Heather Barrett, a science teacher at East Hall High School, one of the SPDG GraduateFIRST project schools, has been working for years on keeping all her students alive long enough to graduate. “I definitely think our campaign reaches some kids. And I really do believe it has had an impact” she said. The campaign is the creation of the “Great Hang Up” group she formed to teach students about the dangers of texting while driving.
Webinar participants will hear how schools have redesigned programs, adopted new practices, and implemented research-based strategies to become highly successful in preventing students with disabilities from dropping out of school.
Click on the attachments to access the Webinar flyer, the presentation powerpoint and accompanying handouts.
When Banks County High School and Middle School GraduateFIRST teams reviewed the research regarding dropout prevention, they quickly realized that they needed to reach their primary age students who too often begin the process of school disengagement that leads to dropping out of school.
As an ASPIRE consultant, Colleen Lambert, encourages students to take a more active role in their Individual Education Program (IEP). Through the collaboration between the Georgia Department of Education and the Georgia Developmental Disabilities Council, school personnel and families are working together to build self advocacy skills in students with disabilities.
Ms. Wausheka McClary, the Parent Mentor in Elbert County School District, highlights the laptop and jump-drive initiative for students and relates the impact graduation goals have.
Dennis Medders, Principal of Manchester High School, discusses how C.A.F.E.'s have encouraged collaboration between students, families, and communities to bring about successful relationships and improved achievement in Manchester High School.
The Georgia Parent Mentor Partnership website (http://www.parentmentors.org/) provides an insider's guide to raising, educating and supporting a child needing special education related services.
The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) Graduation/Dropout Prevention Project is a major component of a five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).
In Elbert County, administrators hope that all it takes to graduate is a little drive… jump drive, that is. Elbert County School Superintendent Abe Plummer, Elbert County Comprehensive High School Principal Rick Higginbotham and Elbert County Middle School Principal Paul Garrett have led the effort to improve graduation rates in their system.
The GraduateFIRST project partners include The National Dropout Prevention Center- Students with Disabilities (NDPC-SD), The United States Department of Education- Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP),The Georgia Learning Resource Systems (GLRS), and other divisions of The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE).
About