DPI Exposé

Posted on by Alan Fanitzi

Impact Narrative

South Carolina Schools Boost Graduation Rates through DPI Program

Custom Dropout Prevention Plans Lead to Reduced Referrals and Higher Graduation Rates

The South Carolina Department of Education integrated the National Dropout Prevention Center’s Diploma Planning Institute (DPI) program to tackle one of the state’s most pressing challenges—improving graduation rates among at-risk students. Through a focused, data-driven approach, schools across the state developed and implemented custom dropout prevention plans that have transformed their efforts. With hands-on guidance from NDPC specialists, these schools saw measurable improvements, demonstrating the powerful impact of a well-executed plan. Discover how this strategic initiative empowered schools to achieve real results and set a new standard for success in dropout prevention.

Addressing the Issue

In South Carolina, schools were facing challenges in improving graduation rates among at-risk students. Despite various initiatives, these schools struggled with inconsistent and unfocused dropout prevention efforts, leading to a need for a more strategic, data-driven approach. Recognizing the urgency of this issue, the South Carolina Department of Education, in collaboration with the Transition Alliance of South Carolina, sought a comprehensive solution to empower schools to develop and implement effective dropout prevention plans tailored to their unique circumstances.

Tailored Support through the Diploma Planning Institute

The National Dropout Prevention Center (NDPC) introduced the Diploma Planning Institute (DPI) to tackle this challenge head-on. This three-day intensive workshop guided school-level teams through the process of creating customized, research-based dropout prevention plans. The DPI moved schools away from random acts of dropout prevention toward systematic, measurable strategies, enabling them to address their specific challenges with clear, actionable plans.

During the DPI, participants engaged in a deep dive into the factors contributing to student dropouts, with a strong focus on local data and school-specific issues. The sessions covered essential topics such as risk factor identification, effective dropout prevention strategies, and the development of Graduation Improvement Plans. Attendees were guided through analyzing their own student data, selecting targeted interventions, and aligning these with existing School Improvement Plans. This hands-on approach, led by NDPC specialists, ensured that each team left with a practical, school-specific plan to improve student outcomes. The involvement of the Transition Alliance of South Carolina further bolstered the initiative, creating a collaborative environment focused on achieving measurable improvements.

Tangible Outcomes and Measurable Success

The impact of the Diploma Planning Institute in South Carolina has been profound. At Colleton County High School, office referrals decreased by 26% from the 2022-23 to the 2023-24 school year, and the number of students off grade level dropped by an 46% during the same period. Meanwhile, Byrnes High School saw a significant increase in its graduation rate, rising from 85.5% in 2023 to 90% in 2024.

Colleton County High School

In the 2022-2023 to 2023-2024 school year Colleton County High School saw a reduction of office referrals by 26% and off-grade-level students by 46%

Byrnes High School

Byrnes High School saw an Increased Graduation Rate from 85.5% in 2023 to 90% in 2024

Project Leads

Nancy Nielsen

Senior Consultant & Certification Program Specialist

Thomas Hawkins

Manager of Content & Innovation

Todd Daggett

Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer

Dr. Anthony Nottingham

Executive and Leadership Coach

Take the next step in improving your school's graduation rates!

Contact us today to learn more about the Diploma Planning Institute or to schedule a customized DPI for your team. Click the Contact Us button below and fill out our inquiry form. Once submitted, a member of our team will reach out to provide you with all the information you need and help you plan your event. Alternatively you can contact Todd Daggett, at tdaggett@spnetwork.org with the subject line “Diploma Planning Institute” or give the National Dropout Prevention Center a call at (518) 723-2063 for more information about this service.

By clicking the “Contact Us” button, you’ll be redirected to the Successful Practices Network website, where you can reach our team directly. SPN is the parent organization of the National Dropout Prevention Center, ensuring a unified approach to serving your needs.

34th Annual National Dropout Prevention Conference

The National Dropout Prevention Center is proud to host this year’s conference in the vibrant city of New Orleans! This pivotal three-day event is dedicated to advancing systemic solutions for student success, featuring a comprehensive showcase of research-driven and practice-proven methods. The conference aims to provide professionals serving at-risk and struggling students with the best and next practices, latest research, and practical strategies across various settings.

To learn more or to register, please click HERE

If you are not redirected, click here.

Bill Dagget – Full Bio

Posted on by Alan Fanitzi

Bill Daggett is the founder of both the Successful Practices Network and the International Center for Leadership in Education. He recently co-chaired the AASA LEARNING 2025: National Commission for Student-Centered, Equity-Focused, Future-Driven Education and is now leading the National Demonstration Network for AASA.

Dr. Daggett is recognized worldwide for his proven ability to move preK-12 education systems towards more rigorous and relevant skills and knowledge for all students. For 30 years, he has crisscrossed our nation, as well as the industrialized world, to lead school reform efforts to effectively prepare students for their future.

While an avid supporter of public education, he also challenges all of us to be more focused on our children’s future than on maintaining the schools of our youth. His insights and leadership have caused nearly every major education association in the country, hundreds of school districts, numerous political and business leaders, publishers, and others to seek out his advice and guidance.

Dr. Daggett began his career as a teacher, local administrator, and then director with the New York State Education Department. He spends much of his time providing leadership and guidance to the National Dropout Prevention Center and the Career and Technical Education Technical Assistance Center, which are part of the Successful Practices Network.

He is the creator of the Rigor/Relevance Framework and the Future-Focused Success Framework which has recently become the cornerstone of much of the nation’s school reform efforts. He is also the author of 26 books about learning and education, textbooks, research reports, and journal articles.

Dr. Daggett has been recognized as a distinguished alumnus by both Temple University and the State University at Albany.

Dr. Daggett has a special commitment to individuals with disabilities. He and his wife, Bonnie, volunteer their time and lend their support to Wildwood Programs in upstate New York. Wildwood serves the needs of people of all ages who, like their daughter Audrey, have neurological impairments/learning disabilities or autism, by enabling them to become the best that they can be.

Building Future Focused Instructional Capacity for Rural Schools

Building Future Focused Instructional Capacity for Rural Schools
Dr. Bill Daggett and Collegiate Edu-Nation promote future-focused education, uniting stakeholders for effective transformation in schools.

In alignment with Collegiate Edu-Nation’s mission and the principles set forth by the Successful Practices Network (SPN), Dr. Bill Daggett is at the forefront of empowering high-performing school districts and their communities to create forward-looking educational environments. These educational systems excel in nurturing the present while strategically equipping for the future. This shared culture unites stakeholders under a clear understanding of the ‘Why,’ ‘What,’ and ‘How’ of future-driven transformation, optimizing the deployment of human and capital resources Irrespective of a district’s size or setting, the pace of change hinges on the readiness and trust of all involved parties. Collegiate Edu-Nation extends an invitation to school leaders and stakeholders statewide, convening them for an insightful discourse led by Dr. Bill Daggett. This discussion will delve into the forces shaping education, the contemporary challenges and opportunities, and the essential adaptations required to ensure our students are primed for their future. The morning session, guided by Dr. Daggett, will present a comprehensive overview of future-focused education. The afternoon will transition into an interactive work-session, strategically aligning the P-20 System Model and current educational practices with the proven strategies that pave the way for student success in the future.

The South Carolina Diploma Planning Institute

The South Carolina Diploma Planning Institute
Helping schools create a customized plan to reduce dropout

About the Institute:
The South Carolina Diploma Planning Institute offers a comprehensive blended learning experience. We guide school teams to construct specific, research-based dropout prevention plans. These foundational strategies have a high likelihood of enhancing the performance and graduation rates of at-risk students.

School teams will:
-Collaborate directly with national experts.
-Harness local data and insights about their students.
-Transition from sporadic dropout prevention efforts to systematic and effective practices.
-Formulate and execute coherent action plans.
-Depart with actionable strategies, access to ongoing support, and resources to ensure sustainable results.

Participants will benefit by:
-Analyzing and discussing local data.
-Discovering research-based strategies.
-Pinpointing current and future initiatives.
-Addressing specific needs and risk factors.
-Collaborating with peers.
-Mapping out the subsequent steps for plan execution.

Important Notes:

This institute is exclusively for South Carolina Districts.
During registration, please upload: School Report Card, Needs Assessment Data, and Current Dropout Prevention or Improvement Plan.

REGISTRATION INFO:
Registration Instructions:
Locate and select your respective cohort’s registration link from the session information below. This will direct you to a Google Form where you can seamlessly complete the registration process.

Please Note: The institute is dedicated solely to South Carolina Districts.
During registration, ensure to upload the following documents:
-School Report Card
-Needs Assessment Data
-Existing Dropout Prevention or Improvement Plan

Cohort 2: DIPLOMA PLANNING INSTITUTE-MIDLANDS
Location: Lexington Innovative Center, 509 Bulldog Blvd, Cayce, SC 29033
Virtual: September 11, 2023 | 8:30am – 12:30pm
In-person: September 12-13, 2023 | 8:30am – 3:30pm
Register: https://rb.gy/ss0hu
Deadline: 9/7/23

COHORT 3: DIPLOMA PLANNING INSTITUTE-MIDLANDS
Location: Olympia Professional Development Center, 621 Bluff Rd, Columbia, SC 29201
Virtual: September 13, 2023 | 8:30am – 12:30pm
In-person: September 14-15, 2023 | 8:30am – 3:30pm
Register: https://rb.gy/ss0hu
Deadline: 9/8/23

Cohort 4: Lowcountry
Location: Cypress Hall, 8888 University Blvd, North Charleston, SC 29406
Virtual: September 19, 2023 | 8:30am – 12:30pm
In-person: September 20-21, 2023 | 8:30am – 3:30pm
Register: https://rb.gy/1s2sh
Deadline: 9/14/23

Diploma Planning Institute

The National Dropout Prevention Center (NDPC) and the Clayton County School System are pleased to offer an effective and affordable graduation rate improvement opportunity to districts and schools. The 2016 Georgia Diploma Planning Institute (DPI) is a two-day working event that guides school teams through a process that yields a practical graduation rate improvement plan with locally specific action steps that can be implemented in the coming school year. The DPI is designed for high school and middle school teams of three to five staff members. During the two-day event, school teams will consider local data and challenges, review research-based dropout prevention interventions, and develop locally specific plans that can be integrated with existing school improvement plans and immediately activated.

It is recommended that participant teams consist of three to six staff members from a middle school and/or high school and include an https://dropoutprevention.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/C.W.-Gardenhire-pic.jpgistrator, a counselor, or other individual who works closely with at-risk students, and other selected staff members. In previous Institutes, some participant teams have included community leaders, central office personnel, or school board members and have reported this to be a very effective team composition.

The fee is $295 per person and registration includes all conference materials, 2 lunches, and a one year Individual Membership to the National Dropout Prevention Network. The interactive nature of the DPI requires us to limit the number of participants.

Teams will be guided through the development of a realistic plan based on a template provided by the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network (NDPC/N). NDPC/N has a 30 year history of providing quality resources and assistance to states, districts, and schools seeking to increase graduation rates.

Western North Carolina Trauma-Skilled Schools Institute

NDPC_TSSI_WRESA_opt_Ps

Postponed: 32nd Annual National Dropout Prevention Conference

Due to both health concerns and uncertainties of the coming months, the National Dropout Prevention Center will postpone the 32^nd Annual National Dropout Prevention Conference scheduled for October 18-21, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. The 32^nd Annual National Dropout Prevention Conference will be rescheduled at a later date. Details of the rescheduled event will be announced on the NDPC Website.

During school closures and national crisis, the National Dropout Prevention Center is developing new tools and resources to prepare educators to meet the needs of traumatized students, both during closure and upon return to school. Please visit our Website, www.dropoutprevention.org, to access these resources and feel free to contact us at ndpc@199.250.201.124.

Trauma-Skilled Schools Back-To-School Virtual Institute

Schools and districts face many uncertainties as they look to reopening for the 2020–2021 school year. From the health-related concerns brought about by COVID–19 and subsequent related economic uncertainties to the ongoing challenges of racial inequities and social justice, trauma has increasingly affected our students and our communities.

While it is helpful to be trauma-aware and trauma-informed, it is more vital than ever that our schools also take the next step to become Trauma-Skilled by applying and building on their existing awareness and information. Every adult in the system must have a deep understanding of trauma and its impact on student behavior and readiness to learn. In addition, every adult must have the SKILLS necessary to create a culture that is supportive of students impacted by trauma.

To help schools address the effects of trauma and build a supportive culture for trauma-impacted students, the National Dropout Prevention Center is sponsoring a Back-to-School Trauma-Skilled Schools Virtual Institute. The Institute will build the capacity of participants in the following areas:

Understanding the various forms of trauma and its impact on the brain and nervous system
Applying that understanding to the work in schools to support positive behavior and to increase students’ readiness to learn
Building new skills to support students who are impacted by trauma
Initiating the capacity to build a trauma-skilled school culture

This virtual event will include independent work prior to and throughout the Institute with the following synchronous events:

August 25 from 3:30 PM–5:00 PM (ET) – Virtual Huddle: Exploring and Applying Trauma-Related Knowledge

August 27 from 3:30 PM–5:00 PM (ET) – Virtual Huddle: Beginning to Build a Culture of Resilience

September 1 from 3:30 PM–5:00 PM (ET) – Virtual Huddle: Focusing on Skill Acquisition

Registration Fee: $99

Additional Benefits:

Participants in the offering will receive a Continuing Education Certificate.
Participation in this training fulfills the professional development requirement that is a part of Trauma-Skilled Specialist certification
Participants will receive a $100 discount on Trauma-Skilled Specialist certification application fees.