Practice Guide Addresses Pandemic’s Effect on At-Risk Students, Schools, and Graduation Rates

Anderson, SC (March 22, 2021)—In response to the pandemic’s effect on at-risk students, schools, and graduation rates, the National Dropout Prevention Center, a division of Successful Practices Network, announces the release of The Pandemic’s Effect on At-Risk Students, Schools, and Graduation Rates. The practice guide addresses pandemic-related issues and identifies opportunities for schools and districts to prepare for the growing number of students who will be identified as at risk as a result of missed, delayed, and compromised school attendance and instruction.

“As schools return to what at best may be a “new normal”, they will face doubled and tripled numbers of at-risk students across all grade levels. These students will present a new set of academic, behavioral, and trauma-impacted educational challenges,” said Dr. Sandy Addis, Chairman of the National Dropout Prevention Center and one of two authors of the guide. “To prevent drastic and multiyear declines of graduation rates, districts must find ways to recover, remediate, accommodate, and somehow help these students to graduate.” Dr. Addis goes on to note that, because of increasing numbers of referrals and enrollment spikes resulting from the pandemic’s effects on education, the alternative schools and programs that districts have traditionally relied on to serve many of these students can not presently accommodate the inevitable increase in students who will require those schools’ and programs’ specialized services.

Based on decades of research and program assessment services, the National Dropout Prevention Center has identified numerous alternative programs and schools that are well designed, able to accommodate enrollment shifts, function effectively, and have high graduation rates. However, these characteristics are historically not the norm. No more than half of the nation’s alternative schools and programs are well designed, function effectively, and are capable of accommodating enrollment surges. In addition, the National Dropout Prevention Center concludes that half, if not most, alternative schools and programs are not successful with most of their students and do not achieve graduation rates nearly as high as traditional schools in their home district.

“What educators will see,” said Ray McNulty, President of the National Dropout Preventions Center and Successful Practices Network and one of the two authors of the practice guide, “is a post pandemic doubling or tripling of at-risk students with more complex needs. The increase of at-risk students leads to a doubling or tripling of the need for and referrals to alternative schools and programs that, in turn, will result in alternative enrollment increases from pre pandemic levels of 3% to 6% systemwide to post pandemic levels of 10% or higher.”

The Pandemic’s Effect on At-Risk Students, Schools, and Graduation Rates identifies eight recommendations for addressing the increase in at-risk students and their increasingly complex needs. The practice guide is available on the National Dropout Prevention Center’s website by clicking here. The National Dropout Prevention Center also offers program assessment and reviews, diploma planning institutes, and trauma-skilled training to schools and districts. The services, designed to enhance and build on a school’s or district’s existing framework, provide steps, tools, and resources to ensure that practices and instruction address identified student needs and increasing graduation rates.

Dr. Bill Daggett, Founder and Chairman of Successful Practices Network, internationally known speaker on the future of education, and who wrote the introduction to The Pandemic’s Effect on At-Risk Students, Schools, and Graduation Rates noted, “The impact of pandemic school closure on students, educators, schools, districts, and communities is likely to be the greatest education challenge of our lifetime.”

For additional information on the practice guide or services of the National Dropout Prevention Center, contact Todd Daggett at tdaggett@spnetwork.org or visit www.dropoutprevention.org.

About the National Dropout Prevention Center (NDPC)
The NDPC was begun in 1986 to serve as a clearinghouse on issues related to dropout prevention and to offer strategies designed to increase the graduation rate in America’s schools. NDPC has become a well-established national resource for sharing solutions for student success. It does so through active research and evaluation projects, publications, and a variety of professional development activities. The organization’s website is the nation’s leading resource in providing effective, research-based solutions to engaging students and reducing dropout.

About Successful Practices Network (SPN)

SPN was founded in 2003 by Dr. Bill Daggett with an initial five-year grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Since inception, the nonprofit has won multiple additional grants that have allowed the organization to conduct proprietary research and create exclusive instructional and assessment tools that are shared broadly with a network of users. SPN has also worked with educators at the state, district and school levels, to craft plans to improve student-centered learning tailored to their unique school and student needs.

National Dropout Prevention Center Awards Nation’s First Trauma-Skilled School Certification to South Carolina Alternative Program

For Immediate Release

For Additional Information Contact:

Lynn Dunlap

National Dropout Prevention Center

Phone: 864-280-2532

Email: ldunlap@199.250.201.124

School District of Greenville County Alternative Program Completes Certification During National Dropout Prevention Month

Anderson, SC (October 27, 2020)—The National Dropout Prevention Center (NDPC) is pleased to award the nation’s first certification in the Trauma-Skilled Schools Model to the Alternative Program of the School District of Greenville County. The certification is the result of a two-year process led by Dr. Kathie Greer, Director of Alternative Programs and who is herself a Trauma-Skilled Specialist and certified Trauma-Skilled Schools Model trainer.

“Certification was the goal for our alternative programs and we accomplished it. However, the benefits of trauma-skilled training for staff and students are ongoing,” Greer notes. “We will continue to apply our training going forward because we have seen the tremendous value for our students.”

Trauma and chronic stress can negatively impact students’ academic performance and behavior, leading to students’ disengagement from school and their potentially dropping out of school before graduation. NDPC’s Trauma-Skilled Schools Model is a Tier 1 intervention designed to address the needs of all students in developing the resilience skills needed to excel in school and in life. Students in alternative programs particularly benefit due to the high at-risk population of alternative schools.

School District of Greenville County Superintendent Dr. Burke Royster said, “The Trauma-Skilled Schools Model is a Tier 1 approach that creates a culture that effectively supports and responds to trauma-impacted students and fosters the development of skills which enable them to fully engage in the learning process. It is especially important to students in our alternative programs who are most in need of additional supports to successfully transition from these structured learning environments back into traditional settings.”

 “The fact that awarding the nation’s first certification occurs during National Dropout Prevention Month is particularly meaningful,” said Ray McNulty, President of the National Dropout Prevention Center and its parent organization Successful Practices Network. “With the challenges presented by the pandemic and subsequent school disruptions, students are vulnerable to disengaging from school now more than ever. I applaud the Greenville County Schools Alternative Program for their proactive commitment to meeting students’ changing needs through the application of skills specifically related to trauma-impacted students.”

Photo Caption: Dr. Kathie Greer, Director of Alternative Programs for the School District of Greenville County (SC), acknowledges staff and https://dropoutprevention.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/C.W.-Gardenhire-pic.jpgistrators for their dedication and hard work in assisting the Alternative Program to achieve certification in the Trauma-Skilled Schools Model as Tommy Stephens (left), Program Director for the National Dropout Prevention Center, awards the certificate to Septtroplex Sene (right), math teacher at Donaldson Middle School Alternative in Greenville, SC.

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About the National Dropout Prevention Center (NDPC)
The NDPC was begun in 1986 to serve as a clearinghouse on issues related to dropout prevention and to offer strategies designed to increase the graduation rate in America’s schools. Over the years, the NDPC has become a well-established national resource for sharing solutions for student success. It does so through its clearinghouse function, active research and evaluation projects, publications, and through a variety of professional development activities. The organization’s Web site—www.dropoutprevention.org—is the nation’s leading resource in providing effective, research-based solutions to engaging students and reducing dropout. In addition, the NDPC conducts a variety of third-party evaluations and Program Assessment and Reviews (PARs) for schools and districts nationwide. By promoting awareness of successful programs and policies related to dropout prevention, the NDPC impacts education from the local to the national level.

About Successful Practices Network (SPN)

SPN was founded in 2003 by Dr. Bill Daggett, and led by Ray McNulty, with an initial five-year grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Since inception, the nonprofit has won multiple additional grants that have allowed the organization to conduct proprietary research and create exclusive instructional and assessment tools that are shared broadly with a network of users. SPN has also worked one-on-one with educators at the state, district and school levels, helping all craft a plan to improve student-centered learning as tailored to their unique school and student needs. Learn more at https://spnetwork.org/.

National Dropout Prevention Center Offers Resources for Schools and Teachers During School Closings

Anderson, SC (March 24, 2020) — School closures are traumatizing students, families, and educators, presenting a new dropout risk factor and requiring schools to develop immediate virtual solutions. The National Dropout Prevention Center (NDPC) has produced topical videos and virtual professional development to support schools and educators during current uncertain times.

As an overview to the current school situation and its long-term effects, NDPC offers three videos suitable for viewing and subsequent online discussions for faculty. The Trauma of Pandemic School Disruption, hosted by John Gailer, developer of the Trauma-Skilled Schools Model, explores the far-reaching implications of trauma related to school disruption for students, staffs, families, and the community at large. View video here https://youtu.be/c0adDQH4Hro. A second video, School Disruption as a Dropout Risk Factor, hosted by Dr. Sandy Addis, Director of National Dropout Prevention Center, discusses the short- and long-term effects of school disruption on the nation’s dropout rates. View video here https://youtu.be/jeoWYeQuAWo. A third video, Virtual Learning in a Time of School Disruption, hosted by Ray McNulty, President of Successful Practices Network and National Dropout Prevention Center, explores the advantages of capitalizing on virtual learning. View video here https://youtu.be/Y29CjY7NLRA. As a supplement, each host is available for online discussions regarding his topic and for follow up interviews by contacting the NDPC at ndpc@199.250.201.124.

Additional offerings from NDPC include on-line courses that can deliver high-impact virtual professional development to educators who must work remotely during extended school shut down periods. Courses include five online courses in the Trauma-Skilled Schools Model, one course for each step of the model. Each of the three-hour interactive virtual courses addresses a component of chronic stress and trauma. Together, the five courses prepare an educator to implement trauma-skilled measures and to support other educators in their work with trauma-impacted students. 

A second set of online courses includes 16 research-based effective dropout prevention strategies courses. Each three- to five-hour interactive virtual course addresses a specific dropout prevention 

NDPC also offers free or reduced-cost virtual professional development. Hundreds of videos, archived broadcasts, and downloadable publications are available at no cost on the NDPC website. School systems are encouraged to access these resources and have staff members utilize them as professional learning tools during times of school closure. These resources may be previewed and accessed at www.dropoutprevention.org

In addition, for a limited time, NDPC offers reduced fees for all online courses purchased as a block. The blocks of courses are available to schools and districts at significantly reduced cost. Rather than the standard cost of $99 per course, NDPC offers blocks of 50 courses at $50 per course, blocks of 100 courses at $40 per course, and blocks of 250 or more courses at $35 per course. Schools and districts wishing to purchase blocks of online courses for professional development during shutdown periods may review these courses at https://dropoutprevention.org/15-effective-strategies-online-courses/ and may send an email inquiry to ndpc@199.250.201.124.

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Media may contact Lynn Dunlap at ldunlap@199.250.201.124 to request interviews with John Gailer regarding the Trauma of Pandemic School Disruption, Dr. Sandy Addis regarding School Disruption as a Dropout Risk Factor, and Ray McNulty regarding Virtual Learning in a Time of School Disruption.

About the National Dropout Prevention Center (NDPC)
Begun in 1986 to serve as a clearinghouse on issues related to dropout prevention and to offer strategies to increase school graduation rates, the NDPC is also a national resource for sharing solutions for student success. The organization’s website—www.dropoutprevention.org—is the nation’s leading resource in providing effective, research-based solutions to engaging students and reducing dropout. By promoting awareness of successful programs and policies related to dropout prevention, the NDPC impacts education from the local to the national level. In 2018, NDPC joined Successful Practices Network and continues to deliver its mission and services under SPN’s guidance.         

About Successful Practices Network 

Successful Practices Network (SPN) is a not-for-profit organization that works with schools and districts globally. The organization is dedicated to bringing the most up-to-date resources and assistance to practitioners and others to achieve success by design, specializing in the areas of Dropout Prevention, Trauma Skills, Career and Technical Education and Literacy. 

Why trauma-informed teaching relies on trust

Educators must excel at building healthy, supportive relationships

In adopting trauma-informed teaching strategies, Nampa’s leaders discovered what their colleagues in other districts have also learned over the last few years: Students have a greater chance of coping with traumatic childhood experiences and succeeding in class when they can turn to a trusted adult at school.

It is, therefore, important that educators excel at building healthy, supportive relationships with young people. In that sense, classroom management in an era of trauma-informed teaching must now incorporate elements of counseling, Russell adds.

Practice Guide for Improving Alternative Schools Issued by National Dropout Prevention Center

Offers clear and actionable process for school leaders for improving graduation rates of alternative schools 

Anderson, SC—(February 10, 2020)—The National Dropout Prevention Center announces the release of a new guide for improving the effectiveness and the graduation rates of alternative schools. This practice guide offers a clear and actionable process and guiding questions that school leaders can use to analyze their alternative schools and programs and to make changes to improve student outcomes.  

There are approximately 10,000 alternative schools and programs in the nation. These schools typically serve the most at-risk students of local school districts, serve a disproportionate number of students of color, students of poverty, and trauma-impacted students. Alternative schools typically have lower graduation rates, are often expensive and challenging to operate, and often rank lower on accountability measures than other schools. Improving student achievement in these settings is of increasing importance since districts are now accountable for closing achievement gaps among underperforming subgroups that often populate alternative schools.

The practice guide, Effective Strategies for Alternative School Improvement, was developed from over 30 years of research and direct involvement with hundreds of alternative schools. It utilizes recommended standards suggested by the National Alternative Education Association and school improvement models such as Dr. Bill Daggett’s Rigor and Relevance Framework for School Improvement. The practice guide recommends five specific areas that should be the focus of alternative school improvement, 32 target areas that should be considered, and offers guiding questions that school leaders can use to determine improvement action steps. Because alternative schools are very different and require different actions to improve, the guide allows school leaders to identify and focus on those areas that are most likely to improve specific need areas within local contexts.

The practice guide was written by Dr. Sandy Addis who is Director of the National Dropout Prevention Center, Dr. Kathie Greer who is Director of Alternative Programs for the School District of Greenville County (SC), and Lynn Dunlap who is Assistant Director of Research at the National Dropout Prevention Center. The guide was developed in collaboration with Dr. Bill Daggett who is Founder of the Successful Practices Network and Ray McNulty who is President of the Successful Practices Network and of the National Dropout Prevention Center.

Effective Strategies for Alternative School Improvement is offered at no cost to states, school districts, and local schools. It is available for review or download from the National Dropout Prevention Center’s website, www.dropoutprevention.org. The authors of the practice guide and the staff of the National Dropout Prevention Center are available to answer questions about the use of the practice guide and are also available to guide school leaders to additional alternative school resources.  Inquiries may be emailed to ndpc@199.250.201.124 or requested by phone at 864-642-6372

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About the National Dropout Prevention Center (NDPC)
Begun in 1986 to serve as a clearinghouse on issues related to dropout prevention and to offer strategies to increase school graduation rates, the NDPC is also a national resource for sharing solutions for student success. The organization’s website—www.dropoutprevention.org—is the nation’s leading resource in providing effective, research-based solutions to engaging students and reducing dropout. By promoting awareness of successful programs and policies related to dropout prevention, the NDPC impacts education from the local to the national level. In 2018, NDPC joined Successful Practices Network and continues to deliver its mission and services under SPN’s guidance.         

About Successful Practices Network 

Successful Practices Network (SPN) is a not-for-profit organization that works with schools and districts globally. The organization is dedicated to bringing the most up-to-date resources and assistance to practitioners and others to achieve success by design, specializing in the areas of Dropout Prevention, Trauma Skills, Career and Technical Education and Literacy. 

National Dropout Prevention Center Announces Nation’s First Trauma-Skilled Specialist

Melisa Sandoval of Westminster Public Schools in Colorado Earns Certification

Anderson, SC—(December 18, 2019)—The National Dropout Prevention Center, a division of Successful Practices Network, announces the nation’s first graduate of the Trauma-Skilled Specialist certification program. Melisa Sandoval, Support Director of Social Emotional Learning and Student Agency for Westminster Public Schools in Westminster, Colorado, completed the program earlier this month.

The Trauma-Skilled Specialist certification program was created after years of research and examination of the impact of trauma on students’ learning and behavior. Designed to meet the growing demand for professional development and skills that educators and others who work with youth need to ensure students’ success in school and in life, the certification includes training and application of skills. 

Speaking of the program’s impact, Sandoval, a mental health professional and educator for over 15 years, says, “The training helps practitioners move far beyond being trauma informed to learning the skills necessary to effectuate change for students experiencing trauma. For example, although understanding the four R’s of being trauma informed is powerful for many practitioners, I often receive the question, ‘Now what?’ The Trauma-Skilled Specialist program helps to address the how and what after the why has been established.”

Research indicates that over 50% of students have experienced some type of trauma significant enough to lead to negative effects on learning and classroom behavior. Trauma-Skilled Specialist training incorporates Tier 1 interventions, meaning that all students benefit, and particularly those who are trauma-impacted. Certification requirements focus on trauma knowledge, resilience development, establishment of school climate and culture, and skills for management of trauma-based incidents. 

Sandoval will be joined by a growing number of Trauma-Skilled Specialists as the program, less than a year old, currently has over 200 participants nationwide.  For her part, Sandoval is excited to share her knowledge. She has already assembled a Trauma Leadership Team in the Westminster Public Schools system to align the trauma-skilled principles learned from training with a mission to deepen understanding, increase competence, and empower the school community so that all staff feel confident in supporting trauma-impacted students.  Sandoval says, “The work [of the Trauma Leadership Team] led to our development of our training framework, which has been rolled out to most of our schools this fall with the goal of reaching 80% of our schools by the end of this school year… and 100% by next fall.”

Westminster Public Schools joins a growing number of schools and school systems nationwide that recognize the need for unity and consistency of staff behaviors and strategies for addressing the behavioral and learning issues of trauma-impacted students and for improving rates of attendance, engagement with instruction, graduation outcomes, and reduced behavioral incidents.

In addition to the Trauma-Skilled Specialist certification program, NDPC provides Trauma-Skilled Schools certification and offers national and local training institutes to address trauma’s impact on students’ cognitive function and behavior in schools. These trainings fulfill the mandated requirement in some states that educators receive professional development in trauma and also fulfills a requirement for Trauma-Skilled Specialist Certification.  For information on state or school specific trauma-skilled training institutes, contact Dr. Sandy Addis, Director of the National Dropout Prevention Center, at haddis@199.250.201.124or by calling (864) 934-8572.

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About the National Dropout Prevention Center (NDPC)
Begun in 1986 to serve as a clearinghouse on issues related to dropout prevention and to offer strategies to increase school graduation rates, the NDPC is also a national resource for sharing solutions for student success. The organization’s website—www.dropoutprevention.org—is the nation’s leading resource in providing effective, research-based solutions to engaging students and reducing dropout. By promoting awareness of successful programs and policies related to dropout prevention, the NDPC impacts education from the local to the national level. In 2018, NDPC joined Successful Practices Network and continues to deliver its mission and services under SPN’s guidance.         

About Successful Practices Network 

Successful Practices Network(SPN) is a not-for-profit organization that works with schools and districts globally. The organization is dedicated to bringing the most up-to-date resources and assistance to practitioners and others to achieve success by design, specializing in the areas of Dropout Prevention, Trauma Skills, Career and Technical Education and Literacy. 

Photo Caption: Melisa Sandoval, Support Director of Social Emotional Learning and Student Agency for Westminster Public Schools in Westminster, Colorado, Certified as Nation’s First Trauma-Skilled Specialist

Bud Carlson Academy: NH’s first ‘trauma-skilled’ school

ROCHESTER — “How many of you have been homeless?” was the question. Half of the group raised their hands, not a one older than 18.

“My father was a drug addict and my mom was associated with bad people and was never really home,” said one student, who has attended eight different schools. “And then my parents were scattered all over the news. Kids picked on me. I was known for that at school, so I just started fighting people.”

National Dropout Prevention Center Releases Online Courses in Trauma for Educators

Anderson, SC–The National Dropout Prevention Center has released five online courses and a series of Trauma-Skilled Schools Institutes to help educators better meet the needs of trauma-impacted students and to meet state and local training needs. Many states and local school districts are recommending or mandating trauma training and an efficient and cost-effective way to accomplish this training is needed.

The National Dropout Prevention Center (NDPC) provides training for educators in trauma’s impact on behavior and learning to address trauma-impacted students’ needs and to help ensure their success in school and in life. The Trauma-Skilled Schools Model training, developed by the National Dropout Prevention Center, meets a variety of professional development requirements and mandated trauma training for educators. Training in this model is currently underway in 18 school districts across 11 states. This training goes beyond “trauma-informed” and “trauma-sensitive” to specific actions for schools. This training is also a school safety measure because addressing the needs of trauma-impacted students significantly reduces the likelihood of violence and aggression.

Researchers estimate that more than 50% of today’s students have experienced some form of trauma significant enough to negatively impact school behavior and learning and that no matter the source or type of trauma, the negative implications for learning and behavior are similar. The National Dropout Prevention Center, a non-profit that has served as the nation’s leading source for research on dropout prevention and best practices for over thirty years, developed the Trauma-Skilled Schools Model to focus on the under-addressed root causes of many, if not most, dropout risk factors, school attendance issues, school behavior problems and low achievement levels. 

“We know that nationally fifteen percent of those students who begin ninth grade do not graduate with their cohorts,” said Dr. Sandy Addis, Director of the National Dropout Prevention Center. “We can safely say that most of these students have experienced significant trauma at some point. Yet we also know that some students who experience trauma succeed and even excel academically. What the Trauma-Skilled Schools Model has done is to examine the factors that lead to success and develop a model that can be replicated for all students.” The Trauma-Skilled Schools Model differs from other trauma training in that it focuses on more than knowledge about trauma and focuses on educator action steps and skills to help trauma-impacted students succeed and graduate.

Based on the three years of research by the National Dropout Prevention Center and early success of the Trauma-Skilled Schools Model, NDPC now offers Trauma-Skilled Schools Institutes for school districts, online courses for educators, and Trauma-Skilled Specialist Certification for individual educators. The online courses can each be completed in two or three hours, explore each step of the Trauma-Skilled Schools Model, and meet many trauma training mandates for educators.

“Students require educators to be more than “trauma-informed” or “trauma-sensitive’,” notes Dr. Bill Daggett, a longtime advocate for innovation in school practices. “Our nation’s graduation rate hovers at 84% and we believe that the impact of trauma is a root cause. We must examine this issue more closely and this training, particularly these new online courses, help educators to do just that.”

For additional information on the Trauma-Skilled Schools Model, on-line courses, and professional development opportunities, and Trauma-Skilled Specialist Certification, visit https://dropoutprevention.org/trauma-skilled-schools-resources/.

About the National Dropout Prevention Center (NDPC)
The National Dropout Prevention Center www.dropoutprevention.org, a division of Successful Practices Network www.spnetwork.org, was begun in 1986 to serve as a clearinghouse on issues related to dropout prevention and to offer strategies designed to increase the graduation rate in America’s schools. NDPC is a well-established national resource for sharing solutions for student success. It does so through its clearinghouse function, active research and evaluation projects, publications, and through a variety of professional development activities. The organization’s website—www.dropoutprevention.org—is the nation’s leading resource in providing effective, research-based solutions to engaging students and reducing dropout. By promoting awareness of successful programs and policies related to dropout prevention, the NDPC impacts education from the local to the national level. 

Dropout Prevention Month: How to keep students engaged according to Dr. Robert Brooks

A key to keeping students engaged in school may be as easy as welcoming them every day by name and giving them a smile, said Dr. Robert Brooks, a psychologist and faculty member of Harvard Medical School who will be a keynote speaker at the National Dropout Prevention Conference Saturday, Oct. 5, through Tuesday, Oct. 8, at Aurora’s Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center.

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