____________________________________________________________

The Youth Development Network's

School Dropout Summit

February 12, 2008

____________________________________________________________

Summary of the Summit

News and Downloads from the Summit

In the minds of summit organizers and many others from the community who attended the conference, the Student Dropout Summit 2008 was a successful community conversation about the dropout issue. 

With this conversation we have begun the process of raising the awareness in the community about the realities of young people dropping out of school in Missoula. We have managed to avoid the “blame-game”; those at the summit realize that although we want ALL of our high school students to complete their education, the reality of high school completion is more complicated for some than others and the reasons for why are as individual as students themselves.  We were able to clearly identify some of the reasons which include: poverty issues, disengagement, racism, discrimination, sometimes the lack of family support, and sometimes even school policies that actually discourage students from hanging in there and finishing. 

Where do we go from here? A number of summit attendees said they wanted to work further on this issue. All interested community members are invited to join a YDN sponsored Student Dropout Task Force.  The Dropout Taskforce will form workgroups this month (March).  Community members are invited to join a workgroup (listed below) that fits their interest and expertise. 

The Next Dropout Task Force Meeting will be the first week of April and will be announced here on the website, on the Forum Email Tree, and by personal email if you have given us your email address. Please contact
Ellie Greenwood for Further Information: 258-4965
 

Student Dropout Summit 2008 Summary (pdf)

Missoulian article

OPI Dropout Presentation/report
Mandy Broaduss-Achievement Specialist Indian Ed.Div. OPI (pdf)

Dropout Prevention Workgroups

Workgroups will:
 

Develop their own leadership and structure and will schedule workgroup meetings. 

• Identify a note taker for meetings and a “report-writer” to put workshop recommendations in a written form..

• Determine one or two tangible next steps (pertaining to the dropout issue an/or their workgroup area that they believe are the priority steps the community needs to take to lower dropout rates, support students, engage parents, and/or address a school policy.

• In May the workgroups will come back together as a taskforce for a half-day meeting. At this meeting workgroups will report and present their two or three “next steps” findings, and recommendations to the task force.

The task force will develop a “community action plan” based on workgroup recommendations

Emerging Workgroups:

• Youth workgroup: This group will be populated by high school students and adults who are interested in  keeping youth opinion and knowledge about the issue of why student's dropout fully incorporated into the community action plan. 

• Parent & community engagement: This group will research and discuss ways to increase parent and community involvement in Middle and High School settings

• Legislative workgroup: This group will look at possible changes in laws that affect high school dropout.

• Parents and Students as Customers workgroup:  This workgroup will look at ways that that schools can market their product (education!) to their customers (students and parents!)

• Community Conversations workgroup: Develop the idea of giving parents, students and the community more opportunities to discuss resources, alternative pathways, and facts about high school graduation.

• School Policies workgroup:  Look at existing school policies that affect dropout rates, students and families.

• Alternative Pathways to High School Completion workgroup:  This group will discuss existing alternatives and brainstorm other possible pathways.

• Innovations and Interventions workgroup will research existing models and best practices for increasing graduation rates and high school completion.