TeacherDrivenChange

Register Today: End the Dropout Epidemic: Focusing on What Works

The Dropout Epidemic has generally been framed in deficit terms; a problem to be solved or fixed. Conventional thinking has been that if we collect the right data, do proper analyses, conduct the necessary studies, and impose specific initiatives, we can reduce the number of high school dropouts. While the logic to this approach is certainly reasonable, at some point we have to wonder why we have not been successful in our efforts to increase student retention and graduation rates.

For some, the answer is more of the same; we simply have to do a better job. Others suggest that we need to broaden our expertise and knowledge of student populations; we need to become more familiar with the needs and interests of students and their families. Still others have concluded that we need directives that impose greater restrictions and control over the public schools.

Unfortunately, few have suggested that we should focus on what is working in our schools; what students, parents, teachers, and administrators are doing to increase student retention and graduation rates. While strength-based thinking is often viewed as counterintuitive, the CTA IFT with support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation believes it is an approach worth trying. Arguing against the deficit model, the CTA IFT believes that focusing on school community strengths and assets is as much a plan for change as it is a philosophy. Appreciating what is keeping our students in school and using this as a basis for individual and collaborative action, however, requires not only a transformation of the head but also the heart. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Positive Deviance (PD) Approach to School Change: The PD Approach is a cutting edge model that may significantly reduce dropouts while improving relationships between school community stakeholders. The PD Approach involves, engages, and empowers teachers, administrators, students, and parents in collaboration around school change. Through the Positive Deviance Approach school-community stakeholders can create viable strategies and action plans to reduce high school dropouts from the ground-up. The Positive Deviance approach is a discovery process aimed at identifying and leveraging the behaviors and practices of students who stay in school and graduate. While the focus will be to increase African American and Latino student retention and graduation rates, using the Positive Deviance Approach will generate results and information that can be applied to all students.  _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

To move from theory to practice, the CTA IFT is hosting a statewide Conference to present the PD Approach to increase African American and Latino student retention and graduation rates. You are invited to the End the Dropout Epidemic: Focusing on What Works Conference in Sacramento. School-community stakeholders (teachers, administrators, students and their parents/guardians, community and business leaders, public and elected officials) are invited to the CTA IFT August 29 – 30, 2008 Conference to end the dropout epidemic.

The purpose of this Conference is to introduce the CTA IFT PD Approach Grant to increase retention and graduation rates for African American and Latino students. The CTA IFT Grant will be offering high school communities an opportunity to focus on those stakeholder behaviors and practices that encourage students to remain in school and graduate.

High school teams are encouraged to attend.  Teams will learn about the IFT High School Grant to increase student retention and graduation rates, including the goals, the timeline, and grant overall design.  Teams will be asked to provide their ideas and feedback on the most appropriate way to encourage high school participation and success.

Nothing Breeds Success Like Success

It's not a newsflash to most classroom teachers that our high schools were never designed to meet today's economic and employment challenges. From farming to factories, public high schools have been driven by schedules, structures and procedures, all grounded in America's past. In response, there has been a chorus of business leaders and corporate officials who are promoting business-based remedies to fix what they believe are the shortcomings of our educational system. Not surprisingly, these market driven advocates have combined forces with numerous philanthropic foundations interested in supporting school change. Unfortunately, while many of these initiatives have been generally successful in the private sector, they have ignored the complexities of improving public education. In addition, too often school reform proposals have ignored the role that culture plays in encouraging a successful teaching and learning environment.

Over the past several years, many school improvement proposals, both public and private, have diminished the role of the classroom teacher. Generally portrayed as doers and not thinkers, teachers too often have ironically been held responsible for a system that has shown a basic disinterest in educating all children. In addition, when teachers have attempted to initiate change and challenge conventional thinking, they have felt constrained by externally imposed rules and regulations. No wonder, when it comes to educational reform, most teachers and teacher advocates are a little skeptical.

Still, when it comes to school change, teachers are ready to meet the needs of a highly diverse student population. Teachers have shown a keen interest to close the achievement gap for all students and reduce high school dropouts if they have the support and confidence of the educational community. Classroom teachers are prepared to place themselves on the frontlines if they understand the overall purpose and direction for the changes being proposed. As one classroom teacher recently told the CTA IFT: I am not going to waste my time and energy on someone else's pipe dream. However, I will do whatever it takes if I believe it will help my kids.

So what steps can classroom teachers take to close the achievement gap and make our schools dropout proof? How do we move from theory to practice and develop a few concrete steps that teachers, administrators, students, and parents can unify around to reshape and reorganize our high schools for all students? To answer these questions, we do not necessarily need new rules, regulations, or mandates. Rather, school improvement may be as simple as teachers and other school community stakeholders paying attention to what is working in our high schools and producing desired outcomes for students. In other words, nothing breeds success like success.

To take the first step, the CTA IFT with the support of the California Teachers Association and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation has formed a partnership with The Positive Deviance Initiative at Tufts University to identify teacher, student, parent, and administrator behaviors and practices that increase student retention and graduation rates. What makes this proposal unique is that teachers, with administrators, students, and parents, will be asked to develop action plans and strategies based on what is working in our school-communities and not problems. While most reform measures focus on problems and deficits, the CTA IFT initiative will concentrate on those students that remain in school and graduate and the great things taking place in our school communities that support them. Positive Deviance is a development approach that is based on the premise that solutions to community problems already exist within the community. The positive deviance approach thus differs from traditional "needs based" or problem-solving approaches in that it does not focus primarily on identification of needs and the external inputs necessary to meet those needs or solve problems. Instead it seeks to identify and optimize existing resources and solutions within the community to solve community problems.

We hope you will join with the CTA IFT to organize a Statewide Positive Deviance Planning Team to develop a broad-based, all inclusive strategy to end high school dropouts. On August 29 – 30, 2008, in Sacramento, CA, the CTA IFT will hold a two-day session to inform and educate participants on the Positive Deviance Approach to school change and the CTA IFT Dropout Proposal. Participants will also be asked to provide input on how the high school dropout proposal application process should be constructed and distributed to interested high school communities. Up to three high schools will be selected as part of this statewide proposal to end dropouts. High school teams are encouraged to attend, along with individuals who have expertise and experiences with preventing high school student dropouts. Click here to register for the August 29 – 30, 2008 sessions.