15 Dropouts, 35 At-Risk)

This project received the Workforce Board’s “Promising Practice” Award. They worked with Educational Service District #114, Northwest Services Council, and included Bremerton, Port Angeles, South Kitsap, and Chimacum school districts. The project expanded the capacity of existing prevention and intervention programs in the community by improving communication and case management services. The Intervention Specialist coordinated a rapid response or reentry plan with school districts.

Contact: Gay Neal, 360.337.4755, gneal@co.kitsap.wa.us.

Snohomish – “Supporting Teens At-Risk (STAR)”

Served 30 youth (1 Dropout, 29 At-Risk)

This project worked with Everett Public Schools, Cascade High School, H.M. Jackson High School, Everett High School, Eisenhower Middle School, Gateway Middle School, Heatherwood Middle School, North Middle School, and Sequoia Alternative High School. The project used a “Three-Prong” approach to increase retention and on-time graduation rates. First, an Intervention Specialist worked with students at risk of dropping out of school and their parents to devise an Individualized Graduation Strategy for on-time graduation. Second, students could earn credits though the Online High School.  Third, students performing below standards in reading and writing were enrolled in the Literacy Support Class.

Contact: Danielle Singson, 425.921.3423, dsingson@snocowdc.org.

Southwest – “SW Washington WIA Dropout Prevention & Intervention Program”

Served 34 youth (12 Dropouts, 22 At-Risk)

This project worked with Educational Service District #112 and Clark County Juvenile Justice to fill service gaps within the Battle Ground, Longview, and Vancouver School Districts. Battle Ground Public Schools connected students with advisors to receive a personalized learning environment and ongoing mentoring. Longview School District targeted students moving from grades 8 to 9 and 9 to 10, providing a five-week summer session to gain academic skill and support relationships. Vancouver School District provided an intensive prevention program for academic support. Students who are WIA-eligible could participate in the Youth Workforce Program through Educational Service District #112.

Contact: Brandi Stewart, 360.567.3170, Bstewart@swwdc.org.

Benton-Franklin – “This Project”

Served 20 youth

This project worked with Career Path Services and the Pasco and Finley school districts. The Project provided adult and peer mentoring, high school reentry services, work-based learning and career exploration, leadership development, and referrals to community resources. Career Path Services provided a bilingual teacher for one-to-one and small group tutoring during the school year, and for credit retrieval programs during the summer.

Contact: Tiffany Scott, 509.734.5919, Tscott@esd.wa.gov.

Northwest – (No Title for Project)

Served 15 youth (All at-Risk)

This project worked with Catholic Community Services, Skagit County Youth and Family Services, and the Sedro Woolley and Concrete school districts. The Sedro Woolley School

District identified students’ disaggregated data from grade 7 WASL scores, ranking students to be served by WASL score. Parents and students participated the in the development of a Student Learning Plan, including a service strategy and summer remedial assistance. Students identified at risk of suspension in Concrete School District work with an Academic Coach and an In-School Suspension Assistant. Concrete also implemented a rapid response reentry program to reach students who dropped out.

Contact: Sanjay Rughani, 360.671.3224, Srughani@nwpic.bellingham.wa.us.

Pacific Mountain – “Dropout Prevention and Retrieval”

Served 33 youth (16 dropouts, 17 At-Risk)

This project worked with New Market Vocational Skills Center, Community Youth Center, Educational Service District #113, and Grays Harbor School District. This project served youth who were credit deficient, had high truancy rates, recidivism within the juvenile justice system, and youth who were reentering the traditional school setting for a second or third time. The school districts identified a “ coach” to help the student gain lost credits and remain motivated until graduation. The project included additional academic course work, tutoring, and alternative methods to credit retrieval such as NOVA Net.

Contact: Joni Olson, 360.570.4242, Jaolson@pacificmountainworksource.org.

Preliminary Evaluation

A preliminary evaluation of the Dropout Prevention and Intervention Projects was conducted by the Workforce Board in the fall of 2005.

Key findings were that: 1) the collaborative partnerships established between the WDCs, school districts and the community were essential to project success; 2) flexibility was important to structure the most effective services and activities;  3) WIA income eligibility criteria presented barriers to providing services; and 4) the data collected must be improved to validly evaluate the outcomes of the initiative.

However, some of the positive outcomes observed by WDCs included improved school attendance, improved grades, improved reading skills, and more positive attitudes about school. The WDCs also noted that the partnerships created were important, that the WIA Youth Funds provided support services sorely needed by the targeted population, that students responded well to staff who they felt cared about them and advocated for them, and that their outcomes exceeded their expectations.