The United States high school dropout problem has been called a national crisis. With states and districts under mounting pressure to raise graduation rates, there is an increasing urgency to obtain more accurate and timely data to identify students who are most likely to drop out of high school. Florida’s high school graduation rate increased by 0.5 percentage points over the last year and has increased significantly during the past ten years. The rate rose from 59.2 percent in 2003-2004 to 76.1 percent in 2013-2014.
Early warning systems have been demonstrated to be a powerful tool in identifying and monitoring the progress of students who may be at-risk for not graduating on time. Senate Bill 850 introduced the use of Early Warning Systems in middle schools. This law requires middle schools to implement Early Warning Systems to identify students who need additional support to improve academic performance and stay engaged in school. It can help educators predict which students may be in danger of dropping out of school by reviewing school-level data in Attendance, Behavior and Course Performance. The intent of EWS is to identify students who may be at risk for school failure and provide them with support needed to get back on track for grade level promotion and future high school graduation. Multiple sources of data are reviewed throughout the school year to ensure there are multiple opportunities for early identification and revised alignment of student support. The implementation of EWS will enable schools to get the right help to students at the right time.
Early warning systems have been demonstrated to be a powerful tool in identifying and monitoring the progress of students who may be at-risk for not graduating on time. Senate Bill 850 introduced the use of Early Warning Systems in middle schools. This law requires middle schools to implement Early Warning Systems to identify students who need additional support to improve academic performance and stay engaged in school. It can help educators predict which students may be in danger of dropping out of school by reviewing school-level data in Attendance, Behavior and Course Performance. The intent of EWS is to identify students who may be at risk for school failure and provide them with support needed to get back on track for grade level promotion and future high school graduation. Multiple sources of data are reviewed throughout the school year to ensure there are multiple opportunities for early identification and revised alignment of student support. The implementation of EWS will enable schools to get the right help to students at the right time.
What are the Indicators? |
Elementary
Students who:
Students who:
- miss 10% or more of available instructional time,
- are retained, pursuant to s. 1008.25(4)c, F.S.,
- are not proficient in reading by third grade
- receive two or more behavior referrals (with at least one referral leading to suspension, as defined in s.1003.01(5), F.S.
Middle School
Students who:
Students who:
- miss 10% or more of available instructional time,
- fail a mathematics course,
- fail an English Language Arts course,
- fail two or more courses in any subject;
- receive two or more behavior referrals (with at least one referral leading to suspension), as defined in s.1003.01(5), F.S.
High School
Students who:
Students who:
- miss 10% or more of available instructional time
- have one or more absences within the first 20 days
- fail two or more courses in any subject
- earn a grade point average less than 2.0
- fail to progress on-time to next grade level
- receive two or more behavior referrals (with at least one referral leading to suspension), as defined in s.1003.01(5), F.S.