Author: admin

Richland County (SC) School District One Coordinator of Dropout Prevention and Community Partnerships Recognized for School, Faith-Based, and Community Efforts to Reduce Dropout Rate

ANDERSON, S.C. (February 22, 2018) – Kerry Leslie Abel, Coordinator of Dropout Prevention and Community Partnerships for Richland County (SC) School District One, is the 2018 recipient of the National Dropout Prevention Center’s Governor and Mrs. Richard W. Riley Award for Excellence in Dropout Prevention. The Riley Award recognizes a South Carolinian who has made a significant contribution to improving high school graduation rates. The award is given in honor of Governor and Mrs. Richard W. Riley because of their many years of service and contributions to the school success of South Carolina’s youth. As Governor and First Lady of South Carolina, the Rileys led the state through an era of successful school improvement. Governor Riley later served as Secretary of Education in the Clinton https://dropoutprevention.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/C.W.-Gardenhire-pic.jpgistration and was instrumental in founding the National Dropout Prevention Center.

Kerry Abel is responsible for coordinating Richland County School District One’s efforts related to dropout prevention, intervention, and special programs. He is also the cofounder and Coordinator of the Richland One Evening High School, a high school designed to serve students aged 16-20 interested in obtaining a high school diploma but, due to life circumstances, are unable to attend school during the day. Mr. Abel is the founding director of the Office of Afterschool Programs for Richland County School District One and served as director for six years. Under his leadership the district received the 2004 Afterschool Champion Award from the National Afterschool Alliance. His past experience includes Project Director for Richland One’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant and Director of the Columbia Urban League’s “Drugs Destroy Dreams” Youth Drug Prevention Program. Mr. Abel is active in his alumni, church, and professional communities, including board membership for the South Carolina Afterschool Alliance and the Community Health Assistance Team. He is a member of the National Dropout Prevention Network and the South Carolina Alliance of Black School Educators, receiving that organization’s 2014 President’s Award.

Dr. Sandy Addis, Director of The National Dropout Prevention Center, said, “Kerry Abel serves as an example for those of us who have dedicated our lives to dropout prevention. He has combined his passion for insuring students have the opportunity to receive a high school diploma with reinforcing the efforts of the community towards that end. His work in schools, the faith community, and the community at large represents the systemic approach to dropout preventions the NDPC has advocated for over 30 years.”

About the National Dropout Prevention Center (NDPC)

Established in 1986 with a mission to reduce dropout rates, the NDPC shares solutions for student success and dropout prevention through its clearinghouse function, active research and evaluation projects, publications, and a variety of professional development activities and conferences. 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.

-end-

 

Photo caption: Kerry Abel accepts the Governor and Mrs. Richard W. Riley Award of Excellence in Dropout Prevention at the 2018 At-Risk Youth National FORUM in Myrtle Beach, SC.

National Dropout Prevention Network Announces Lori Lamb As 2017 Crystal Star Award Recipient

Award Recognizes Significant Contributions to Dropout Prevention, Recovery and Reentry

ANDERSON, SC (February 22, 2018) – The National Dropout Prevention Network (NDPN) is pleased to announce that Lori Lamb, Director of Alternative Education for the Arkansas Department of Education, has been selected for a 2017 National Dropout Prevention Network Crystal Star Awards of Excellence in Dropout Recovery, Intervention, and Prevention individual award. This annual award identifies and brings national recognition to outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to the advancement of dropout prevention, intervention, recovery and reentry and that represent best practices in the field.

Lori Lamb is described by peers as a visionary with a diverse range of leadership skills. Lamb served as past regional director, vice president, and president of the National Alternative Education Association, working to advance alternative education legislatively, both in the state of Arkansas and nationally. Additionally, lamb worked to strengthen alternative education by developing research-based guidelines and indicators to assist programs nationally in designing, implementing, and evaluating alternative education programs.

As Director of Alternative Education for the Arkansas Department of Education, Lamb works with dropout prevention, intervention, and recovery efforts by serving 22 school districts in her role as an educational partner to all Arkansas school superintendents. She develops and presents organizational structures that allow schools to cultivate learning environments to provide authentic teaching and learning.

Lamb has been in education for 34 years. She is a former foster child and, in partnership with her husband, has been a foster parent for 25 young people throughout her career. She has a passion for developing positive role models for all at-risk children that permeates her professional and her personal life.

Lamb accepted her Individual Crystal Star Award at the 2018 At-Risk Youth National FORUM in Myrtle Beach.

About the National Dropout Prevention Center (NDPC)

Established in 1986 with a mission to reduce dropout rates, the NDPC shares solutions for student success and dropout prevention through its clearinghouse function, active research and evaluation projects, publications and a variety of professional development activities and conferences. 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.

-end-

Photo Caption: Dr. Pamela Bruening (left) with 2017 Crystal Star Award Recipient Lori Lamb, Director of Alternative Education for the Arkansas Department of Education.

 

For Additional Information Contact:
Lynn Dunlap, Director of Communications
National Dropout Prevention Center
Phone: 864-642-6372 Ext.105
Email: ldunlap@199.250.201.124

JAY SMINK LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD IN DROPOUT PREVENTION ESTABLISHED AND INITIAL RECIPIENT HONORED

Award Honors Retired Director of National Dropout Prevention Center’s Work

ANDERSON, S.C. (February 22, 2018) –The National Dropout Prevention Center (NDPC) announces the establishment of the Jay Smink Lifetime Achievement Award in Dropout Prevention. Because of his immeasurable impact on dropout prevention, intervention, and recovery, NDPC has named Dr. Jay Smink as the award’s inaugural recipient. The award will be presented annually to individuals who have made a significant impact in dropout prevention as a longtime partner of the National Dropout Prevention Center.

Dr. Smink’s long and distinguished career includes a strong background in public education programs at the state and local levels. He conducted numerous national and regional workshops for https://dropoutprevention.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/C.W.-Gardenhire-pic.jpgistrators and teachers on a wide range of instructional, management, and leadership issues and was a frequent guest on television and radio talk shows. He is the author of journal articles, newsletters, and numerous professional monographs and books on a wide range of topics, including research, school reform, and teaching skills to assist students with basic academic skills. His publications include coauthoring the best-selling book Helping Students Graduate. His national leadership and authority on truancy and dropout prevention, mentoring, alternative schools, after-school programs, learning styles, service-learning, school-to-work, vocational education research, safe school environments, project evaluation and accountability, education marketing and dissemination, and program management secured his professional status as a well-respected leader in dropout prevention.

Dr. Smink served as executive director of the National Dropout Prevention Center for 24 years and was awarded professor emeritus in Clemson University’s College of Health, Education, and Human Development. His career also included classroom teaching in public schools, leadership positions in state agencies, and research and https://dropoutprevention.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/C.W.-Gardenhire-pic.jpgistrative positions in the national career and technical education center at The Ohio State University.

After retiring as executive director of the National Dropout Prevention Center in 2011, he continues to impact dropout prevention efforts in countless schools nationwide. His work in dropout prevention led to the identification of 15 Effective Strategies for Dropout Prevention that can and do have a positive effect on the challenge of dropouts. The importance of these strategies is recognized nationwide as guidelines for school improvement and at-risk student intervention. They continue to be the foundation on which the NDPC operates, resulting in his lasting legacy to education and, more important, to helping at-risk youth graduate.

Dr. Smink served on numerous national and state boards, including the American Bar Association Advisory Commission on Youth Alcohol and Other Drug Problems, National Association for Industry-Education Cooperative, the National Mentoring Partnership, the Center for Career and Technical Education at The Ohio State University, and the South Carolina Commission on National and Community Service. In 2013, in recognition of his service to dropout prevention, recovery, and reentry, Dr. Smink was awarded the Governor and Mrs. Richard W. Riley Award for significant contributions to the advancement of dropout prevention initiatives in the state of South Carolina. In addition, in 2006, Dr. Smink was presented the National Dropout Prevention Center’s Crystal Star Award of Excellence Distinguished Leadership and Service award. It is with pleasure that the National Dropout Prevention Center once again recognizes the far-reaching impact of Dr. Jay Smink’s work through the establishment of the Jay Smink Lifetime Achievement Award in Dropout Prevention and naming Dr. Smink as its inaugural recipient.

Dr. Sandy Addis, Director of the National Dropout Prevention Center, said, “Dr. Smink established the research-based 15 Effective Strategies for Dropout Prevention that have served as the foundation for the National Dropout Prevention Center’s work for over 30 years. His contributions to dropout prevention are almost immeasurable and his continued dedication and passion are obvious today. It is a fitting tribute to Dr. Smink that his contributions to dropout prevention remain in the forefront for the dedicated professionals who devote their lives to dropout prevention by honoring Dr. Smink today and honoring others who share his passion in the future with an award that bears his name.”

About the National Dropout Prevention Center (NDPC)

Established in 1986 with a mission to reduce dropout rates, the NDPC shares solutions for student success and dropout prevention through its clearinghouse function, active research and evaluation projects, publications, and a variety of professional development activities and conferences. 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.

-end-

Photo caption: Dr. Sandy Addis (left) presents Jay Smink with the inaugural Jay Smink Lifetime Achievement Award in Dropout Prevention at the 2018 At-Risk Youth National FORUM in Myrtle Beach, SC.

For Additional Information Contact:
Lynn Dunlap, Director of Communications
National Dropout Prevention Center
Phone: 864-642-6372 Ext.105
Email: ldunlap@199.250.201.124

School Safety: It’s Complex, “But We Are Not Powerless”

Our nation is once again shocked and appalled by a senseless school shooting. Once again, the media and political factions clamor for answers, numerous and simple solutions are quickly offered, and blame is directed almost everywhere.  If we look behind the clamor for simple solutions to a complex problem, a great deal of agreement can be seen.  Commenting on the Parkland school shooting, former President Barack Obama said, “We are grieving with Parkland, but we are not powerless. Caring for our kids is our first job.”  Commenting on the same incident, President Donald Trump said, “Our entire nation, with one heavy heart, is praying for the victims and their families. No child, no teacher, should ever be in danger in an American school.” 

If we as a nation can reach this degree of agreement on the importance of the issue and on our responsibility to address it, and if we can achieve an equally unanimous level of agreement that this problem will require complex and multiple answers to fix over time, then indeed “….we are not powerless.”

For years, the National Dropout Prevention Center has worked with schools, districts, and communities to reduce “at-risk” behaviors, to reduce “dropouts”, and to address the impact of “trauma” for youth. Each of these terms, and their relationship to the Parkland tragedy, has been extensively explored in recent commentary about and analysis of the Parkland school shooting. 

Kids being, or becoming, at risk is a complex matter and varies among kids, schools, and communities.  Trauma takes many forms, may be rooted in the family, the community, or the school, and impacts children in different ways, but always negatively.  Dropouts, those students who for whatever reason do not make it to high school completion, have numerous and complex situations and usually gradually disengage from a relationship with school rather than simply departing school for a single reason.

Our nation’s schools have struggled with the at-risk conditions of our youth, the negative effects of trauma on our young people, and the dropout issue since the 1980s.  If we agree that “…we are not powerless” to ensure that “No child, no teacher, should ever be in danger” can we also agree on the lessons learned over 30+ years that can help us make schools safer?

We know from research and experience that certain approaches reduce the negative impact of at-risk circumstances and trauma and in turn reduce dropouts. Several of the National Dropout Prevention Center’s 15 Effective Strategies for Dropout Prevention are directly applicable to the complex issue of school safety and certainly we are not powerless to make better use of them to make our schools safer.

Systemic Approach means that everyone in the system (the school system) understands and is aware of the at-risk conditions of all students, owns the success of those at-risk students, and does their part to identify and assist them.

Community Collaboration means that matters of at risk, trauma, and dropout are concerns of the total community and that neighbors, law enforcement, public services, health care providers, and the faith community all work with the school to identify, sound alerts, and provide wrap-around services to children and families that might otherwise be safety risks.

Safe Learning Environment of schools does not just mean freedom from violence and danger. It means that ALL students feel that their school is an emotionally and psychologically a safe place where they belong and want to enjoy being every day. It means that the school climate is valued by ALL students and teachers and is something they enjoy and want to preserve.

Family Engagement means more than parents attending teacher conferences and school meetings. It means that families and educators trust each other, communicate openly about the child’s best interest, and share behavioral changes and concerns that each might help the other to better understand and address.

Alternative Schooling means more than just having a different place to house and punish misbehaving students.  It means that school systems offer multiple varied places, times, and approaches to teaching and graduating those students who for whatever reason do not function well in the traditional school environment.  It also means that, for students whose behavior prevents their enrollment in the traditional school, there are appropriate alternative programs that provide the necessary supports to develop the behaviors and skills necessary to become a productive citizen.

“….we are not powerless” to improve the safety of our schools and to reduce the likelihood of tragedies like the Parkland school shooting.  We just need to agree, and commit ourselves, to better use some of the complex, but necessary lessons we’ve already learned.

For Additional Information Contact:
Lynn Dunlap, Director of Communications
National Dropout Prevention Center
Phone: 864-642-6372 Ext.105
Email: ldunlap@199.250.201.124

Four Position Papers Underscore Importance of Adapting Strategies to Fit Student Populations

Clemson, S.C. (October 20, 2017) – The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network (NDPC/N) announces the release of four position papers examining trends and findings regarding improving high school graduation rates. The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network is the foremost resource for educators and policymakers who work to improve graduation rates.

Topics examined in the position papers include an examination of trauma’s role in inhibiting student success; laws related to and supporting strategies for immigrant students and families; the role of Career and Technical Education (CTE) in dropout prevention; and utilizing the arts as a dropout prevention strategy. The position papers are available at https://dropoutprevention.org/resources/research-reports/ .

Information about each position paper follows.

Dropout Prevention and Trauma: Addressing a Wide Range of Stressors That Inhibit Student Success, written by Drs. Amanda Rumsey and Amy Milsom, both Clemson University College of Education faculty members, includes facts, resources and models related to families and students who have experienced, or are experiencing, trauma, whether chronic or short-term.

Strategies for Supporting Immigrant Students and Families: Guidelines for School Personnel, authored by Dr. Dolores A. Stegelin, Clemson University emeritus faculty in the College of Education and NDPC/N Research Fellow, examines some of the laws involved as well as strategies for supporting immigrant students and families, and includes guidelines for school personnel.

Public Education, Career and Technical Education, and Dropout Prevention, written by Drs. Robert D. Shumer and Patrick J. O’Connor, NDPC/N Research Fellows from Minnesota and Ohio, respectively, and Ms. Cairen Withington, Assistant Director of NDPC/N, examines Career and Technical Education (CTE) as a dropout prevention and intervention strategy and how CTE can be engaging and of value to all students, including at-risk youth.

The Arts and Dropout Prevention: The Power of Art to Engage, authored by Dr. Kimberley Brown, explores the role of the arts in dropout prevention/intervention/recovery as well as issues related to identifying and developing career pathways in the arts.

Dr. Sandy Addis, Director of the NDPC/N, said of the release of four position papers simultaneously, “Research in dropout prevention, intervention, and recovery continues to advance. As these papers indicate, there is no one strategy that works for all student populations. This is an important factor in dropout prevention that practitioners and decision-makers need to understand. Each of the four position papers addresses a different aspect of dropout prevention. Taken together, they further define best practices and add support for what we already know to be effective strategies.”

About the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network (NDPC/N)

Established in 1986 with a mission to reduce dropout rates, the NDPC/N shares solutions for student success and dropout prevention through its clearinghouse function, active research and evaluation projects, publications, and a variety of professional development activities and conferences. 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. The NDPC/N is housed in the College of Education at Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina.

For Additional Information Contact:
Lynn Dunlap, Public Information Director
National Dropout Prevention Center/Network
Phone: 864-656-2678
Email: ldunlap@clemson.edu

National Dropout Prevention Center Director Sandy Addis’s Editorial

October is National Dropout Prevention Month. That fact is significant because it allows us an opportunity to concentrate our focus on what we have accomplished as a nation thus far—and to reflect on what we have left to do. Our nation’s four-year high school graduation rate is up to 83%; however, as a nation that runs on graduates, America still has far too many dropouts and a lot of work left to do. Some states, districts and schools continue to struggle with graduation rates in the 70% range while others have achieved graduation rates in the high 80% and 90% range and are justifiably celebrating their accomplishments. The point is that dropout rates are measurably lower is some areas of the country and among some demographics than in others.

So why haven’t we solved this admittedly complex problem if we continue to pay the social, economic and life-quality price for low graduation rates when we have 30+ years of research and experience that would allow us to correct the problem? The answer, in part, may lie in our lack of public and political will to double down on the issue and to finish the work. In dropout prevention, good may truly be the enemy of great.

Great does exist, however. On October 11, in Bismarck, North Dakota, I witnessed an example of state-level leadership that, if replicated, could go a long way toward solving the dropout crisis in many states and in America. There, Kirsten Baesler, North Dakota’s 2^nd term State Superintendent of Public Instruction, convened a Dropout Prevention and Re-engagement Summit to focus attention on the dropout problem and solutions. And with a 2015-16 graduation rate that is above the national average, better than most rural states, and rising, North Dakota and Superintendent Baesler had good reason to convene a summit event and to celebrate recent dropout prevention accomplishments.

The celebration at the summit, however, did not distract the State Superintendent or the educators of North Dakota from focusing on the work that still lies ahead. While Superintendent Baesler graciously thanked and congratulated educators for North Dakota’s high graduation rate, she used the event to renew focus on the problem and to direct the attention of educators, the media and the public on the rest of the story.

“We can’t just continue to admire the problem,” she said, noting further that, while North Dakota enjoyed an overall 87% graduation rate in 2015-16, the state’s Native American students graduated at only 65% and students living in poverty at only 71%. “That’s not OK and it keeps me up at night…. obviously, what we have been doing for 15 years is not working. We have to re-examine that, and we have to do things differently,” she told the group.

Superintendent Baesler and her staff then spent the rest of the day leading summit participants to consider research, concepts and strategies that could improve school outcomes for Native American and poor students. As might be expected, the Bismarck Tribune immediately followed up the summit with an article headlined “Native American Student Graduation Rates Lag Behind.” This coverage called the issue to the attention of North Dakota citizens and decision makers. The article can be accessed at www.dropoutprevention.org/north-dakota-state-department-of-education-focuses-on-native-american-graduation-rate-issue/.

Superintendent Baesler understands the dropout prevention basic that educator, political, and public concern—and perhaps even alarm—is essential if states such as North Dakota are to make further improvements in graduation rates. There is no better time to ask what might your state and your local leaders do to move your schools, your state and America toward higher graduation rates?