| 1. |
Make school dropouts a districtwide
concern
and focus on changing institutions rather than changing individuals. |
|
| 2. |
Intervene early and
maintain the continuity of the effort. |
| 3. |
Set and communicate high expectations. |
| 4. |
Select and train teachers
interested in
working with at-risk students. |
| 5. |
Recognize that there is no
single solution to this
problem; risk factors are interrelated. Provide a broad range of instructional programs to
accommodate students' needs. |
| 6. |
Provide a package of services within
the community. Work with families, churches and other community organizations to develop a
collaborative program for dropout prevention. |
| 7. |
Support programs that motivate
parents to participate at all levels of their children's education. |
| 8. |
Establish strong, permanent
aternatives that receive resources commensurate with the tasks they undertake
and the success they demonstrate. |
| 9. |
Implement a collection system for
dropout data to identify groups at risk, set policy and fund programs. |
| 10. |
Train staff to identify at-risk
youth. |
| 11. |
Focus on a team approach for working with
at-risk youth. |
| 12. |
Develop model programs with parents, teachers,
business, government, and community participation. |
| 13. |
Educate children to meet the changing demands
of a technological society, not just to get a job in today's market. |
| 14. |
Provide curriculum that is process-oriented as
well as content-oriented. |
| 15. |
Strengthen model programs for disadvantaged
youth by providing a summer component. |
| 16. |
Conduct broad-based needs assessment and
planning efforts that go beyond teachers and school administrators include parents, students, businesses, and social agencies working
with youth and community organizations. |
| 17. |
Provide dropout prevention activities for K-12, with an emphasis on early intervention. |
| 18. |
Review and revise policies and procedures affecting the school's ability to meet the needs of
high-risk youth, including student-teacher ratios, discipline, absenteeism, truancy, suspension, failing grades, and retention. |
| 19. |
Expand networking to get
input, ideas, and assistance from your community and local
businesses. |
| 20. |
Select staff based not only on subject area
competency, but also on the ability and desire to provide a respectful caring environment
that responds to the needs of the whole child. |
| 21. |
Build into the program ongoing staff
development as well as evaluation and feedback. |
