From: mhsection-l-bounces@lists.ucla.edu on behalf of SMHP
[smhp@ucla.edu]
Sent: Monday, December 11, 2006 10:59 AM
To:
Mental Health Practitioners
Subject: [mhsection-l] Mental Health in
Schools Practitioner Listserv(12/11/06)
Attachments:
ATT4120984.txt
Mental Health in Schools Practitioner Listserv
(12/11/06)
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Special Focus
>DROPOUTS
AND PUSHOUTS – "What does it take to make a difference in the number of
students who dropout?"
Occasionally, the Practitioner Listserv limits
its focus to one major topic affecting large numbers of young people and that
warrants special attention because it has widespread implications for mental
health in schools.
Dropouts (and pushouts) is just such a topic. While
there has been reluctance to face up to the numbers, now that the real data are
emerging, the findings in too many schools are staggering.
Dropout
prevention has been a long-standing intervention concern. Yet, prevailing
approaches clearly have not been effective on a large scale.
Stimulated
by the request below, we are using the listserv to elicit your best thinking
about this fundamental problem. We also plan to pursue the topic further through
other Center activity.
As Congress approaches the reauthorization of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (currently called the No Child Left
Behind Act), we want to ensure that the matter is heard and understood from the
perspective of those concerned with mental
health.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Request
from a Colleague: "I work at a large high school as the dropout prevention
coordinator. I am part of a team of others who provide learning supports. We are
interested in working together more effectively to reduce the high dropout rate
in our school. Waiting until a student is identified as at-risk of dropping out
and assigning the student to our program seems to be too late. What are the most
effective strategies for preventing drop out?"
Center Response:
- As you note, a separate program for dropout prevention seems to be an
insufficient solution for a complex problem that in so many cases has
progressed over years of schooling. Because of the importance of the
matter, we are using your request to elicit the thinking of others who receive
this listserv mailing.
- As a stimulus for the interchange, folks might look at our Hot Topic
discussion of Dropout Prevention – http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/hottopic/hottopic(dropoutprevention).htm
- and/or our online clearinghouse Quick Find on Dropout Prevention to see
the current online resources and centers – http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/qf/dropout.html
- One thing that is consistently stressed by those who take a broad look at
the causes and solutions is that effective dropout prevention programs must
not be isolated projects. They must be part of systemic reform and integrated
school improvement designed to improve instruction and address barriers to
learning and teaching.
- As another stimulus for discussion, here is an excerpt from a recent
document prepared by Loujeania Williams Bost, Ph.D., Director, National
Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities, Clemson University
"BUILDING EFFECTIVE DROPOUT PREVENTION PROGRAMS SOME PRACTICAL STRATEGIES
FROM RESEARCH AND PRACTICE"
- About Causes Students drop out of school for a variety of
reasons. Understanding the factors that contribute to dropout helps ensure the
development of effective dropout prevention programs and strategies.
- >Problem behavior coupled with academic difficulties or prior
academic failure is one key to risk factors that is predictive of school
dropout.
- >The repeated use of exclusionary discipline practices, such as
suspension, has been identified as one of the major factors contributing to
dropout. Exclusion from class due to disciplinary action also leads to lost
instructional time and increased academic difficulties.
- >Academic progress and school completion are not equally distributed
across disability, income, or ethnicity. Almost half of youth with emotional
disturbances drop out. Youth with disabilities from low-income households
continue to experience high dropout rates, and Hispanic youth have
experienced the smallest improvement in school completion over time.
- >High absenteeism and being held back a grade are serious risk
factors for dropping out that can be monitored by schools.
- About Prevention Understanding factors associated with
dropping out of school and addressing these factors early and systemically
help decrease dropout rates.
- >Establish systems for routinely monitoring risk indicators
associated with dropout prevention. Create a local action team to analyze
these indicators and address dropout prevention at the local level.
- >Intervene early. High school is too late to begin dropout prevention
programs, especially for youth in urban schools. Invest in improvements in
early childhood education (emphasize reading and math).
- >Increase family engagement and school involvement. Get parents
involved! Parents exert a powerful influence over whether their adolescent
children with disabilities finish high school. Higher rates of school
completion are associated with higher household income, better educated head
of household, parents' expectations that children will go on to
postsecondary school, and greater family involvement at school
- >Create school environments that are inviting, safe, and supportive.
Safe and inviting environments facilitate learning and increase school
attendance. Provide enhancements that increase school-wide social competence
and positive behavioral supports.
- Help students to address problems that interfere with learning. Provide
or assist students in obtaining social, health, and other personal resources
they will need to overcome obstacles to their learning and meet their
emergent basic needs.
- >Use proven practices. There are some evidence-based programs that
can be used to address dropout and the factors associated with dropping out.
Implement strategies that promote academic success, decrease inappropriate
behaviors, and increase student engagement. Personalize programs as needed
to address individual student needs and improve post-school
outcomes.
- >Listen to students. Students can tell you a lot about strategies and
practices that will make school more relevant to them and increase their
desire to stay there.
- >Provide relevance and rigor. Provide opportunities for students to
apply their learning in relevant, real world situations and help them see
the connections to their own futures.
- >Help students build relationships at school. Enhance personal
relationships with caring adults through organizational structures that
provide time and opportunity. These relationships and connections enhance
students' connection with school and facilitate successful school
performance.
- >Focus on effective instruction. Create and implement systemic
improvement activities that focus efforts on changing teaching and learning
practices. These should promote academic engagement that leads to academic
success and the acquisition of useful employment skills.
- About Capacity Building There is no quick fix that will end
dropout. Effective dropout prevention cannot occur in a vacuum but must be
carefully viewed within the context of a major school reform activity. It must
be created within a system that provides an infrastructure for ongoing
implementation and sustainability of proven practices.
- >Take a systemic approach to address dropout prevention. Steps taken
by state and local education agencies to decrease dropout include (a)
collection, analysis, and public reporting of dropout rates and related
information for all secondary schools; (b) conducting causal analyses and
needs assessments to identify causes and target resources; (c) providing
information and technical assistance on dropout prevention strategies to
school administrators; (d) providing training, funding, and support for
local dropout prevention efforts; (e) reviewing and revising relevant
policies (attendance, behavior, credit accrual, exit examinations,
professional development) that impact school completion; and (f) collecting
post-school outcomes data from youth including interviewing dropouts to find
out why they left school.
- >Conduct causal analysis. Reaching consensus on cause(s) of dropout
within the schools, particularly as related to school factors such as
teacher attitudes and behavior, grading and discipline practices, quality of
instruction, and teacher turnover creates a foundation for effective
problem-solving around dropout prevention.
- >Use data to guide program development, professional development, and
other school improvement efforts. States and local education agencies (LEAs)
have a significant amount of data on factors related to school dropout among
youth with disabilities. These data should be used for more than reporting
purposes.
- >Consider multiple levels of implementation. One size may not fit
all. Effective dropout prevention can occur at any or all of the following
three levels within a school. Universal-primary prevention: includes all
youth and is of low cost per individual (e.g., systemic positive discipline
program, enhanced elementary curriculum, tutoring and mentoring programs).
Selected-prevention/intervention: includes students who are identified as
being at risk of dropout and is of moderate cost (e.g., programs that work
to build specific skills such as problem-solving, self-maintenance, learning
strategies). Indicated-intervention: includes youth exhibiting clear signs
of early school leaving, high need, and high cost, and may include intensive
wrap-around services.
- >Examine the influence of other performance indicators on school
completion. Look across indicators (dropout, graduation, secondary
transition services, behavior, and post-school outcomes data) to get a
better picture of how indicators influence each other and impact school
completion. Use these clustered results to target improvement strategies
that address multiple indicators and leverage resources.
- Remember that effective dropout prevention programs exist as part of
systemic reform to improve academic performance and behavior competence,
increase professional competencies, and improve cultural climate, not as
isolated projects."
Listserv Participants: Do you have a
comprehensive approach to dropout prevention in your school, in your feeder
pattern, in your district? What do you think needs to happen to make a
real difference in the number of students who dropout of school?
Ltaylor@ucla.edu
###############
Send in your ideas, requests, comments,
and experiences relevant to providing mental health in schools to
ltaylor@ucla.edu
Note: Responses come only to the Center for Mental
Health in Schools at UCLA for possible inclusion in the next week's
message. We also post a broad range of issues and responses to the Net
Exchange on our website at http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu
School Mental Health Project/
Center for Mental
Health in Schools
UCLA Dept. of Psychology
Los Angeles, CA
90095-1563
(310) 825-3634 / Toll Free: (866) 846-4843 / Fax: (310)
206-8716
Email: smhp@ucla.edu
Web: http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu
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