Author: admin

Clemson, SC – Dr. Lawrence R. Allen, Professor and Dean Emeritus of the College of Health, Education, and Human Development (HEHD) at Clemson University, is the recipient of the Governor and Mrs. Richard W. Riley Award of Excellence in Dropout Prevention, given annually by the National Dropout Prevention Center to an individual who has made significant contributions to the advancement of dropout prevention initiatives in the state of South Carolina.

Currently a Professor in the Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Management, Dr. Allen served as Dean of HEHD for 13 years until he stepped down in 2014. Dr. Allen was selected for the Governor and Mrs. Richard W. Riley Award of Excellence in Dropout Prevention not only for his contributions to dropout prevention in the state of South Carolina, but also in recognition of the support he and the university have provided the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network (NDPC/N). Now part of the university’s Eugene T. Moore School of Education, the NDPC/N was one among several nationally recognized educational centers and programs https://dropoutprevention.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/C.W.-Gardenhire-pic.jpgistratively housed in HEHD during Dr. Allen’s tenure.

“Dr. Allen’s abiding passion for education, and his championing of our dropout prevention research and solutions were important factors in the ability of NDPC/N to sustain and grow our center’s national standing,” said Dr. Sandy Addis, Interim Executive Director of NDPC/N.

Also among Dr. Allen’s contributions to the discussion on dropout prevention, said Dr. Addis, was “expanding the concept beyond teachers and the school yard to include the family and the greater community. His national and international outreach on this issue has helped our organization, and others, to bring more foot-soldiers, stakeholders, and resources to decreasing dropout.”

Dr. Allen earned his undergraduate degree in education from West Chester State University, and his PhD in recreation with a specialty in counseling from the University of Maryland. Dr. Allen’s professional, educational and personal pursuits have taken him to virtually every continent on the globe. And when he has the opportunity to overlap his interests in tourism, recreation, and community well-being here and abroad, he also endeavors to share and learn more about the positive impacts that recreational and educational programs have on at-risk youth.

“The National Dropout Prevention Center and Network have been advocates for education reform in South Carolina and nationally for almost 30 years, and I am deeply honored to receive the Riley Award,” he said. “It is especially gratifying to me that the award is in the name of [former SC Governor and US Secretary of Education under President Bill Clinton] Governor and Mrs. Riley. Both the Rileys and the NDPC have been leaders in building educational systems that are responsive to our children and their needs.”

Founded in 1986 and headquartered on the Clemson University campus in Clemson, South Carolina, the NDPC/N provides research and evidence-based effective solutions that can be utilized by schools, districts, and communities in the effort to decrease dropout and increase graduation rates nationally.

CLEMSON, SC (February 2, 2015) — Ray McNulty, Dean of the School of Education at Southern New Hampshire University, will discuss Competency-Based Learning as a guest on the February 10, 2015, episode of Solutions to the Dropout Crisis, produced by the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network (NDPC/N) and Clemson Broadcast Productions.

Solutions to the Dropout Crisis features national experts in the area of school dropout prevention, intervention, reentry, and recovery. Hosted by Marty Duckenfield, the professional development webcast provides audiences with actionable, research-based practices shown to be effective in schools and communities to prevent dropout. Solutions airs at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time on the second Tuesday of each month.

McNulty is a nationally renowned educator and education advocate dedicated to improving and reinventing our nation’s high schools. Competency-based learning encourages students to achieve and learn at their own pace, in addition to incorporating growth experiences outside the classroom.

“This style of learning is becoming increasingly relevant and critical to students’ educational success,” said McNulty. “Expanding opportunities for students to learn and to share with others what they’ve learned increases student engagement and helps reduce the incidence of dropout,” he added.

Upcoming Solutions webcasts (subject to change) will address the importance of early childhood education, effective classroom management tools for students exhibiting disruptive behavior, and how family engagement in the learning process positively impacts graduation rates, according to Duckenfield.

“We’re very excited to have such an impressive slate of national experts and topics in the coming months,” said Duckenfield. “Their participation in Solutions and sharing of their research will enable our viewers to learn and have a positive impact on dropout prevention.”

Viewers can catch live Solutions episodes and past shows by visiting the NDPC/N webcasts or via ClemsonTV at the Solutions to the Dropout Crisis Archive.

The NDPC/N, in partnership with Clemson Broadcast Productions, has been broadcasting Solutions since 2008, first as a radio webcast, and now in a TV format. Founded in 1986 and headquartered on the Clemson University campus in Clemson, South Carolina, the NDPC/N provides research and evidence-based effective solutions that can be utilized by schools, districts, and communities in the effort to decrease dropout and increase graduation rates nationally.

ClemsonTV is an Internet-based, centralized video portal that features live programming as well as recorded and prepackaged video content. The purpose of ClemsonTV is to showcase the tradition, excellence, and impact of Clemson University through high-quality live and recorded video content. It will allow members of the campus community to showcase and bring visibility to their scholastic achievements and discoveries not only to the rest of campus but also to a broader statewide and global audience.

For Additional Information Contact:
Mark Cheatham
Public Information Director
National Dropout Prevention Center/Network
phone: (864) 656-4139
email: mrc2@clemson.edu

CLEMSON, SC — The National Dropout Prevention Network (NDPN) recognized Kelly Tonsmeire as a recipient of the 2014 Crystal Star Award of Excellence for his contributions in the field of dropout prevention. Tonsmeire has devoted the past three decades of his career to providing leadership throughout the state in several critical areas of dropout prevention.

Tonsmeire serves as the director of the Alaska Staff Development Network, non-profit education organization that provides staff development services to educators in Alaska’s K-12 grades. Alaska Staff Development Network is https://dropoutprevention.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/C.W.-Gardenhire-pic.jpgistered by the Alaska Council of School Administrators. Tonsmeire also directed the Rural Alaska Principal Preparation and Support program, which is designed to reach out to Alaska’s remote districts in order to provide support and https://dropoutprevention.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/C.W.-Gardenhire-pic.jpgistrative education.

In addition to the aforementioned programs, Tonsmeire has further demonstrated his leadership in dropout prevention as director of the Graduation and Academic Improvement for Native Students project, a four-year program located in Bering Strait School District. The program aims to identify at-risk youth and assist them in reaching graduation. This project has increased the graduation rate of the Bering Strait School District by nearly 42%.

“Kelly Tonsmeire is a stellar example of the kind of educator and https://dropoutprevention.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/C.W.-Gardenhire-pic.jpgistrator whose broad-based commitment to dropout prevention generates significant results,” said John Gailer, Assistant Academic Program Director for Programs and Outreach for NDPN. “His tireless advocacy has benefitted students, teachers and https://dropoutprevention.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/C.W.-Gardenhire-pic.jpgistrators throughout Alaska.”

Tonsmeire has also written and directed grants from the U.S. Department of Education and private donors totaling more than $50 million. The money secured by these grants has been utilized to improve student achievement in Alaska’s low-performing schools and districts.

The award to Tonsmeire was announced at the NDPN’s recent National Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, and will be presented personally during NDPN’s At-Risk Youth Forum taking place February 15-18, 2015 in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Clemson, South Carolina, the NDPN provides research and evidence-based effective solutions that can be utilized by schools, districts, and communities in the effort to increase graduation rates nationally and provide support to at-risk youth. NDPN’s Crystal Star Award is presented annually to individuals, organizations and programs in recognition of their commitment to education and dropout prevention.

In addition to Tonsmeire, individual winners of this year’s NDPN Crystal Star Awards in the area of dropout prevention include Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear and Governor Steven L. Beshear; former U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao; and Seith Bedard of the Peabody Learning Academy, in Peabody, MA. Dropout prevention program winners were Mountain Educational Charter High School in Cleveland, GA and Edmonton Catholic Schools in Alberta, Canada.

 

CLEMSON, SC – The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network (NDPC/N) at Clemson University and ClemsonTV have announced a new collaborative partnership to increase the webcast audience for NDPC/N’s long-playing professional learning series, Solutions to the Dropout Crisis.

UPDATE: This program, originally scheduled for a January 13th airing, has been postponed due to inclement weather at the out-of-state studio. The new air date will be Tuesday, January 20, 2015, at 3:30 p.m. ET. Please join us for this rescheduled program.

Solutions to the Dropout Crisis, which features national experts in the area of school dropout prevention, intervention, and recovery, airs at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time on the second Tuesday of each month. The long-running and well-received educational series is hosted by Marty Duckenfield. The January webcast, postponed until January 20 due to inclement weather, will feature NDPC Research Fellow Dr. Patrick O’Connor and Dr. William Kist, both of Kent State University, who will discuss “Using Social Media to Engage Learners.” The O’Connor and Kist webcast will be the first Solutions episode available on both ClemsonTV and the NDPC Web site. Audiences may tune in to Solutions at www.dropoutprevention.org/webcast or via ClemsonTV at http://newsstand.clemson.edu/tv/channel/lectures (click on Solutions). Starting with this episode, programs will also be archived on both ClemsonTV and NDPC/N Web sites.

“We are pleased that the audience for this program, which reaches educators, community members, and legislators from all across the country, will grow with this partnership,” said Dr. Sandy Addis, Interim Executive Director of NDPC/N. “Reducing the nation’s dropout numbers and engaging students in completing their high school education is critical to the well-being of the nation. The successful strategies that educators and experts are sharing on Solutions are designed to best meet the challenge of reducing dropout and increasing graduation rates.”

ClemsonTV is an Internet-based, centralized video portal that features live programming as well as recorded and pre-packaged video content. The purpose of ClemsonTV is to showcase the tradition, excellence, and impact of Clemson University through high-quality live and recorded video content. It will allow members of the campus community to showcase and bring visibility to their scholastic achievements and discoveries not only to the rest of campus but also to a broader statewide and global audience.

The NDPC/N has been broadcasting Solutions since 2008, first as a radio webcast, in partnership with Clemson Broadcast Productions, and now in a TV format.

Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Clemson, South Carolina, the NDPC/N provides research and evidence-based effective solutions that can be utilized by schools, districts, and communities in the effort to increase graduation rates nationally and provide support to at-risk youth.

 

Clemson, SC – Seith Bedard, Director of the Peabody Learning Academy, an alternative high school in Peabody, MA, will be recognized during the national conference of the National Dropout Prevention Network (NDPN) with the organization’s 2014 Crystal Star Award of Excellence in Dropout Prevention.

Bedard has served Peabody Learning Academy—located 30 miles north of Boston—for ten years. The school provides at-risk and returning students with a rigorous academic program, small class sizes, and individualized selections. Bedard is being recognized for championing the inclusion of service-learning into the academy’s curriculum, with students giving back to their community by volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, the American Red Cross, and several other organizations.

“It is an honor for our organization to celebrate an innovator like Seith Bedard and the Peabody Learning Academy,” said John Gailer, Assistant Academic Program Director for Programs and Outreach for NDPN. “He and the academy are stellar examples of a school that has taken the alternative education concept and made it their own in a manner that best fit the students, faculty, family, and community.” Bedard has also established a community advisory board, and an annual scholarship fundraiser for the school, which is supported by the Simon Youth Foundation nonprofit educational charity.

And since 2010, the Peabody Learning Academy under Bedard’s stewardship has achieved a 100 percent graduation rate.

Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Clemson, South Carolina, the NDPN provides research, and effective, evidence-based solutions that can be utilized by schools, districts, and communities in the effort to increase graduation rates nationally.

The organization’s Crystal Star Award is presented annually to individuals, organizations and programs committed to education, dropout prevention and recovery.

In addition to Bedard, individual winners of this year’s NDPN Crystal Star Awards in the area of dropout prevention include Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear and Governor Steven L. Beshear; former U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao; and Kelly Tonsmeire of the Alaska Staff Development Network in Douglas, AK. Dropout prevention program winners include Mountain Educational Charter High School in Cleveland, GA and Edmonton Catholic Schools in Alberta, Canada.

 

CLEMSON, SC – Kentucky Governor Steven L. Beshear and First Lady Jane Beshear will receive the National Dropout Prevention Network’s (NDPN) 2014 Crystal Star Award for Distinguished Leadership and Service during the organization’s upcoming national conference in Louisville, KY, it was announced today by Dr. Elizabeth “Beth” Reynolds, Executive Director of NDPN.

“Governor Beshear and the First Lady have demonstrated their commitment to education by championing programs and legislation designed to ensure that students throughout the state not only graduate high school but are college- and career-ready,” said Reynolds. “Their example is certainly one to emulate and we are pleased to recognize their leadership in dropout prevention with the Crystal Star Award.”

Established in 1986 and headquartered in Clemson, South Carolina on the Clemson University campus, the National Dropout Prevention Network provides research, resources, evidence-based solutions and support to schools, districts, https://dropoutprevention.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/C.W.-Gardenhire-pic.jpgistrators and communities throughout the country in combatting dropout and increasing graduation rates. The organization’s Crystal Star Award is presented annually to individuals and organizations who have demonstrated their commitment to education and to bettering the lives of others.

A two-term Governor first elected to office in 2007, Beshear (D) and the First Lady – a former teacher – worked with both chambers of the General Assembly to introduce, pass, and implement Senate Bill 97 (SB 97) also known as the Kentucky Graduation Bill.

SB 97 is the most far-reaching dropout prevention legislation created in Kentucky, and raises the permissible dropout age from 16 to 18 years old for every student in the state.

“Keeping students enrolled in school is just the first step,” said Governor Beshear. “We must also keep them engaged and on the path to graduation and success in college, career and life. Preventing dropouts strengthens our economy and workforce, and improves the standard of living for every citizen.”

Governor Beshear and the First Lady were also instrumental in bringing the NDPN National Conference to the Louisville so that educators attending from throughout the state can learn first-hand about the latest effective strategies and initiatives in dropout prevention.

The presentation to the Governor and First Lady will take place on Tuesday, November 4, 2014 at The Galt House Hotel. The presentation is for invited guests. Media representatives interested in providing coverage of the awards may contact NDPC to confirm attendance, and secure the time and location of the event by calling (864) 656-3875.

Individual winners of the NDPN’s Crystal Star Awards in the area of dropout prevention include Kelly Tonsmeire, of the Alaska Staff Development Network in Douglas, AK, and Seith Bedard, of the Peabody Learning Academy, in Peabody, MA. Program recipients of the Crystal Star Award for 2014 are Mountain Educational Charter High School in Cleveland, GA and Edmonton Catholic Schools in Alberta, Canada. All of the NDPN Crystal Star Award winners will be recognized during the November 4 festivities. Following the awards, all media will be serviced with post-event information and photographs of the Crystal Star Award recipients.

CLEMSON, SC – The National Dropout Prevention Network (NDPN) will present its 2014 Crystal Star Award for Lifetime Achievement and National Impact to the Honorable Elaine L. Chao, the former and 24^th U.S. Secretary of Labor, during the organization’s upcoming national conference in Louisville, KY, it was announced today by Dr. Elizabeth “Beth” Reynolds, Executive Director of NDPN.

Established in 1986 and headquartered in Clemson, South Carolina on the Clemson University campus, the National Dropout Prevention Network provides research, resources, evidence-based solutions and support to schools, districts, https://dropoutprevention.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/C.W.-Gardenhire-pic.jpgistrators and communities throughout the country in combatting dropout and increasing graduation rates. The organization’s Crystal Star Award is presented annually to individuals and organizations who have demonstrated their commitment to education and to bettering the lives of others.

Secretary Chao, who served as Secretary of Labor from 2001-2009 during the presidency of George W. Bush, is currently a Distinguished Fellow at The Heritage Foundation, an educational and research institute in Washington, D.C. In a career dedicated to public service, Chao’s has previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the United Way of America, Director of the Peace Corps and Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation, among other positions.

Chao has also been a lifelong advocate of education. As one of six daughters who immigrated to the

U.S. when she was eight, Chao knew no English once arriving in her new country. The former secretary earned an MBA from the Harvard Business School and an economics degree from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, MA.

“We are pleased to recognize the former secretary for her distinguished career in the public, private and non-private sectors, her advocacy of the importance of education, and her stellar personal example of success and determination,” said Reynolds.

Chao, who is married to Kentucky Senator and Senate Minority Leader Mitchell “Mitch” McConnell, Jr.¸ will be feted during a special award reception on Sunday, November 2, 2014 at The Galt House Hotel in Louisville, KY. The event is being hosted by Reynolds; NDPN Board Member Elayne Bennett and former U.S. Secretary of Education, William “Bill” Bennett; NDPN Board Chair Raymond J. McNulty; and Ruth Fox and Dr. Marty Fox of Lexington, KY. The Crystal Star Awards presentation is for invited guests. Media representatives interested in providing coverage may contact the NDPC to submit a request, and secure the time and location of the event by calling (864) 656-3875.

Other dignitaries scheduled to attend the November 2–5 NDPN conference include Kentucky Governor Steven L. Beshear and First Lady Jane Beshear, who will be presented with a Crystal Star Award of Excellence in recognition of their distinguished leadership and service. The presentation to the Governor and First Lady will take place on Tuesday, November 4, 2014, also at The Galt House Hotel.

Individual winners of the NDPN’s Crystal Star Awards in the area of dropout prevention include Kelly Tonsmeire, of the Alaska Staff Development Network in Douglas, AK, and Seith Bedard, Director of the Peabody Learning Academy, in Peabody, MA.

Program recipients of the Crystal Star Award for 2014 are Mountain Educational Charter High School in Cleveland, GA, and Edmonton Catholic Schools in Alberta, Canada.

 

CLEMSON, SC—Clemson University’s National Dropout Prevention Center/Network and Clemson Broadcast Productions, under a subcontract to Manhattan Strategy Group (MSG), will provide services to the U.S. Department of Education to analyze and enhance rural dropout prevention efforts in 15 states.

The Clemson entities and their partners will analyze the states’ dropout prevention needs and develop solutions and resources for state education departments and school districts. The project will focus on states with a high percentage of schools in rural and remote areas, including Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming.

The U.S. Department of Education recently awarded a contract for this project to Manhattan Strategy Group that includes funding to the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network and Clemson Broadcast Productions over a two-year period.

The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network will support the project’s needs assessment process, help develop dropout prevention tools and products, and provide assistance to the states. Clemson Broadcast Productions will observe and film the dropout prevention work in each state and produce a series of 15 documentary videos to be used by the U.S. Department of Education to train rural educators in all of the states.

“The funding will allow the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network and Clemson Broadcast Productions to support Clemson’s national public service goals and address the nation’s dropout prevention crisis,” said Sandy Addis, associate director of the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network, who will work with Eric Rodgers, interim director of Clemson Broadcast Productions, on the project.

“MSG has a history of successful partnerships to deliver best-in-class solutions to the U.S. Department of Education,” said Shezad Habib, managing partner of MSG. “The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network and Clemson Broadcast Productions bring unique and proven capabilities that further our mutual goals in dropout prevention.”

“A number of university-based and other dropout prevention organizations aggressively sought award of this contract,” Addis added. “The selection of MSG and two Clemson-based organizations for this work is a tribute to Clemson’s commitment to national public service.”

 

Visit the original press release at http://www.clemson.edu/hehd/news/hehdlines/rural-dropout-prevention-focus-clemson-us-dept-ed-partnership.html

 

CLEMSON, SC — A new report from National Dropout Prevention Center researchers at Clemson University has been published in collaboration with, and through funding from, the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education at the University of Louisville. The report summarizes five years of data collection and analyses on the effects of South Carolina’s statewide career-focused Education and Economic Development Act (EEDA) on students and Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs at eight high schools in South Carolina. Several thousand students were surveyed and interviewed along with https://dropoutprevention.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/C.W.-Gardenhire-pic.jpgistrators, teachers, guidance counselors, career specialists, and others. Among other things, researchers found that the percentages of students exposed to the policy who found a guidance counselor to be the most helpful person in career planning were significantly higher than those of students not exposed to the policy. This finding was true for both CTE and non-CTE students. Having “no one” who was helpful with career plans was almost nonexistent as a response from students exposed to EEDA, whereas that response was chosen more often by those not exposed to the policy. Twelve major themes emerged from study data. Read the project overview, the NRCCTE’s CenterPoint announcement, the executive summary (abridged and unabridged), and the final report (abridged and unabridged)

Final Unabridged Executive Summary

Suggested citation: Hammond, C., Withington, C., Sharp, J., Mobley, C., Drew, S. F., Springfield, N. S., … Griffith, C. (2014). Programs of study as a state policy mandate: A longitudinal study of the South Carolina Personal Pathways to Success Initiative (Unabridged Final Technical Report Years 1-5, Executive Summary and Implications of Findings). Retrieved from National Dropout Prevention Center/Network Web site: www.dropoutprevention.org/publications/research-reports/personal-pathways

 

Final Unabridged Full Report

Suggested citation: Hammond, C., Withington, C., Sharp, J., Mobley, C., Drew, S. F., Springfield, N. S., . . . Griffith, C. (2014). Programs of study as a state policy mandate: A longitudinal study of the South Carolina Personal Pathways to Success Initiative (Unabridged Final Technical Report Years 1-5). Retrieved from National Dropout Prevention Center/Network Web site: www.dropoutprevention.org/publications/research-reports/personal-pathways