International Association for Truancy and Dropout Prevention

2016

Summer 2016 Vol. 60, No. 1

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR TRUANCY AND DROPOUT PREVENTION

Education for Homeless Children and Youths Program Non-Regulatory Guidance

Title VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act

July 27, 2016

The McKinney-Vento Act defines “homeless children and youths” as “individuals who lack a

fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” The term includes:

• Children and youths who are: - sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason (sometimes referred to as “doubled-up”); - living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations; - living in emergency or transitional shelters; or - abandoned in hospitals;

• Children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;

• Children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and

• Migratory children who qualify as homeless because they are living in circumstances described above.

From the report:

Executive Summary and Key Changes The Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY)

program is authorized under Title VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42

U.S.C. 11431 et seq.) (McKinney-Vento Act). The McKinney-Vento Act was originally

authorized in 1987 and most recently re-authorized in December 2015 by the Every Student

Succeeds Act (ESSA).

The McKinney-Vento Act is designed to address the challenges that homeless children and

youths have faced in enrolling, attending, and succeeding in school. This particularly vulnerable

population of children has been increasing; from the 2006-2007 school year to the 2013-2014

school year, the total number of homeless children and youths approximately doubled from

679,724 to 1,301,239 students, according to EHCY program data.

Under the McKinney-Vento Act, State educational agencies (SEAs) must ensure that each

homeless child and youth has equal access to the same free, appropriate public education,

including a public preschool education, as other children and youths. Homeless children and

youths must have access to the educational and related services that they need to enable them to

meet the same challenging State academic standards to which all students are held. In addition,

homeless students may not be separated from the mainstream school environment.

SEAs and local educational agencies (LEAs) are required to review and undertake steps to revise

laws, regulations, practices, or policies that may act as barriers to the identification, enrollment,

attendance, or success in school of homeless children and youths.

The McKinney-Vento Act includes, among other things, new or changed requirements focused

on:

1. Identification of homeless children and youths;

2. Preschool-aged homeless children, including clarification that local liaisons must ensure that these children and their families have access to and receive services, if eligible, under LEA administered preschool programs, including Head Start, Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities), and other preschool programs administered by the LEA;

3. Collaboration and coordination with other service providers, including public and private child welfare and social services agencies; law enforcement agencies; juvenile and family courts; agencies providing mental health services; domestic violence agencies; child care providers; runaway and homeless youth centers; providers of services and programs funded under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act; and providers of emergency, transitional, and permanent housing, including public housing agencies, shelter operators, and operators of transitional housing facilities;

4. Professional development and technical assistance at both the State and local levels;

5. Removing enrollment barriers, including barriers related to missed application or enrollment deadlines, fines, or fees; records required for enrollment, including immunization or other required health records, proof of residency, or other documentation; or academic records, including required health records, proof of residency, or other documentation; or academic records, including documentation for credit transfer;

6. School stability, including the expansion of school of origin to include preschools and receiving schools and the provision of transportation until the end of the school year, even if a student becomes permanently housed;

7. Privacy of student records, including information about a homeless child or youth’s living situation; and

8. The dispute resolution process. In addition, the ESSA removes “awaiting foster care placement” from the definition of “homeless children and youths.”

The McKinney-Vento Act strongly emphasizes the importance of school stability for homeless

children and youths. Changing schools multiple times significantly impedes a student’s academic

and social growth. The research on highly mobile students, including homeless students,

indicates that a student can lose academic progress with each school change.

Highly mobile students have also been found to have lower test scores and worse overall

academic performance than peers who do not change schools frequently.

Therefore, the McKinney-Vento Act calls for LEAs to maintain students in their school of origin

to promote school stability and greater educational outcomes overall, unless it is not in the

student’s best interest.

Significantly, a number of the changes that the ESSA made to the McKinney-Vento Act

highlight and respond to the needs of homeless children and youths across the educational

spectrum. There is an increased focus on services for preschool-aged homeless children, which

data show compose a major share of the overall homeless population;7 this includes the explicit

inclusion of preschools in the definition of “school of origin.” A number of changes also draw

attention to the need for homeless youths in secondary school to be college- and career-ready,

and the important role that school staff play in the transition to postsecondary education. The

ESSA also requires that SEAs implement procedures to ensure full and partial credit transfer for

these students.

Additionally, the McKinney-Vento Act now has a strengthened emphasis on the unique needs of,

and supports for, unaccompanied homeless youths, such as through the verification of

independent student status for the purposes of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid

(FAFSA) and improved coordination with other federally funded homeless assistance programs

for which these youths may be eligible.

Transition to ESSA Amendments In general, SEAs and LEAs must begin implementing the new

McKinney-Vento Act requirements by October 1, 2016. As noted above, however, the ESSA

amended section 725 of the McKinney Vento Act, removing “awaiting foster care” from the

definition of “homeless children and youths.” This change is effective on December 10, 2016,

for most States.

Additionally, please note that although States must begin implementing most new McKinney-

Vento Act requirements by October 1, 2016, States will not be required to submit State plans

reflecting the new requirements until 2017.

This guidance also addresses certain provisions under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and

Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the ESSA, that are specifically

relevant to homeless children and youths, including changes to requirements for determining the

LEA set-aside for homeless children and youths. In general, these provisions take effect

beginning with the 2017-2018 school year. Thus, SEAs and LEAs should begin planning for the

implementation of these changes in spring 2017, and SEAs should have mechanisms in place to

provide technical assistance and guidance, as well as a coordinated review process between the

Office of the Coordinator and SEA-level Title I, Part A program staff.

Purpose of the Guidance

This revised non-regulatory guidance for the McKinney-Vento program replaces the July 2004

guidance and includes new questions that reflect both the amendments to the McKinney-Vento

Act made by the ESSA, which take effect on October 1, 2016, and new technical assistance on

promising practices for implementing homeless education requirements at the State and local

levels.

The guidance describes the requirements of the new statute and provides recommendations for

addressing many of those requirements. The Department has determined that this guidance is

significant guidance under Office of Management and Budget’s Final Bulletin for Agency Good

Guidance Practices, 72 Fed. Reg. 3432 (Jan. 25, 2007).

Significant guidance is non-binding and does not create or impose new legal requirements. The

Department is issuing this guidance to provide States and LEAs with information to assist them

in meeting their obligations under the McKinney-Vento Act.

To obtain the entire document one can visit:

www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/essa/160240ehcyguidance072716.pdf

IATDP Journal Editor

Leaders Collaborating to Advance Positive School Discipline in Indiana

Summit Report & Recommendations

Children’s Policy and Law Initiative of Indiana

June 30, 2016

From the Introduction:

A crisis is happening in Indiana learning environments with a dramatic impact on the

achievement of our children and the success of the workforce in our state. Due to exclusionary

discipline practices, including suspension and expulsion for attendance related matters, 87,000

Indiana Students lost a total of 751,366 instructional days during the 2012-2013 school year

(Indiana Suspension/Expulsion Report, 2014). Zero-tolerance practices are creating young adults

who are uneducated and unemployable and feeding the school-to-prison pipeline at an alarming

rate. In December 2015, a five-year estimate was released by the U.S. Census Bureau revealing

that 21.53% or 119,075 young people between the ages 18 to 24 in Indiana, were without a

diploma or high school equivalency (U.S. Census Bureau, 2015). If left unaddressed an entire

generation of the Indiana workforce will be lost.

The Children’s Policy and Law Initiative of Indiana (CPLI) convened over 90 educators, best

practice experts, public policy officials, and key stakeholders in the Leaders Collaborating to

Advance Positive School Discipline Summit (“Summit”) in Indianapolis on October 6, 2015.

The ensuing report and recommendations are the result of facilitated dialog among summit

participants to identify strategies and techniques that contribute to positive school learning

environments. The recommendations benefit from growing national momentum toward

achieving positive school learning environments for all children. There are nine

recommendations:

Recommendation 1: Engage student and family to work as a team to ensure child’s behavioral, emotional, and academic needs are met.

Recommendation 2: Build an inclusive process and shared vision for positive school discipline reform.

Recommendation 3: Use disaggregated data to understand practices, devise solutions, and measure progress for improving the academic outcomes for all students.

Recommendation 4: Implement evidenced-based best practices for achieving student engagement and positive learning environments.

Recommendation 5: Provide resources and promote collaborations that support positive learning environments.

Recommendation 6: Provide regular training and professional development opportunities to advance positive school discipline and collaboration.

Recommendation 7: Train on implicit bias and culturally-responsive practices, and support best practice responses.

Recommendation 8: Integrate school law enforcement into the education team as a valued contributor to the positive learning environment.

Recommendation 9: Engender state support and legislative change to advance positive school discipline consistently throughout all Indiana schools.

This report and recommendations support a call by summit participants for systemic or

transformative change in school policy and culture across the state—toward culturally-

responsive policies and practices that align with the developmental, emotional, behavioral, and

academic needs of the “whole” child, and for all children.

The remainder of the report can be found at:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_6cMZrnuSXgaWJkY01Pc0Utd0k/view

Identifying Early Warning Indicators in Three Ohio School Districts

David Stuit, Basis Policy Research

Mindee O’CummingsHeather NorburyJessica Heppen Sonica DhillonJim LindsayBo ZhuAmerican Institutes for Research in Collaboration with the Midwest Dropout Prevention Research Alliance

July 2016

In partnership with the Midwest Dropout Prevention Research Alliance the study team used

student-level data and a five-step process to identify the most accurate indicators of students’

failure to graduate from high school on time. Student-level data came from attendance records,

transcripts, and discipline records of grade 8 and 9 students in three Ohio school districts. The

study found that the most accurate early warning indicators of students being off track for

graduating on time vary by school district and grade level. Overall, the most accurate indicators

in both grades were based on coursework (grade point average and number of credits earned). On

average, indicators were more accurate in grade 9 than in grade 8. Other districts may be able to

use the methods described in this report to identify early warning indicators for their grade 8 and

9 students.

From the Summary:

A growing number of school districts are using early warning systems in their strategy for

improving rates of student on-time graduation. Such systems use academic and behavioral

indicators from student-level data to identify students who are at risk of not graduating high

school on time. Once students are identified, the school district can provide them with

supplemental supports (for example, supplemental instruction or counseling) to get them back on

track to graduate on time.

The Midwest Dropout Prevention Research Alliance is composed of representatives of state

education agencies, intermediate education agencies, and school districts in Regional

Educational Laboratory (REL) Midwest Region states who share a commitment to reduce high

school dropout rates. Alliance members wanted to know whether school districts should develop

their own early warning systems or adopt those that have been validated in other settings (for

example, the system developed by the Consortium for Chicago School Research or the system

developed by the National High School Center). The alliance partnered with REL Midwest to

address this question.

The study team followed a five-step process and used student data for two cohorts of grade 8 and

9 students in three Ohio school districts (referred to as Districts A, B, and C) to identify

indicators that predict failure to graduate on time. The three districts varied in size, demographic

composition, and locale. Two districts serve large cities with a population greater than 250,000,

while the third district serves a town near an urban area. One of the urban districts has more than

40,000 students, while the other districts each have 5,000–10,000 students. The percentage of

students qualifying for the federal school lunch program (a proxy for low income) also varied,

ranging from about 40 percent to more than 90 percent. The four-year graduation rate for the

three districts ranged from 56 percent to 91 percent.

Student-level data on attendance, achievement, coursework, and discipline were used to

construct a set of indicators for grade 8 and 9 students that were candidates for inclusion in each

district’s early warning system. The number of indicators available from each district varied. The

following indicators were included in the analysis for at least one district: end of-year attendance

rate, grade point average, number of credits earned, number of failing grades, number of failing

grades in core courses, number of suspensions, and reading and math scores on the Ohio

Achievement Assessment (grade 8 only).

Students were designated as either on track or off track based on whether their performance on

each candidate indicator fell above or below the optimal cutpoint for predicting whether they

would graduate on time. The study team analyzed how the optimal cutpoints on the candidate

indicators varied across districts and grades. After applying the optimal cutpoints to the

candidate indicators, the study team conducted a series of statistical tests to eliminate candidates

that were not consistently predictive of failure to graduate on time when applied to 100 simulated

cohorts of grade 8 and grade 9 students. The study team then identified the indicators with the

highest correct prediction rates, the lowest false alarm rates, and best overall accuracy (best

balance between correct predictions and false alarms) among indicators that passed the

consistency tests. Finally, the study team looked at the degree to which the accuracy of the

indicators varied across districts and grades.

The analyses were restricted to grade 8 and grade 9 data for students who were first-time

freshmen in the districts in 2006/07 or 2007/08 and excluded students who entered the districts

after grade 9. Students in the 2006/07 cohort graduated in 2010, and students in the 2007/08

cohort graduated in 2011.

Certain indicators were more accurate predictors of failure to graduate on time in some districts

than other indicators were, and the optimal cutpoints for classifying students as on track or off

track for graduation differed across districts. Of student data for grades 8 and 9 the end-of-year

attendance rate was the only consistent predictor of failure to graduate on time in all three

districts. Reading scores from the Ohio Achievement Assessment were consistent predictors for

grade 8 students in all three districts. The most accurate indicators in both grade 8 and grade 9

were based on coursework (grade point average and number of credits earned). Consistent with

prior research, failing more than one class and being suspended one or more times were also

strong predictors of failure to graduate on time. On average, indicators were more accurate in

grade 9 than in grade 8.

Given the variability across school districts and grade levels in optimal cutpoints, in consistency

of predicting failure to graduate on time, and in relative accuracy of indicators to predict failure

to graduate on time, the findings suggest that it is important for school districts to examine and

analyze their own student-level data in order to develop their own early warning system. The

methods used in this study can help districts identify the best off-track indicators and indicator

cutpoints for their early warning system.

From Why this Study:

Information from early warning systems can help educators target resources and interventions to

students at the greatest risk of not graduating or not graduating on time. But how can districts

determine which types of student data to use for their early warning indicators? This study

identified valid grade 8 and 9 early warning indicators developed from datasets collected from

three school districts that vary in size, urbanity, and the characteristics of their student

populations. The findings include information on the accuracy of each district’s indicators for

predicting whether students will fail to graduate within four years. Evidence from this study may

help these districts identify an accurate set of early warning indicators, and the indicator

identification process described here can inform the efforts of state, district, and school leaders

who wish to develop their own early warning systems as a means of keeping students on track to

graduate.

Early warning systems help identify students who are at risk of not graduating on time and need

extra support

Early warning systems use data systematically to identify students who are at risk of not

graduating on time. Students identified early can be matched with interventions to help them

return to the on-time graduation track (Heppen & Therriault, 2008; Jerald, 2006; Kennelly &

Monrad, 2007; Neild, Balfanz, & Herzog, 2007; Pinkus, 2008). The push for early warning

systems is motivated by research on academic and behavioral predictors of students dropping out

of school (Allensworth & Easton, 2005, 2007; Balfanz, Herzog, & Mac Iver, 2007; Neild &

Balfanz, 2006; Silver, Saunders, & Zarate, 2008). Although the evidence base for early warning

systems is still developing, experts on dropout prevention consider these systems a promising

approach—or a necessary prerequisite—to effective dropout prevention (Dynarski et al., 2008).

See appendix A for a review of relevant literature on early warning systems.

Researchers have identified a set of core early warning indicators

Analysis of data from large urban districts has enabled researchers to identify indicators that

predict whether middle school and grade 9 students will graduate from high school on time. For

middle school students, attendance, course grades, and behavior such as out of school

suspensions have been frequently identified as early indicators of high school graduation

outcomes (Balfanz & Herzog, 2005; Neild & Balfanz, 2006; Balfanz, 2009). For high school

students, attendance, course performance, credit attainment, and, in some cases, state assessment

scores, grade retention, and behavior have been frequently identified as early indicators

(Allensworth & Easton, 2005, 2007; Neild & Balfanz, 2006; Roderick, 1993; Silver et al., 2008).

District personnel must be able to calculate indicators easily and communicate them to educators

and parents. The task of communicating whether students are on track or off track to graduate on

time is made easier by converting continuous indicators—that is data elements that can have a

range of possible numeric values, from low to high, such as a grade point average or test score—

into binary indicators that classify students as either on track or off track based on whether their

score falls above or below a particular cutpoint. The location of the cutpoint on the continuous

scale of the indicator is set at the value that most accurately distinguishes between students who

are at risk of not graduating on time and those who are not at risk (see definitions of terms in box

1). For example,

Evidence from this study may help districts identify an accurate set of early warning indicators,

and the indicator identification process described here can inform the efforts of state, district, and

school leaders who wish to develop their own early warning systems as a means of keeping

students on track to graduate

Box 1. Definitions of key terms

Candidate indicator. A data element representing grade 8 or 9 student academic performance or

behavior that may predict not graduating on time. Candidate indicators in the study included

count data (number of credits earned, number of failed courses, number of suspensions), scaled

data (test scores, grade point averages), and proportions (attendance rates). Each candidate

indicator was converted from its original scale to a binary (yes/no; high/low) scale by identifying

the optimal cutpoint.

Correct off-track prediction rate. The proportion of nongraduates whom the grade 8 or 9

binary indicator correctly identified (flagged) as being at risk of not graduating on time. For

example, if the binary indicator for attendance flagged all students with an attendance rate less

than 90 percent and 75 percent of nongraduates had an attendance rate below this optimal

cutpoint, the correct off-track prediction rate for attendance would be 75 percent.

Failure to graduate on time. The outcome measure used in this study. Students in each grade 8

and 9 cohort are classified as not graduating on time if they did not receive a high school

diploma within four years of beginning high school. Students who do not graduate within four

years are classified as nongraduates even though they may later graduate.

False alarm rate. The percentage of students who graduate on time whom the grade 8 or 9

binary indicator incorrectly flagged. For example, if 35 percent of students who graduate on time

had an attendance rate below the indicator cutpoint of 90 percent, the false alarm rate would be

35 percent.

Optimal cutpoint. A specific value on the original scale of a grade 8 or 9 indicator that separates

students who are at risk of not graduating on time from those who are not at risk. For example, if

90 percent is the optimal cutpoint for the grade 9 attendance indicator, students with an

attendance rate at or below 90 percent could be classified as at risk of failure to graduate on time.

For each indicator, the optimal cutpoint is the value that produces the highest rate of correct off-

track prediction and lowest rate of mistaken predictions (that is, false alarms).

Overall accuracy. A statistic that measures the balance between an indicator’s correct offtrack

prediction rate and false alarm rate on a scale from .50 to 1.00, with a higher value indicating

greater accuracy (more correct off-track predictions and fewer false alarms). A score of .50

means that the indicator is no better at predicting which students will not graduate than random

guessing. A score of 1.00 means that the indicator perfectly predicts failure to graduate on time

(100 percent correct off-track prediction rate and 0 percent false alarm rate). The formal name

for this statistic is the area under the curve; it is based on a statistical technique called receiver

operating characteristic curve analysis).

converting grade 9 students’ grade point average into a binary indicator (on track or off track)

involves locating the particular grade point average that best separates students who graduate on

time from students who do not. If that cutpoint is 2.0, then students with a grade point average

lower than 2.0 are classified as off track for on-time graduation.

While the research literature shows a high degree of consensus on the factors that place students

at risk of failure to graduate on time, there is no guarantee that a given indicator will predict

failure to graduate on time with the same accuracy if it is applied to students in different school

contexts. Most previous studies have focused primarily on large urban centers, and even there,

indicators’ value as predictors and cutpoints for the indicators differ across districts. For

example, a 2011 Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Southwest study of five Texas school

districts (Hartman, Wilkins, Gregory, Gould, & D’Souza, 2011) and a 2012 REL Midwest study

of two urban Midwestern districts (Norbury et al., 2012) found that although the on-track

indicators were highly accurate predictors of graduation in Chicago Public Schools (Allensworth

& Easton, 2005), their accuracy varied considerably when applied to other districts. A review

and re-analysis of indicators identified in 36 published articles also reports considerable variation

in the accuracy of individual indicators (Bowers, Sprott, & Taff, 2013).

Because the literature suggests that the accuracy of indicators for predicting graduation outcomes

may vary by context, researchers advise school districts to independently verify the accuracy of

indicators using their own data before applying them in an early warning system (Gleason &

Dynarski, 2002). Improving and tailoring a set of indicators may better identify students at risk

of failure to graduate on time (Heppen & Therriault, 2008; Jerald, 2006). This study assisted

three Ohio school districts with developing locally validated early warning systems. For districts

that choose to validate their own indicators, the report lays out a step-by-step process that school

district personnel can follow.

From What the Study Examined

The three Ohio districts in this study are implementing early warning systems to identify,

provide services to, and track the progress of students in grades 8 and 9 who are at risk of failing

to graduate from high school on time. As the literature suggests, indicators that are accurate

predictors of graduation outcomes for students in a particular grade within a particular district

may not be as accurate for students in other grades or in other districts (Hartman, et al., 2011;

Norbury, et al., 2012). Furthermore, the cutpoints that most accurately classify students as on or

off track may also differ across districts or for students in different grades within the same

district. The purpose of this study was to develop a set of locally tailored early warning

indicators for students at different grade levels in each school district and examine the accuracy

of the indicators for predicting failure to graduate on time.

Research questions

This study addressed the following research questions:

• For each candidate indicator, what is the optimal cutpoint for accurately classifying

students as on track or off track to graduate? How do these cutpoints vary across districts

and grades?

• Which indicators consistently predict failure to graduate on time when their optimal

cutpoints are used?

• Which of the consistently predictive indicators have the highest correct off-track

prediction rates, lowest false alarm rates, and best overall accuracy? How does the

accuracy of indicators vary across districts and grades?

Indicators were selected as candidates for validation based on a review of the literature (see

appendix A). The indicators are based on three types of information: student attendance,

academic achievement, and discipline. For grade 8 students, included data were related to

attendance rate, grade point average, number of failing grades (overall and in core courses),

reading and math scores on the Ohio Achievement Assessment, and number of suspensions. For

grade 9 students, included data were related to attendance.

The purpose of this study was to develop a set of locally tailored early warning indicators for

students at different grade levels in each school district and examine the accuracy of the

indicators for predicting failure to graduate on time rate, grade point average, number of credits

earned, number of failing grades (overall and in core courses), and number of suspensions. The

number of indicators included in the analysis differed across the three districts because of

differences in the availability and consistency of raw data on the grade 8 or grade 9 cohorts.

Definitions of candidate indicators are given in box 2.

Four criteria for identifying valid indicators of failure to graduate on time

The study team reviewed the research literature and generated a list of grade 8 and 9 data

elements that were commonly found to be significant predictors of failing to graduate from high

school (see literature review in appendix A). The list included student attendance, achievement,

coursework, and discipline data elements. Districts were asked to review the list and provide the

data elements, if available, for students in the cohorts that were expected to graduate in 2010 and

2011. This resulted in a set of grade 8 and 9 candidate early warning indicators for each of the

three districts. A set of four criteria were developed for judging whether particular data elements

or sets of elements were valid early warning indicators:

• The indicator must provide early warning of students’ risk of failure to graduate on time.

Specifically, candidate indicators for this study had to reflect student performance or

behavior in grades 8 and 9, thus giving educators an opportunity to provide three to four

years of support.

• The indicator must be easily communicated to educators within a district. To meet this

criterion, the study team identified the value for each candidate indicator that separated

students who would most likely graduate on time from those who would not. This value

is referred to as the optimal cutpoint.

• The indicator must show a statistically significant relationship with students’ fouryear

graduation outcomes in the two-cohort dataset used in this analysis.

• The indicator must show evidence that it will be a consistent predictor of failure to

graduate on time when applied to future cohorts of students from the same district. This

requires an indicator to significantly predict failure to graduate in at least 50 of 100

randomly simulated cohorts.

Box 2. Definitions of candidate early warning indicators

End-of-year attendance rate. The proportion of total number of days that a student attended

school, had an excused absence, or had in-school suspension to the total number of days that the

student was expected to attend school (as specified in Ohio Administrative Code 3301–18–01 of

2008).

Grade point average. Students’ average academic achievement in both core and elective

courses. Most grade point averages are on a four-point scale. District C’s end-of-year grade point

average was provided on a five-point scale but was rescaled to a four-point scale for grade 9

students to allow for comparisons with the other districts.

Number of credits earned. The cumulative number of credits a student has earned in both core

and elective courses.

Number of failing grades. The cumulative number of failing grades appearing on all quarterly

marking periods or semesters over the school year. For Districts A and C the total number of

failing grades equals the cumulative number of failing grades appearing on report cards from all

four quarterly marking periods. For District B it is the number of failing grades received on two

semester report cards (fall and spring).

Number of failing grades in core courses. The cumulative number of failing grades appearing

on all quarterly marking periods or semesters over the school year in core courses. For Districts

A and C the total number of failing grades equals the cumulative number of failing grades

appearing on report cards from all four quarterly marking periods. For District B it is the number

of failing grades received on two semester report cards (fall and spring).

Number of suspensions. The number of times a student received a suspension as a disciplinary

measure over the school year. This includes both in-school and out-of-school suspensions.

Reading and math scores on the Ohio Achievement Assessment. Student reading and math

scores on the Ohio Achievement Assessment in grade 8. Both scores range from 250 to 500, with

400 being the minimum score required for a rating of proficient.

After identifying indicators that meet these criteria, the study team compared their accuracy by

examining the percentage of students who failed to graduate on time in 2010 and 2011 who had

been correctly identified as off track by the grade 8 or grade 9 indicator (the correct off-track

prediction rate) and the percentage of 2010 and 2011 graduates who had been incorrectly flagged

as off track (the false alarm rate). The accuracy of each indicator (or combination of indicators)

was assessed on the basis of how well it maximized correct off-track predictions and minimized

false alarms.

This report is available on the Regional Educational Laboratory website at

http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs

Building a Strong Foundation State Policy for Early Childhood Education

Recommendations of the SREB Early Childhood Commission

November 2015

From the Executive Summary:

The path to success in school and life begins long before a child enters the classroom. In the

critical first few years, family, community and school play significant roles in shaping a child’s

route to health and educational achievement.

What we invest now in young children can bring the biggest payoffs as states aim to increase

high school graduation rates, college attainment, workforce readiness and quality of life.

Policymakers with foresight can bring home long-term social and economic returns to their

states.

A Foundation to Grow on

What we know today about how young children learn is compelling evidence for making early

childhood development a priority in our states. It’s time to build on what we’ve learned, to

implement high-quality programs on a large scale, connecting many more children and families

to the kinds of programs that work.

The payoff is a few years ahead — in an educated citizenry, healthier adults and a productive

workforce. Investing early in our youngest lays a sturdy foundation for all of our investments in

education. The sooner the better for a strong start in school and in life.

Program Quality

Recommendation 1 — Provide incentives to improve quality in early childhood development

programs. States should:

1.1 Develop and regularly update: standards for programs for children from birth to third

grade; learning guidelines for children; and practice standards for teachers and

classrooms.

1.2 Align quality standards for early childhood programs to each other and to K-12

programs, with special attention to aligning standards from pre-K to third grade.

1.3 Coordinate funding streams across public and private settings to achieve efficient use

of resources and promote high-quality programs for children and families.

1.4 Promote effective, evidence-based and developmentally appropriate curricula in early

childhood programs.

1.5 Establish systematic quality improvement initiatives, such as quality rating systems

for child development programs, as well as incentives that reward and improve

performance.

Teacher Quality

Recommendation 2 — Develop and sustain a high-quality early childhood program workforce

that has the competencies to foster the social, emotional and cognitive development of young

children. States should:

2.1. Ensure that pre-service early childhood practitioner-training programs at

postsecondary institutions provide opportunities for future teachers to develop the

specialized competencies they will need to work effectively with young children.

2.2 Regularly review, and improve as needed, licensing and professional development

requirements for practitioners, to ensure that workforce standards are continuously

realigned with program standards.

2.3 Ensure that practitioners in early childhood programs have access to high-quality and

affordable professional development and that high-impact strategies such as coaching are

available for those who need skills to meet program standards or licensing requirements.

Accountability

Recommendation 3 —Enact state accountability systems that assess program performance and

reward quality. States should:

3.1 Establish assessment systems and strategies that support teachers’ and caregivers’

instruction, measure children’s progress in essential domains of growth and

development, and are developmentally appropriate for young children.

3.2 Set expectations and performance targets for publicly funded programs, and report

outcomes to policymakers and education leaders regularly.

3.3 Enact performance-based financing policies that promote continuous improvement

and reward quality in early childhood development programs and services.

3.4 Align standards, curricula and assessment both horizontally (within a grade level)

and vertically (from prekindergarten to the third grade) to maximize the gains for young

learners.

3.5 Ensure that financing policies call for a full analysis of the various sources of

available funding — which can inform policy and future investment.

3.6 Incorporate early childhood program data into state longitudinal data systems to

enhance capacity to track results — taking appropriate steps to ensure full security of

information about individual students.

3.7 Establish cross-agency data analytics systems and processes that inform long-term

policy and financing solutions.

3.8 Conduct cost-benefit analyses of programs and services to determine the

effectiveness of interventions.

Access

Recommendation 4 — Provide high-quality early learning services to the groups of young

children most likely to benefit from interventions. States should:

4.1 Identify general demographic and economic factors that most interfere with school

readiness in the state, and ensure services are available to address the needs of children at

risk and their families.

4.2 Devise early-warning systems to identify specific groups of children who may

benefit from early and sustained interventions — those born at low birthweight, for

example, and those living with single parents in disadvantaged homes — and coordinate

networks of support services for them and their families.

4.3 Set a goal to serve a high proportion of at-risk children in the state, and establish a

plan and timetable for reaching the goal.

4.4 Establish eligibility priorities for participation in early childhood programs to target

services to the most at-risk students so that available resources meet the greatest need.

4.5 Assess statewide needs, and survey programs periodically to determine if the state’s

early childhood programs are geographically and socioeconomically distributed to meet

the state’s highest needs.

Governance

Recommendation 5 — Establish a comprehensive and integrated framework of policies and

programs to support early childhood development in the state. States should:

5.1 Establish a policy and fiscal framework for early childhood development, from birth

through 8 years old, as a strategic priority.

5.2 Create a statewide cabinet or coordinating council — responsible to the governor,

legislature or key education or human services leader — to provide policy direction and

coordinate overall planning for early childhood education in the state.

5.3 Conduct a comprehensive budget analysis of all funding streams related to early

childhood development, and use the results to coordinate among multiple agencies and

maximize the federal, state, local and private resources available for young children and

their families.

5.4 Recognize early childhood programs as strategic elements of the state’s overall

economic and cultural development efforts, and include improvement and targeted

expansion of these programs as part of any strategic state effort.

The SREB Early Childhood Commission convened leaders from 16 states to recommend policies

to give more young children a solid start when they enter school. Kentucky Governor Steve

Beshear chaired the SREB Commission of legislators, heads of state school agencies and other

advocates for early childhood education, which met in 2014 and 2015. For more information,

contact Mark Emblidge at Mark.Emblidge@SREB.org or Joan Lord at Joan.Lord@SREB.org, or

visit

www.SREB.org/EarlyChildhood

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR TRUANCY AND DROPOUT PREVENTION

STANDING COMMITTEES 2015-16

The chairperson{s) of each standing committee will be responsible for the activities described. Committee progress reports will be submitted to the Executive Board at mid-year for review. Committee final reports will be submitted to the Board of Directors at the Annual Conference. Members who are interested in serving on a committee are encouraged to contact the committee chairperson(s). Members who have information that would contribute to the activities of a committee should also contact the committee chairperson(s).

AUDITING COMMITTEE

Will meet at the Annual Conference to report at the Annual Business Meeting on the financial status of the Association during the prior fiscal year. Members in good standing are invited to serve on the committee.

CHAIRPERSON: John Simmons (LA)

MEMBERS: Jackie Williams (SC) Richard Comly (DE) Henrietta Pryor (TX

AWARDS COMMITTEE

Will select award recipients from applications for awards submitted by March 1 of each year. Application for awards may be submitted by the membership. Recipients are not required to be members of the association. The committee will secure appropriate plaques and certificates for presentation at the Annual Conference Banquet. The committee will review those "traditional" resolutions such as expressions of appreciation and the like, and recommend to the Board of Directors which of these activities could be routinely handled by either the president or secretary so as not to take time from the business meeting. The committee will be chaired by the Third Vice President. All members of the Executive Board will serve as members of the committee.

CHAIRPERSON: Ed Foster (LA)

MEMBERS: Ron Pope (TN) Henrietta Pryor (TX) Carolyn Gentle-Genitty (IN) Ronnie Land (LA) Keith LeLeux (LA) Brian Hartsell (TN) David L. House, II (OH) Paulette Lagarde (MI) _____________________________________________________________________________________________

CONFERENCE COMMITTEE

Will approve the program, the financial, and the physical arrangements for the Annual Conference as developed by the local conference committee. Will encourage local affiliates to initiate an official bid to host future conferences. This committee will be chaired by the President-Elect and co-chaired by the Executive Director and the host conference coordinator. This committee will provide evaluation of all conferences. All members of the Executive Board and the chairman of the present conference will serve as members of the committee.

CHAIRPERSONS: Carolyn Gentle-Genitty (IN) and Ronnie Land (LA)

MEMBERS: Wendy Brower (TX) Dominique Cash (TN) Paulette Lagarde (MI) Henrietta Pryor (TX) Frank Pasqua (LA) Alice Nichols (LA) David House (OH) Joseph Fonseca (LA) Ruby W. Smith (LA) Ron Pope (TN) John Simmons (LA) Ed Foster (LA) Jackie Williams (SC) Brenda Valle (LA) Brian Hartsell (TN)

____________________________________________________________________________________

CONSTITUTION COMMITTEE

Will serve as the interpretive body of the association. Will recommend to the Board of Directors for presentation to the membership proposed changes in the Constitution and By-Laws. The committee will be chaired by the First Vice President. Members in good standing are invited to serve on the committee.

CHAIRPERSON: Paulette Lagarde (MI)

MEMBERS Richard Comly (DE) Ken Kippenbrock (KY) Donna Mitchell (TX) Jackie Williams (SC)

____________________________________________________________________________________

FINANCE COMMITTEE

Will prepare a budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The committee will be chaired by the Second Vice President. Members in good standing are invited to serve on the committee.

CHAIRPERSON: Ron Pope (TN)

MEMBERS: Jackie Williams (SC) Brain Hartsell (TN) John Simmons (LA) Richard Comly (DE)____________________________________________________________________________________________

PUBLIC RELATIONS/MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

Will work to maintain and to promote membership in the association. Shall serve as the Credentials Committee at the Annual Business Meeting. The committee will be co-chaired by the Executive Director and the Third Vice President. All members of the Board of Directors shall serve as members of the committee. Members in good standing are invited to serve on the committee.

CHAIRPERSONS: Ed Foster (LA) and Ronnie Land (LA)

MEMBERS: ALL BOARD MEMBERS

NOMINATING COMMITTEE

Will prepare a list of candidates for officers and members of the Board of Directors and post it at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the annual business meeting. Additional nominations may be make from the floor at the annual business meeting. Confirmation of willingness to stand for election to an office of the association shall be in the hands of the chairman of the Nominating Committee by the date of the annual business meeting each year. No one shall accept nomination for the office of President-Elect unless he/she indicates willingness and availability to assume the office of the President. Recommendations to the Nominating Committee from state and provincial organizations for membership on the Board of Directors shall be made on or before June 15 of each year. If no recommendations are received by the above date, the Nominating Committee will proceed to designate nominees without further preference to the state or provincial organizations. A short article shall be published in the May issue of the JOURNAL notifying the membership of the June 15 deadline. The committee will consist of six (6) members in addition to the chairman. Three (3) members shall be selected from the Board of Directors and three (3) members from the general membership.

CHAIRPERSON: David House (OH)

MEMBERS: T. Ann Jackson (TX) Ruby Smith (LA) Graciela Espindola (CA) Alice Nichols (LA) Dominique Cash (TN) Eric Neff (KY)

RESEARCH COMMITTEE

Will direct any research appropriate for the association as approved by the Executive Committee and/or the President. Will have the responsibility of monitoring legislative activities and keeping the membership informed of such actions. Will develop and promote legislative activity and/or resolutions in the interest of pupil personnel workers/students. Members in good standing are invited to serve on this committee.

CHAIRPERSON: Ron Pope (TN)

MEMBERS: Barbara Thompson (TX) Graciela Espindola (CA) Dominique Cash (TN) Kristy Hulin (LA)

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2015-2016

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – RONNIE LAND

409 Mockingbird Lane Logansport, LA 71049 318-294-5003 Cell 318-697-5003 rlland@bellsouth.net

PAST PRESIDENT – DAVID L. HOUSE, II

8338 Landmark Ct. #103

West Chester, OH 45069 513-894-3494 513-259-7936 Cell houseconsulting@icloud.com

PRESIDENT – KEITH LELEUX

1936 Nicholas Street Lake Charles, LA 70605 337-540-6568 Cell

Calcasieu Parish School System2423 Sixth Street

Lake Charles, LA 70601 337-217-4230 Ext. 2909 337-217-4231 FAX keith.leleux@cpsb.org

PRESIDENT ELECT – CAROLYN GENTLE-GENITTY

5429 Basin Park Drive Indianapolis, IN 46239 317-862-1129 317-529-2963 Cell

Indiana University 902 W. New York St., ES 4138K Indianapolis, IN 46239 317-274-3965 cgentleg@iupui.edu

1ST VICE PRESIDENT – PAULETTE LAGARDE

19701 Lexington Rd. Redford, MI 48240 313-467-0184 313-948-3715 Cell paulette_lagarde@yahoo.com

2ND VICE PRESIDENT – RON POPE

3930 Fun Valley Dr. Memphis, TN 38125 901-870-0048 Cell

205 N. Claybrook Memphis, TN 38104 901-416-6295 poperv@scsk12.org

3RD VICE PRESIDENT – ED FOSTER

P.O. Box 1686 Albany, LA 70711 225-567-7182 985-507-5163 Cell

Livingston Parish Public Schools Livingston, LA 70754 225-686-4210 edward.foster@lpsb.org

SECRETARY – HENRIETTA PRYOR10602 Holly Springs

Houston, TX 77042 713-781-4208 713-320-7444 Cell

Houston ISD 1100 Merrill Houston, TX 77009 713-802-4745 713-802-4708 FAX hpryor@houstonisd.org

TREASURER – BRIAN HARTSELL

2808 Red Ellis Ln. Knoxville, TN 37924 865-455-8915 Cell (local) 865-368-7872 Cell (national)

Knox County Schools P. O. Box 2188 Knoxville, TN 37901 865-594-1506 865-594-1504 FAX Brian.Hartsell@knoxschools.org

The International Association of Truancy and Dropout Prevention Journal

Call for Papers

DEADLINE: December 15, 2016

The International Association of Truancy and Dropout Prevention (IATDP) bi-annual Journal announces a call for papers. The journal is published twice a year.

Areas of Interest Manuscripts submitted can be conceptual, research, practice and program specific and respond to any of the related areas:

1. Truancy prevention, recovery, intervention, assessment 2. Dropout prevention, recovery, intervention, assessment3. School counseling4. School social work 5. Juvenile court programming and interventions6. Personnel involved in truancy and dropout prevention7. Assessments and research on emerging or best practice programs8. Other risk and protective factors influencing truancy and dropout prevention 9. Report or Book reviews regarding the aforementioned topics

Review ProcessMost manuscripts submitted will undergo a two person blind review. Original manuscripts should be submitted and cannot be simultaneously submitted to other sources. We do not accept previously published works.

Submission Process Manuscripts should be no more than 20 pages (book reviews, 2-6 pgs), double-spaced, excluding references, using a 12pt font. Each submission must follow APA 6th and use appropriate level headings throughout the discussion. Manuscripts should be submitted electronically using MS Word and not pdf. In your manuscript, please include a title page with authors and corresponding author contact information, and abstract. For book or report reviews, the length of submission should be between 2-4 double spaced, 12pt font pages.

Send submissions to David L. House II at houseconsulting@icloud.com

IATDP is an association of educators, government officials and stakeholders whose history of truancy and dropout prevention efforts date back to 1911. It is our mission is to create a partnership that facilitates the dissemination of information, emerging practices and research designed to support learning and increase high school graduation rates. The goal of IATDP is to improve the efforts of practitioners to reduce the number of students that elect to dropout of school by sharing our common experiences and intervention strategies. To learn more about IATDP, visit www.iatdp.org .

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INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR TRUANCY AND DROPOUT PREVENTION CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

Revised, 2013

=====================================================================================

CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I - NAMEInternational Association for Truancy and Dropout Prevention (IATDP)

ARTICLE II - PURPOSE

1. To support and encourage improvements in student support services.

2. To maintain and improve professional standards of practice and qualifications for student support personnel.

3. To serve as a resource in the dissemination of information relative to student service workers (administration, attendance, social, health and counseling).

4. To promote the prevention of truancy and dropping out of school as valid specialties within the field of education.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

Professional personnel working with or interested in the problems of school children are eligible for membership.

ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS

The officers of this Association shall be President, President-Elect, First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Third Vice-President, Past-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Each vice-president, after serving one year in that position, shall automatically be elevated to the next highest vice-presidency.

Officers must attend the Annual Conference.

ARTICLE V - EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, President-Elect, First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Third Vice-President, Past-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and the Executive Director

.

ARTICLE VI - BOARD OF DIRECTORS

1. The Board of Directors shall consist of the members of the Executive Committee and representatives of the Association elected by a majority vote at the Annual Conference in accordance with the By-Laws.

2. The officers of the Association shall serve as the officers of the Board of Directors.

3. The chair of the Board of Directors shall make a yearly report at the annual business meeting.

ARTICLE VII - MEETINGS

1. There shall be one conference of the Association each year.

2. The Board of Directors shall hold at least one meeting during the conference.

3. There shall be at least one business meeting of the membership during the Annual Conference.

4. The Executive Committee shall meet on call during the Annual Conference, at the end of the conference, and at least one other time during the year.

5. All standing committees shall meet at least once during the Conference.

ARTICLE VIII - AMENDMENTS

This Constitution and the By-Laws may be amended at any Annual Business Meeting by a two-thirds vote of all members present and voting providing a proposed amendment is submitted to the Secretary on or before March 1st preceding the Annual Business Meeting. Any proposed amendments shall be published in the Spring/Summer issue of the JOURNAL.

BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I - MEMBERSHIP PRIVILEGES

1. All active members (dues current) are entitled to attend the Annual Business Meeting of the Association.

2. All members shall receive the official publication of the Association.

3. Regular (and Life) active members shall have the right to hold office and the right to vote.

4. Retired and student members may become regular active or associate members of the Association.

5. Associate members shall not have the right to hold office or to vote.

ARTICLE II - DUES

1. Dues for regular active members shall be fifty dollars ($50) per year.

2. Dues for associate members shall be thirty dollars ($30) per year.

3. Dues for libraries shall be forty dollars ($40) per year.

4. Life Memberships are available for $400. A person must have been a member for five years to be eligible.

ARTICLE III - ELECTION AND TENURE OF OFFICERS

1. All officers except the President, President-Elect, First, and Second Vice-Presidents shall be nominated and shall be elected by ballot at the Annual Business Meeting and continue in office until the next subsequent Annual Business Meeting or until the next election. A majority of all votes cast shall be necessary to constitute an election.

2. Vacancies among the officers shall be filled by the President for the unexpired terms with the approval of the Executive Committee. A vacancy may be declared if an officer misses two consecutive meetings of the Executive Committee and /or fails to carry out the designated responsibilities of the office.

3. The term in office of the President shall be one year.

4. The term of the Past-President on the Executive Committee shall be one year.

ARTICLE IV - DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF OFFICERS

The Past-President

1. Shall serve as chairman of the Board of Directors and preside at the meetings of the Board.

2. Shall conduct the installation ceremony of all newly elected officers and the members of the Board of Directors during the Annual Conference.

3. Shall be Chairman of the Nominating Committee and shall post all nominees for office or Board of Directors twenty-four (24) hours prior to the Annual Business Meeting.

The President

1. Shall serve as the chief executive officer of the Association subject to the control of the Board of Directors.

2. Shall preside at all meeting of the Association and the Executive Committee, and shall appoint a Parliamentarian for the Annual Business Meeting.

3. Shall appoint the chairman and members of all committees except as otherwise provided in these By-Laws.

4. Shall be the ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.

5. Shall be a member in good standing and have served as a member of the Board of Directors and/or the Executive Committee for a minimum of three years.

6. Shall be authorized, through the Treasurer, to pay those expenses incurred in conducting the affairs of the Association other than budgeted items upon approval of the Executive Committee.

The President-Elect

1. Shall be a member in good standing and have served as a member of the Board of Directors and/or the Executive Committee.

2. Shall work closely with, and at the general direction of, the President in the performance of the administrative responsibility to establish continuity with the change of office.

3. Shall demonstrate leadership ability that reflects professional competence and personal maturity in decision-making.

4. Shall serve as Chairman of the Conference Committee and, with the assistance of committee members, perform the following duties:

a. study, investigate, and explore possible future conference sites,

b. maintain an active and current file related to conference including appropriate correspondence

c. give periodic progress reports to the Executive Committee with recommendations of those cities most capable and geographically most appropriate for conference sites,

d. establish a close liaison between the IATDP and the local conference chairman to insure a high level of professional competence as established by past conferences and to successfully resolve the many financial, program planning, and Program scheduling problems that might occur.

5. Shall, in the absence of the President, preside over the meetings of the Executive Committee and the Annual Business Meeting.

6. Shall attend all meetings of the Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and Annual Business Meeting.

The First Vice-President

1. Shall be a member in good standing and shall have served as a member of the Board of Directors and/or Executive Committee.

2. Shall serve as Chairman of the Constitution Committee and with the committee members study, research, evaluate, and present for consideration to the Executive Committee, and subsequently the general membership, any changes in the Constitution or By-Laws.

3. Shall attend all meetings of the Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and Annual Business Meeting.

4. Shall take an active role in the IATDP to the extent that he/she will faithfully fulfill his/her duties to any committee research project as designated by the President.

5. Shall insure that the current constitution is published in the JOURNAL prior to the Annual Conference.

The Second Vice-President

1. Shall be a member in good standing and shall have served as a member of the Board of Directors and/or Executive Committee.

2. Shall serve as chairman of the Finance Committee and, with the help of the Treasurer and other Finance Committee members, shall prepare and shall submit for approval an adequate and effective budget for the Association.

3. Shall attend all meetings of the Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and Annual Business Meeting.

4. Shall take an active role in the IATDP to the extent that he/she will faithfully fulfill his/her duties to any committee or research project as designated by the President.

5. Shall serve as chairman of the Research Committee.

The Third Vice-President

1. Shall be a member in good standing for at least one year.

2. Shall serve as the chairman of the Membership Committee in developing techniques and methods for promoting new memberships for the Association.

3. Shall be chairman of the Awards Committee and be responsible, in accordance with IATDP Award Guidelines, for the Outstanding Person of the Year Award, Outstanding Program of the Year Awards, the State and Individual Membership Awards, and the various certificates of honor to be awarded annually at the IATDP Conference Banquet.

4. Shall attend all meetings of the Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and Annual Business Meeting.

5. Shall take an active role in the IATDP to the extent that he/she will faithfully fulfill his/her duties to any committee or research project as designated by the President.

6. Shall submit a written statement of acceptance for the office of Third Vice-President to the Chairman of the Nominating Committee before the Annual Business Meeting.

The Secretary

1. Shall keep records of the meetings of the Association, the Executive Committee, and the Board of Directors.

2. Shall conduct the official correspondence of the Association and shall issue calls and notices of meetings.

3. Shall update and order new stationery each year after the Annual Conference.

4. Shall provide Executive Committee Members and Board of Directors a list of current names, addresses, and phone numbers of committee members.

5. Shall receive proposed amendments to the Constitution from the membership and insure that said proposed amendments are forwarded to the Editor of the JOURNAL for publication.

6. Shall maintain the Membership Roster and compile the yearly Membership Directory for publication in the Association journal.

The Treasurer

1. Shall have custody of all funds and assets belonging to the Association and shall deposit same in such depository as appropriate.

2. Shall be responsible for implementation of membership billing, and dues collection.

3. Shall make the disbursements for purchases authorized by the President within the organizational guidelines.

4. Shall, at the Annual Conference, submit to the Auditing Committee for audit, the financial records of the Association.

5. Shall assist the Finance Committee in preparation and submission for Association approval an adequate and effective budget for the Association.

6. The Treasurer of the IATDP and treasurer of the Annual Conference shall not be the same person.

Office of the Executive Director

The term of the Executive Director shall be three years. Recommendation for filling this position shall be made by the Executive Committee with the approval of the membership at the Annual Business Meeting.

The Executive Director:

1. Shall work within the boundaries of the IATDP Constitution and act only as an advisor and assistant to the Executive Committee in conducting IATDP financial and policy related business as approved by the Executive Committee.

3. Shall be responsible for obtaining the site for the IATDP Annual Conference at least two years in advance. All sites to be approved by the IATDP Executive Board.

4. Shall serve as the sub-chairman of the IATDP Membership Committee in order to maintain and promote membership in the Association.

5. Shall be responsible for the orientation, welcome, and hospitality of the new members to the Association and new delegates attending the Annual Conference.

6. Shall promote public understanding and public relations for the purpose and function in the education of IATDP members.

7. Shall initiate the development of national and international programs in keeping with the philosophy and purpose of IATDP.

8. Shall co-chair the Conference Committee with the President-Elect.

9. Shall have Executive Committee or Board of Directors voting power if serving as Executive Director in a volunteer capacity.

The Office of the JOURNAL Editor

The term of the Editor of the JOURNAL shall be three years. Recommendation for filling this position shall be made by the Executive Committee with approval of the membership present at the Annual Business Meeting.

The JOURNAL Editor:

1. Shall be responsible for preparing the JOURNAL for publication semi-annually in May and December.

2. Shall be responsible for establishing and adhering to deadlines.

3. Shall insure the refereed status of the JOURNAL.

4. Shall insure that the membership receives the JOURNAL.

International Association of Truancy and Dropout Prevention Board of Directors2015-2016

CALIFORNIAGRACIELA ESPINDOLA

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIADR. SANDRA FORD JOHNSON

DELAWAREHON. RICHARD COMLYHON. WILLIAM P. WOOD

GEORGIALA TONJA TURNER

ILLINOISCHAD LOUDERMILK

INDIANACYNTHIA BARRON

KENTUCKYRAY FINKE

LOUISIANAJOSEPH FONSECAFRANK PASQUAJOHN SIMMONSRUBY W. SMITH

MARYLAND MAVIS ELLISCOURTNEY LEWIS

MICHIGANHARRIETT DEAN

MISSOURIBETTY HOWARD

NEBRASKAJAMES ROSS

NEW YORKMICHAEL BERNARDI

OREGONPHIL ORTEGA

SOUTH CAROLINAJACKIE WILLIAMS

TENNESSEECALVIN BURROWSDOMINIQUE CASH

TEXASKEVIN JONEST. ANN JACKSONDONNA MITCHELL

VIRGINIABARBARA THOMPSON

IATDPIATDP Jimmie Thacker, Jr. Person of the Year

Award NominationPurpose: The IATDP Jimmie Thacker, Jr. Person of the Year Award recognizes persons in the field of truancy and dropout prevention and related work who have significantly contributed to the field through their work, education, or service.

NOMINEE INFORMATION

Person being nominated: ________________________________________________________Last Name First Name Middle Initials (optional)

Organization of Affiliation/Work__________________________________________________

Contact Information:____________________________________________________________Address City State Zip code

Work Phone: ____________ Cell Phone: ___________ Email Contact: ____________________

NOMINATOR INFORMATIONCheck if you are a self nominator. If so skip this section.Check if nominating someone else. If so, please complete information below Name of Nominator: ________________________________________________

Last Name First Name Middle Initials (optional)Contact InformationOrganization of Affiliation/Work__________________________________________________

Contact Information:____________________________________________________________Address City State Zip code

Work Phone: ____________ Cell Phone: ___________ Email Contact: __________________

NOMINATION INFORMATION1) 3 reasons for nominating this person2) Summary outline of qualities and activities the person has engaged in over 3) One factor that enables this person to stand out from others or their colleagues

Reasons: 1) 2) 3)

Summary of qualities and activities

One Factor:

Next Steps:Deadline: August 15, 2016

Award Winners are chosen based of 4 specific factors

1) Completeness and timely submission of nomination2) Quality of the responses and submission3) The impact of the person in responding to truancy and dropout prevention or related areas. 4) The Committee’s final decision on the candidate that best meets all 4 areas notified above.

Award notifications will be sent out electronically in August, 2016

Nomination Information can be attached if additional space is needed, however please limit to one typed page per question (no more than three total attached pages)

SUBMIT COMPLETED FORM AND EMAIL TO:David L. House II, IATDP PresidentSubject: IATDP Award Nomination

houseconsulting@icloud.com

IATDPIATDP Program of the Year Award Nomination

Purpose: The IATDP Program of the Year Award recognizes one outstanding, emerging, or best practice program that meets the four criteria of innovation, across system, replication, and response to mission. The program must respond to and or relate to truancy and/or dropout prevention. Benefits: Award winners benefit from their program being publicized as an international program of the year, plaque, work will be spotlighted in the journal for one year, and possibility of at least one co-authored manuscript on work and success of program.

PROGRAM NOMINEE INFORMATIONName of Program Nominated: __________________________________________________

Year Program Was created: ____________ Key population program serves:_______________

Person Contact for Program: ________________________________________________Last Name First Name Middle Initials (optional)

Organization of Affiliation/Work__________________________________________________

Contact Information:____________________________________________________________Address City State Zip code

Work Phone: ____________ Cell Phone: ___________ Email Contact: ____________________

NOMINATOR INFORMATIONCheck if you are a self nominator. If so skip info below.Check if you other nominator, please complete information below

Name of Nominator: ________________________________________________Last Name First Name Middle Initials (optional)

Contact InformationOrganization of Affiliation/Work__________________________________________________

Contact Information:____________________________________________________________Address City State Zip code

Work Phone: ____________ Cell Phone: ___________ Email Contact: __________________

Attach additional page as needed

NOMINATION INFORMATIONApplication materials:

o Submit one letter of recommendationo Submit one 3 page document with the following:

1) Provide a document that fully outlines and describes the program (including a Step by step description of how to implement and administer the program)

2) Purpose and location of the Program (including state and school district)3) How program is administered and do you think it can be replicated4) # of participants who have participated or been impacted annually by the program

as well as those that have been impacted since the program start date. 5) History of program (start date, creator, financial start-up, collaborators, need the

program aimed to meet, gaining support in the system to launch, getting buy-in from parents.)

6) Future Goals and why you think this program meets the criteria for Program of the Year Award.

Next Steps:Deadline: August 15, 2016

Award Winners are chosen based of specific factors outlined below

5) Completeness and timely submission of nomination6) Quality of the responses and submission packet7) The impact of the program (This may include if their work, education, or service spans more

than their classroom or job to impact, other schools, communities, neighborhoods, and international work)

8) Ability of the nominator to define the program as an emerging or best practice9) Ability of program to be used across various educational system10) Opportunity of the program to be replicated and shared11) Ability to respond to the mission of “responding to problems of school children – truancy and

dropout”. 12) The Committee’s final decision on the candidate that best meets all criteria will be notified.

Award notifications will be sent out electronically August, 2016

SUBMIT COMPLETED FORM AND EMAIL TO:David L. House II, IATDP PresidentSubject: IATDP Award Nomination

houseconsulting@icloud.com

IATDPIATDP Nominations for 3rd Vice President

2016-2017IATDP will be accepting nominations for incoming 3rd Vice President, Executive Committee at the 2016 IATDP Annual Conference for the 2016-2017 year. The IATDP Executive Committee operates on an annual rotating office schedule. One serves as 3rd Vice President for one year, then moves up to 2nd Vice President the following year, then 1st Vice President the third year, etc. Thus, joining the Executive Committee is a six year commitment. The duties of the 3rd Vice President, per the IATDP Constitution and By-Laws, are:

1. Shall be a member in good standing for at least one year

2. Shall serve as the chairman of the Membership Committee in developing techniques and methods for promoting new memberships for the Association

3. Shall be chairman of the Awards Committee and be responsible, in accordance with IATDP Award Guidelines, for the Outstanding Person of the Year Award, Outstanding Program of the Year Awards, the State and Individual Membership Awards, and the various certificates of honor to be awarded annually at the IATDP Conference Banquet

4. Shall attend all meetings of the Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and Annual Business Meeting

5. Shall take an active role in the IATDP to the extent that he/she will faithfully fulfill his/her duties to any committee or research project as designated by the President

6. Shall submit a written statement of acceptance for the office of Third Vice-President to the Chairman of the Nominating Committee before the Annual Business Meeting.

To submit a name of an IATDP member for volunteer service for 3rd Vice President, Executive Committee, note:

Name of Nominee

Work Address of Nominee

Telephone Number of Nominee

Whether the Nominee has been a member of good standing for one year.

Send to:

David L. House II, houseconsulting@icloud.com

IATDPIATDP 2016 Annual Conference

106th Annual IATDP ConferenceOctober 23-26, 2016

New Orleans, Louisiana Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel (739 Canal Street @Bourbon Street)

New Orleans French Quarter

Keynote Speaker:Governor John Bel Edwards and Donna Edwards

Hotel and Conference Registration www.iatdp.org

Presentation Topics: Social Phobias, Human Trafficking, Juvenile Justice Reform, and Expulsion Diversion Programming