duval county public schools dropout prevention plan 2017-2018 · monitoring of high school grading...

Duval County Public Schools

Dropout Prevention Plan 2017-2018

Page Number

School Board Leadership 2

Letter from the Board 3

District Profile 4

Introduction 5

Graduation Coaches 7

Bridge to Success Academy 10

Bridge to Success Program Data 15

Support Services 18

The Student Enrichment Program 22

Dropout Retrieval Schools 24

Dropout Retrieval School Data 25

Alternative Education Schools 27

GED Waiver Process 31

Youth Development Programs 32

Dropout Prevention Team 33

Table of Contents

Duval County Public Schools Jacksonville, Florida

The Honorable Paula D. Wright Chairman, District 4

The Honorable Ashley Smith Juarez

Vice Chairman, District 3

The Honorable Cheryl Grymes District 1

The Honorable Scott Shine District 2

The Honorable Warren A. Jones District 5

The Honorable Becki Couch District 6

The Honorable Lori Hershey

District 7

Dr. Patricia S. Willis Superintendent of Schools

School Board Leadership

Dear DCPS Stakeholder:

The Duval County School Board is committed to providing high-level programs for our students

and teachers. This plan strives to develop a culture which ensures all students have access to high-quality dropout retrieval programs and alternative education settings which are staffed with

excellent leaders, teachers, and support personnel.

The Dropout Prevention Plan provides insight into our areas of strength, and those areas which

are in need of improvement for the 2017-2018 school year. Each section explores the

accomplishments, strategies for implementation, areas of opportunity, and the three year forecast associated with each aspect of dropout prevention. This overall plan will serve as a blue print for

this division’s way of work and program options during the school year.

Embedded in each of the alternative education or over age programs is information which clearly identifies our current status and provides actionable next steps that will assist with impacting our

graduation rate and dropout rate through transforming programs and support within our schools.

Our district remains committed to providing high quality programs to all students and parents

through the Dropout Prevention and Alternative Education Department. This document continues

to allow all stakeholders involved in areas of dropout prevention to reflect on past work, assess

current practices, and make plans for moving our dropout prevention program forward.

Sincerely,

Paula Wright

Board Chairman

Letter from the Board

DCPS is the 20th largest

school district in the nation

and the 6th largest school district in Florida.

To provide educational

excellence in every school,

in every classroom, for every student, every day.

Every student is inspired

and prepared for success in

college or a career and life.

198

8284

128,702

Ms. Vicki Schultz, Chief of Schools

District Profile

Our Profile Our Mission Our Vision

Schools

Teachers

Students

For many years, it has been said that obtaining an education is not only necessary to

survive, but attainable. However, for some, getting an education is not that simple.

Therefore, dropping out of school continues to be a challenge that many students contemplate. Duval County Public Schools is committed to developing ways to help our

students stay in school and provide them with the support they need to be successful. Together with our community-based partners, local business leaders, and faith‐based

organizations, we continue to strive toward meeting two overarching goals:

Increase the overall and at‐risk graduation rates for the district.

Decrease the dropout rate in Duval County Public Schools.

These goals are directly aligned with our district’s Strategic Plan, in that it addresses

our ability to engage parents, caregivers, and the community as well as our desire to

develop the whole child. This is done through efforts to ensure that existing programs are revised to include research‐based curriculum and support services. New programs

and over age academies have also been added to fulfill the unmet needs of our most at‐risk population. In addition, an Early Warning and Response System has been

developed to identify students as early as sixth grade who are most at‐risk for dropping

out of school. These indicators include:

Failing grades in English Failing grades in Mathematics

Earning a Level 1 performance on Reading and/or Math FSA

Absences in excess of 20 days

Our district continues to provide support services to all schools with the goal of reducing truancy and chronic absenteeism, reducing suspensions and providing models for positive

behavior supports. Full-time Social Workers dedicated to responding to the urgent

student needs, have helped to open the lines of communication for our schools and

families. Other wrap-around support services now in place in numerous schools include the Student Enrichment Program, Communities in Schools, the I’m a Star

and district-based services. These programs exist to provide case management,

mentoring for students of all ages, and tutoring before, during, and after-school

hours.

The Dropout Prevention Plan aligns directly with the mission of the Florida Department of

Education to strategically increase academic engagement, the graduation rate, and post-

secondary participation while decreasing risk factors associated with students dropping out of school prior to earning a high school diploma. The commitment to the use of school-

based and district support staff, and positive behavior interventions in combination with

Introduction

K-12 wrap-around support systems allows our district to make great strides in overall

student success. Our district continues to analyze causal relationships between student

achievement and at-risk behaviors. Duval County Public Schools is committed to serving

our at-risk, over age student population and will continue to provide the necessary tools that will lead to student success in academies, career, and life.

The table below reflects the district’s performance over the past six years regarding the

graduation rate, dropout rate, and 21+ days absent. Improvements in all areas suggest the district’s focus has proven positive. The table shows data for 2010-2016, there was a

consistent graduation rate increase, resulting in a 20.5 percentage point difference. Also,

during this timeframe there was a declining average of 2.85% for the dropout rate.

Implementation of interventions and strategies, such as Graduation Coaches, The Bridge to Success Academy, Support Services, Dropout Retrieval Schools, Alternative Education

Schools, Youth Development Programs, among others, are outlined in this document to

forge toward continued gains.

Table 1

The Graduation Coach is an essential member of school leadership. Their role is

strategically designed to assist with implementing secondary district initiatives and the

monitoring of high school grading components such as the graduation rate, dropout

rate, and college readiness performance. Graduation Coaches collaborate with school leadership to identify targeted groups of students and implement programs designed

to support their academic needs. Currently, Graduation Coaches are housed at the

following high schools: Andrew Jackson, A. Philip Randolph Academies of Technology,

Baldwin Middle/High, Edward H. White, Englewood, First Coast, Frank H. Peterson Academies of Technology, Grand Park, Jean Ribault, Robert E. Lee, Terry Parker,

Westside, William M. Raines, Samuel W. Wolfson, and our Youth Development

Programs. In addition, a Graduation Coach is assigned to support the work of charter

schools.

Accomplishments

Through the notable impact of Graduation Coaches, the district saw an increase in the

graduation rate. In 2015-2016, the graduation rate improved to 78.8%. This reflects a 2.2% increase from the previous year. This accomplishment is attributed to the

DUVAL 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

GRADUATION RATE 67.7% 72.1% 74.0% 76.6% 78.8% TBD

DROPOUT RATE 2.9% 4.1% 2.9% 2.7% 4.5% TBD

21+ DAYS ABSENT 6.0% 6.5% 7.3% 6.7% 12.37% TBD

Graduation Coaches

execution of an intentional plan and on-going professional development through the

district’s Office of School Counseling for principals, graduation coaches, and school

counselors. Principals and school teams participated in frequent graduation check

meetings to maintain a pulse on the progress of the graduation cohort.

Strategies for Implementation

Graduation Coaches utilize a number of reports to accurately identify student

populations and monitor school-based progress. They conduct data analysis on individual students and subgroups in an effort to implement appropriate tiers of

support and maximize accessibility to district interventions. Graduation Coaches assist

schools with ensuring students have access to ACT and SAT assessments, applicable

fee waivers and test preparation opportunities with the intent of securing passing scores on required graduation assessments, offering test preparation opportunities,

and conducting data chats with students to progress monitor their performance

towards meeting graduation requirements. The goal is to ensure students secure

passing scores on required graduation assessments, attain college readiness scores, and pursue college/career financial aid opportunities. In addition, bi‐monthly meetings

are held with the Assistant Superintendent of Accountability and Assessment and the

Office of School Counseling. These meetings focus on reviewing data, sharing of best practices, and problem‐solving. Graduation Coaches also provide an update to district

staff on the status of their graduation cohort.

The Office of Accountability and Assessment utilizes the Graduation Tracker (see Table

2) to remotely monitor and initiate assistance with schools as needed. This software

program monitors data points to determine graduation eligibility for students. Data

points include, but are not limited to, program of study, grade level, eligibility of services for student with disabilities, passing graduation assessments, college

readiness scores, cumulative grade point average as well as the latest enrollment date.

The Graduation Tracker is accessible to the Principal, Graduation Coach and the

district’s Office of School Counseling.

Through the partnership with the Office of School Counseling, district level support is

provided through, but not limited to, academic advising, periodic review of academic

histories, and ensuring accurate coding. In addition, district level support collaborate with school-based leadership to ensure strategies that support student credit

acquisition, application of grade forgiveness, and the evaluation of students’ grade

point average calculation are maximized.

Table 2:

Areas of Opportunity

There are a few areas of opportunity for this intervention. There is a need to expand the number of Graduation Coaches across all high schools, comprehensive and charter, which

will allow for consistency in task implementation and support of district initiatives. Another

area of opportunity is the re-engagement of students who are no longer attending school

and inspire them to complete their education. In response to this opportunity, truancy

officers will continue be deployed to schools in an effort to locate and support students who have indicated they do not plan enroll with the district in August and to follow-up with those

who did not attend the first few days of the school year. Last, the Graduation Tracker

currently monitors a single cohort as it relates to school grade indicators. Another

opportunity is for the Graduation Tracker to capture multiple cohorts at the same time. (Plans to resolve this concern are currently in progress.)

Three Year Forecast of What Can be Expected

Over the next three years, the district will continue its focus on timely graduation of the ninth-grade cohorts and continue to offer accelerated credit retrieval opportunities.

The district will continue to implement various tiers of support to increase the

graduation rate and reduce the dropout rate.

The Bridge to Success (BTS) Academy addresses barriers to graduation through a

comprehensive approach. The BTS program began during the 2013-2014 school year and

has provided an option for students that would have disengaged or dropped out of school.

By leveraging community partners, the district has developed a program that provides individual support to help students graduate on time and become ready to fulfill college and

career goals. The program provides a small classroom setting with caring teachers,

administrators, and staff. Through the collaborative work of the teachers, administrators,

and community partners, students are able to experience learning in an environment that

meets their needs. The Bridge to Success Academy provides services to students who are in 4th through 12th grade. The elementary/middle school main campus is located at 2115

Commonwealth Avenue. This campus serves grades 4th – 8th. The high school main campus

is located at 1157 Golfair Boulevard in the lower level of A. Philip Randolph Academies and

serves 9th through 12th grade.

Support services that enhance the academic experience include:

Rigorous face-to-face instruction aligned with district curriculum and instructional

resources Meaningful relationships with student advocates and mentors

Positive behavior support and interventions

Daily attendance monitoring

Quarterly parent forums and parent engagement activities

The BTS criteria seeks to support over age students with earning credits at an accelerated

pace. The selection pool includes students district-wide, who choose to apply.

Program eligibility includes: Two or more years over age and/or two or more retentions

Priority given to students attending the comprehensive satellite site high school

(if applicable)

Online and/ or Paper Application Interview with parent and prospective student

Assessment of GPA, behavior, and attendance records

Program Sites Program sites are located in area comprehensive schools identified as having a significant

number of over age students. The West Jacksonville main campus serves both elementary

and middle school students grades 4th through 8th. In addition to the main campus, there

are three middle school satellite sites that serve grades 6th – 8th grades at Arlington,

Matthew Gilbert, and Jeb Stuart Middle Schools. The high school main campus operates out of A. Philip Randolph Academy and Technology on the lower level. The high school satellite

The Bridge to Success Academy

sites support students in 9th-12th grade at William M. Raines High School and Westside High

Schools.

Program Implementation Upon enrollment, each student is scheduled in the core classes required to meet promotion

expectations. Virtual classes are available through Duval Virtual Instruction Academy

(DVIA) and Florida Virtual (FLVS) platforms. Students use district instructional materials,

curriculum, and technology as they complete coursework. Teachers utilize the latest technology of interactive, multi-sync monitors and access to laptop carts. When middle

school students enter the program, they complete one-grade level during the first semester

of school. Student then move on to coursework for the next grade level resulting in the

opportunity to complete two grade levels in one year. High school students are scheduled in their core classes based on the number of required credits remaining. A first-time 9th

grader would be scheduled in their 9th and 10th grade core classes with 1-2 electives. This

model allows high school students the opportunity to complete two years of coursework in

one school year.

Partnerships:

The Bridge to Success Academy is fortunate to have agencies that contract with the district

to provide services to BTS sites to increase attendance, reduce misbehavior, and foster

meaningful relationships. Communities in Schools (CIS) of Jacksonville provides a full-time site coordinator at each of the satellite locations. This staff member is responsible for

monitoring daily attendance, conducting home visits, and providing case management.

Previous years’ partnerships include The Bridge of Northeast Florida and I’m a Star

Foundation.

Bridge to Success – Elementary

The primary objective of the elementary over age program is to provide support to our most at-risk population of elementary students. This program offers a range of services and

experiences. Elementary students in 4th and 5th grade may enroll in the BTS program.

Accomplishments The 2016-2017 school year was the first year that elementary students were accepted in

the Bridge to Success Program. Approximately eighty students were enrolled in the

elementary program and were able to double promote to the next grade level. Many of

these students are returning to BTS to acquire additional coursework to get on track.


Students participate in face-to-face instruction in a small classroom environment. They are

introduced to the same coursework they would have received in their neighborhood school.

BTS staff adjusts the pacing such that students are exposed to two grade levels in one school year. District and school-based academic coaches work with teachers to develop

curriculum guides and instructional support. All students participate in state testing and

must meet the district student progression requirements in order to promote to the next

grade level.


The West Jacksonville Bridge to Success site is the only site that accepts elementary

students. There is an opportunity to create additional elementary sites that allow students

to acquire course work in an accelerated model.


In the next three years, Bridge to Success will continue to offer its program to elementary

students. Unfortunately, there are students who are over age for their grade level in the K-5 grade band. BTS has proven to be a positive response to support academies and social-

emotional learning.

Bridge to Success - Secondary

During the past four years, the over age program – Bridge to Success (BTS), operated out

of two schools for secondary students. During the program’s inception, James Weldon

Johnson Academic & Career Training Center (JWJ-ACTC) served middle school students in

6th–8th grade and The School for the Future served high school students in 9th–12th grade. At the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year, the main campus of the BTS program

relocated to West Jacksonville Elementary, with enrollment opportunities for grades 4th –

12th.

Middle School:

Accomplishments

The middle school program of the Bridge to Success Academy has grown to an enrollment

of over 400 students in four locations—Arlington Middle, Jeb Stuart Middle, Matthew Gilbert

Middle, and West Jacksonville school. Students have shown a genuine interest in their satisfaction with the BTS program through their attendance and their survey responses.

The average daily attendance for the 2016-2017 school year was 91%. The attendance rate

is admirable compared to the comprehensive schools’ district average daily attendance rate

of 94%. Furthermore, Gallup survey responses indicate that students believe they are more likely to promote/graduate from BTS than their previous school. For the past three years,

the average number of credits earned has continued to increase from an average of 7.86

credits earned in 2013 to 10.5 credits earned in 2017. In addition to improvement in credit

acquisition, the middle school students also improved their behavior.


Students who are two years or more over age submit applications for enrollment to the

Bridge to Success program via a paper application. The enrollment process for middle school

students includes participating in an interview. The interview panel is comprised of

administrators, teachers, and community partners. Students and their parent/guardian are

required to take part in the interview. The interview gives the enrollment team an

opportunity to assess families’ genuine interest in the program. Students have the choice

to attend school at the main campus or at one of the satellite sites. The satellite site

locations are available to allow students to attend their neighborhood school and participate

in extra-curricular activities without losing the comprehensive school experience. Once

enrolled in elementary or middle school, students complete their first year of coursework in

the first semester and their second year of coursework in the second semester. Teachers

work diligently to assist students with demonstrating mastery; struggling students are

provided an opportunity to recover failed courses. Additionally, wrap-around services are

provided through community partners. Students receive support through monitoring and

incentives for attendance and academics.

High School

Accomplishments

Great improvements have occurred within the high school program of the Bridge to Success Academy as well. Tables 3 and 4 capture a four year comparison of the number of diplomas,

CoCs and the program’s graduation rate. Each year since inception, there has been

significant growth in the graduation rate; doubling from the 2013-2014 of 14% to 28% in

2014-2015. Remarkably, in 2015-2016, this was the first year that high school diplomas exceeded the number of certificate of completions earned. This success can be attributed

to district level focus on graduation rate and the effective leadership of the Bridge to Success

team of administrators, teachers, and students.

Table 3

Comparison of diplomas vs. certificates of completion

2013-2014* 2014-2015* 2015-2016* 2016-2017* Total

Diploma 50 70 110 39 269

Certificate of

Completion

37 98 69 17 221

Total 87 168 179 56 490

*Reflects multi-year cohort data

Table 4

Graduation rate comparison 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017

Grad Rate 14.1% 28.9% 35% TBD


Students who are two years or more over age submit applications for enrollment to the

Bridge to Success program via an online application. The high school selection process

involves a review of students’ academic history, grade point average, and the number of

credits still needed. High school scheduling allows the flexibility of scheduling students in

half credit courses. Through an accelerated delivery model, students are scheduled so that

they are able to attempt coursework in two grade levels simultaneously. The program

offers a complete selection of core courses for 9th – 12th grade (See Table 5). Elective

course offerings are available but limited. Students who need core or elective courses

outside of the ones described here are scheduled in the course through our district’s virtual

platform, Duval Virtual Instruction Academy (DVIA). With this design, students have an

opportunity to accelerate toward promotion to their correct grade and/or graduation. High

school students also benefit from small class sizes and passionate educators. The high

school satellite sites are located at A. Philip Randolph, William M. Raines and Westside High

Schools. The satellite site locations allow students to attend their neighborhood school and

participate in extra-curricular activities without losing the comprehensive school experience.

High school students receive wrap-around services to reduce barriers and increase student

attendance. The A.Philip Randolph BTS site serves as the main campus for the high school.

Table 5 - BTS High School Core Course Offerings

Math English Science Social Studies

Algebra 1 Geometry

Algebra 2

Math for College Readiness

English I English II

English III

English IV

Environmental Science Marine Science

Biology

World History US History

Economics

US Government

Areas of Opportunity for Middle and High School

Many students in the over age population are faced with the choice of attending school or

going to work. Too often, students opt to go to work in lieu of getting their education needs and demands of independence. There’s an opportunity to schedule students creatively

wherein they are able to attend a morning or afternoon session. This would afford the

students who are trying to balance school and work the flexibility to do both. Another area

of opportunity lies in improving measures to connect with students who have previously earned a Certificate of Completion (CoC). Generally, students who earn a CoC have met all

graduation requirements with the exception of the state testing requirements for Reading

and/or Math. Through the support of school-based administrators, school counselors, and

community partners, it is our intent to have students with CoCs connected to re-take test sessions, ACT/SAT administration dates, test prep materials and tutoring that will prepare

them to meet the state test requirement and assist in their receipt of a high school diploma.


Over the next three years, it is expected that more students will matriculate through the

middle/high school academic option and draw closer to earning a standard diploma. It is

anticipated that Bridge to Success will continue to be an option for over age students. Plans to focus on both ends of the continuum – the elementary level to remediate before a student

receives a second retention and at the secondary level to assist students with recovering

and acquiring credits for graduation.

Bridge to Success Program Data

High School Data

The high school program of the Bridge to Success Academy has made a tremendous impact on the graduation rate of at-risk youth. The BTS program is an avenue for over

age students to graduate on-time or within one year of their kindergarten cohort. Students

benefit from the small classroom setting, instructional assistance and monitoring with

virtual classes, and face-to-face instructional program model.

Tables 6 and 7 show the four year evolvement of the enrollment and attendance of the

BTS program. The enrollment across BTS sites has declined over the past 2 school terms

due to several factors. While data reflects a demand for the over age program, students

are faced with environmental, familial, and interpersonal challenges that hinder their commitment to enrolling with BTS. The average daily attendance continues to be an area

of focus. Even after encouraging students to enroll in the BTS program, daily attendance

proves to be a struggle for them. Since the 2013-2014 school year, the average daily

attendance has declined by nearly 10 percentage points. As a result, an increased emphasis is being placed on improving the average daily attendance. Communities in

Schools’ Site Coordinators will use increased efforts to establish and maintain a close

relationship with students in the program by conducting home visits during the first

quarter and continue throughout the year for potentially truant students to establish and

maintain relationships, assess needs in the home, link to community services as needed, and follow-up on linkage. Table 6 Table 7 Enrollment Average Daily Attendance

2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017

817 619 449 217

2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017

86.55% 82.01% 79%

The high school Bridge to Success program’s data reflects significant improvements in the areas of credit acquisition and discipline (see Tables 8 and 9). For the past 3 years, the

percentage of students earning 3 or more credits has been between 86%-88%. To add,

the number of discipline infractions committed by BTS high school has decrease

significantly. During the 2015-2016 school year, the high school level decrease incidents

overall and across each of the referral levels. The decrease is directly attributed to the support of community partners, well-developed systems, as well as administrators and

faculty who take advantage of restorative justice to encourage the desired behavior.

Table 8 Academics Table 9 Discipline

3 year comparison - % of students earning 3+ credits

BTS High School

SY1415 SY1516 SY1617 +/-

*

% of students

earning 3+

credits

88% 85% 86% -2

*Reflects change from 2014 to 2017

Code of Conduct

High School

2014-

2015

2015-

2016

2016-

2017

**

# of overall

incidents 608 567

Class I 228 230

Class II 331 310

Class III 47 27

Class IV 2 0

Discipline comparison based off of day 180 across 3 years. *Reflects change from 2013 to 2015

**See Table 13a

Middle School Data

The middle school, Bridge to Success program continues to attract middle school families.

For the past three years, the enrollment for BTS middle school sites has been at capacity

prior to the first day of school (see Table 10). In reviewing the average daily attendance, BTS middle school’s average is comparable to the district-wide middle school attendance

(see Table 11). Table 10 Enrollment Table 11 Average Daily Attendance

2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017

414 333 424 383

2015-2016 2016-2017

92% 91%

Since the launch of the program, the middle school students of BTS have participated in

a mid-year promotion exercise to celebrate their accomplishments (Table 12) and a yearly formal promotional exercise for the eighth graders. They are recognized for promoting to

9th grade and individual student awards are given to students for their academic

performance in coursework and in blended learning platforms as well. Much like the high

school program, the middle school end of year discipline results reflect declines in most

areas shown in Table 13. There was a slight increase in the number of Level I offenses, with a significant decrease in overall incidents. Table 12 Midyear Promotion Table 13 Discipline

School Year Mid-Year Promotion by Grade Level

6th 7th 8th

2013-2014 72% 78% 57%

2014-2015 97% 95% 87%

2015-2016 76% 76% 71%

2016-2017 92% 94% 94%

Code of

Conduct

Middle School

2014-

2015

2015-

2016

2016-

2017

**

# of overall

incidents 885 1342

Class I 139 410

Class II 692 898

Class III 54 34

Class IV 0 0

Discipline comparison based off of day 180 across 3 years. *Reflects change from 2013 to 2015

**See Table 13a

Table 13a

Discipline Infractions 1617 thru School Day Number 180 Total Infractions Class I Class II Class III Class IV

1574 732 797 44 1

In the table above, the data reflects discipline infractions accrued by students for the elementary, middle, and high levels at BTS. While the data is not broken down by level,

the number of overall infractions for the 2016-2017 school year is 335 referrals less than

the combined total of both schools from the 2015-2016 school year. Through intentional

work around positive behavior supports, this program has played an integral role in assisting students with managing their behavior.

Survey Results

Annually, BTS students participate in a survey that captures their feelings about experiences in the program. In the tables below, the data shows the alignment of the

positive effects of the support services provided to students.

Table 14 Analysis of BTS Survey Results

Question SY1516 SY1617 +/-

I am experiencing more success in my classes at BTS

than I did at my home school. 68.9% 69.21% +.31

I am staying out of trouble more often at BTS than I

did at my home school 56.2% 65.5% +9.3

I believe that I am more likely to achieve my goals of

promoting/graduating at BTS than if I was still at my

home school.

70.5% 75.11% +4.61

*Results reflect students indicating they strongly agreed

Survey results (see Table 15) show the effectiveness of the Bridge to Success program

in the following areas:

Students experience more success in classes in the Bridge to Success program.

Due to student engagement, they have less discipline concerns.

Supportive wrap-around services helped students to feel more supported than at

their home school.

Table 15

Bridge to Success SY1617 Student Survey

Question Strongly Disagree

Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly

Agree

I believe that my classes are as challenging in the Bridge to Success Program as they were at my home school.

10.04% 16.16% 31.88% 28.17% 13.76%

I am experiencing more success in my classes at BTS than I did at my home school.

6.33% 6.99% 17.47% 34.06% 35.15%

I have a closer relationship with the adults at my BTS site than I did at my home school.

12.88% 13.32% 31.00% 23.58% 19.21%

I am staying out of trouble more often at BTS than I did at my home school.

6.33% 6.33% 21.83% 29.69% 35.81%

I am attending school more often with BTS than I did when I was at my home school.

6.99% 7.64% 29.91% 29.48% 25.98%

Overall, I feel more supported at BTS than I did at my home school.

7.86% 9.17% 25.33% 29.48% 28.17%

I believe that I am more likely to achieve my goals of promoting/graduating at BTS than if I was still at my home school.

5.46% 3.71% 15.72% 32.53% 42.58%

I am more comfortable in classes with students who have also struggled before in school but who know they can succeed.

9.17% 6.55% 24.02% 31.00% 29.26%

Within the Dropout Prevention Office, district-level support services work to ensure

students receive access to the resources they need to be successful. Social workers advocate for students by serving as the link between Duval County Public Schools and

community agencies that are providing services to the student and family. These agencies

include Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), Family Support Services of

Northeast Florida (FSSNF), and other Community Management Organizations (CMOs).

Foster Care

The District Foster Care program seeks to support students who are no longer in the care of the parent due to being at-risk, neglected, or abandoned while in their parents’ care.

Support services are provided through district social workers and external agencies.

These staff members work collaboratively to assist students with home placement, school

enrollment, and transportation. Social workers monitor, attendance, discipline, and the

academic progress of children in care while they are enrolled in our district.

The Florida Department of Education requires that each District designate a Foster Care

Liaison. This person is responsible for supporting students in foster care district-wide.

Additionally, each school within our district has identified a school-based foster care liaison

Support Services

to assist with the enrollment and reducing barriers that impede students’ academic

progress.

Accomplishments In December, 2016, new federal guidelines outlined in the Every Student Succeeds Act

(ESSA) called for changes in the areas of enrollment, transportation, and school

placement. As a result, our district developed an ESSA Implementation Team comprised

of district staff from across all departments. This team is responsible for ensuring that our district is operating within the law and in the best interest of students.


The District Foster Care Liaison works collaboratively with the Department of Children and Families to maintain an accurate account of the number of students in our district who are

in foster care. Reports are generated daily, as placement for foster care students is just

that fluid. Enrollment procedures were provided to each principal and each school-based

liaison for foster care. Each school-based liaison is responsible for supporting students in

their building.


An area of opportunity is to acquire a data sharing agreement between the district and the

Department of Children and Families. This would allow for real-time data that accurately reflects the enrollment or change of placement for a student in foster care.

Three Year Forecast of What Can Be Expected

It is projected that our district will continue to support children in care. Through the quarterly meetings with the ESSA implementation team, it is expected that the partnership

between the district and external agencies will strengthen. There will be an increased

awareness through the exchange of ideas to make informed decisions about placement,

access to resources, and progress toward academic achievement.

Contact Information

Trina Lovett, Social Worker – District Foster Care Liaison

[email protected]

Data Comparison – Foster Care

Indicator SY1516 SY1617

# of students Survey 3 349 (419 EOY) 460 (466 EOY)

Average Daily

Attendance

91.2% 89.3%

Average Credits Earned 5.87 2.48

mailto:[email protected]

% promoted 79.9% 68.5%

# of Diplomas 4 TBD

# of CoCs 1 TBD

Families in Transition - Homeless The Stewart B. McKinney‐Vento Homeless Assistance Act authorizes direct services that

enable homeless children, including preschool‐aged children and youth, to enroll, attend,

and achieve success in school. The initiative that oversees this is Families in Transition.

The primary goal of this support service is to ensure that barriers are eliminated so that

the students served will be able to enroll and attend school with as much normalcy as possible.

The Families in Transition program has several goals to address students who do not

reside in permanent housing. To identify children and youth who are homeless To enroll homeless children in school

To provide intervention services to homeless students

To track homeless students To provide awareness training to School Board staff, students, parents, and

community agencies

Student Eligibility The McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children and youth as individuals who lack

fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence.

Referral Procedures

Each school has a dedicated Families in Transition liaison where school personnel or the student body can reach out to for connection to community resources. A variety of

sources may refer families for services: teachers, principals, school social workers,

parents, school psychologists, students, school counselors, and community agency staff.

Contact Information

Ms. Tricia Pough, Social Worker

[email protected]

Ms. Takiya Tillman, Social Worker

[email protected]

Accomplishments

During the 2016-2017 school year, approximately 3,000 homeless students were

identified as having been enrolled in a Duval County Public School. The increase is

attributed to elevated awareness, training, and collaborative partnerships. Internally,

each school has identified a school-based liaison for homeless students. This staff member

works collaboratively with district social works to assist families who are in transition.

Strategies for Implementation School-based and district staff work collaboratively to identify families in transition district-

wide. A referral process for homeless students allows school-based staff to collect

pertinent information and begin the steps toward linking families with housing, school

placement, and other resources. Social workers play a key role in the development of a plan to respond to the support services referral received from schools. After which, there

is case management follow-up to bridge the gap so that students can focus on academics

and not external environmental factors.


Although systems are in place to implement the referral process, there is a need to

improve the messaging of available services to stakeholders within the organization.

Schools within the district need an increased awareness of the menu options available to

families. District-wide, in-depth professional development is needed to equip school-based staff with best practices and current processes. Furthermore, there is a need for

sensitivity to our special at-risk populations using today’s resources, such as social devices

that are creative and analogically designed to create an endearing commitment of

academic excellence for all students.


With continued growth in this area, we anticipate improving our practices in identifying

families in transition. In doing so, we hope to leverage students’ ability to focus on academics and graduation versus stable housing. We further intend to increase additional

personnel so that the delinquent, at-risk, and neglected students across our district can be

identified and supported.

Data Comparison – Homeless

Indicator SY1516 SY1617

# of students Survey 3 4321 2294

Average Daily

Attendance

83.5% 89.4%

Average Credits Earned 4.6 6.71

% promoted 89.1% 69.5%

# of Diplomas 72 TBD

# of CoCs 4 TBD

The Student Enrichment Program (SEP) is the initial program that Communities in Schools (CIS) began in Jacksonville schools more than 20 years ago. SEP places full and part‐time

site coordinators on school campuses throughout Duval County. Site Coordinators work with principals, teachers, and school counselors to stabilize students who are at risk of

falling behind or dropping out of school. Major funding for SEP sites comes from grants

provided by The DuBow Family Foundation, Duval County Public Schools, The Jim Moran

Foundation, and the United Way of Northeast Florida.

Currently, Site Coordinators are staffed in 10 public schools including a K-8 school, one

elementary school, one middle school, seven high schools (listed below). Each Site

Coordinator work individually with 100 to 150 students. These students are counseled

individually and in group sessions, throughout the year, enabling them to realize their potential and establish goals. They also provide students with life skills needed to reach

set goals. Home visits and parental involvement activities are essential components of the

program in to promote high attendance and establish relationships with

parents/guardians. Site Coordinators also connect students and families to needed community resources based on individual needs. While Site Coordinators work individually

with select students from the school’s student body, hundreds of others are reached through school‐wide services such as career fairs, parent seminars, and literacy programs.

Elementary Schools:

John E. Ford K-8 and Lake Forest

High Schools:

Andrew Jackson, A. Philip Randolph Academies

of Technology, Frank H. Peterson Academies

of Technology, Terry Parker, William Raines,

Jean Ribault, & Ed White

Middle Schools:

Arlington and John E. Ford K-8

Accomplishments

The Student Enrichment Program provides daily support to over 700 students in 10 schools

across the district. Within this population of students, 98% of them have missed less than

21 days of school at mid-year. This is equivalent to the 2014-2015 school year’s percentage at mid-year. The work of the Site Coordinators have impacted these results

through developing relationships with students, contacting parents and visiting the home

when necessary, and providing motivational incentives when students obtained academic

and attendance goals. CIS staff also hosted seminars to prepare students for college, career and life success, obtained additional grants for site specific activities, and took

students on college tours and community events.

Student Enrichment Program


The participant pool of SEP is consists of students who are referred by teachers,

counselors, parents, and administrators, and some are self-select. Site coordinators

provide case management services through parent contact, individual and group sessions and by referring students to other social service agencies. Through the support of CIS,

students participate in field trips exposure to cultural experiences and for recreation.

Participating schools benefit from school-wide activities led by the CIS site coordinator.

Over 460 families have been connected to their child’s school through family game nights, parent academies, grade level parent nights and open house events.


Understanding the importance of data, an area of opportunity rest in the ability to track students’ progress across multiple years of participation. Having an indicator in FOCUS,

our student information system, associated with a student’s participation in the SEP will

improve our ability to capture this data. SEP is being improved through better data

monitoring of attendance, behavior, and academic performance. Another area of

opportunity is to intentionally link the day to day work of the site coordinator to measurable objectives of the SEP contract.


Over the next three years, it is expected that services provided through the Communities in Schools Student Enrichment Program will expand to serve more students. As a result

of the services delivered by CIS staff, at-risk students across the district will continue to

attend school regularly, manage their behavior and make progress toward graduating with

a high school diploma.

Data Comparison - Student Enrichment Plan Measureable Objectives Outcome

2015-2016 2016-2017

Met?

Maintain a 90% or greater end of year

promotion rate

97% 98% Yes

Maintain a minimum of 90% for students

who miss less than 21 days of school

98% 97% Yes

Increase the number of students who

received no referrals or suspensions by

10%

70% No referrals – 76%

No suspensions – 89%

Yes

Score a rating of 90% or greater on a

student survey in the area of partnership

effectiveness.

* 99% Yes

Catapult Academy

Duval County Public Schools contracts with Catapult Academy to offer flexible schooling

options to students who have withdrawn from traditional schools for various reasons. Catapult Academy is instrumental in helping the district reach students between the ages

of 16 to 21 and in grades 9 through 12, who are no longer enrolled in Duval County Public

Schools. Catapult’s enrollment during Survey 3 was approximately 1,200 students.

Students have an opportunity to complete their high credentials and earn a standard diploma. Credit recovery and test preparation are available at satellite campuses which

are distributed equally across the city in seven communities. Students attend five hours

each day, Monday through Friday, either in the morning or afternoon. The instruction is

computer-based, with additional instruction provided by certified teachers and para-

professionals. Catapult also performs a graduation ceremony for students and their families.

Catapult Academy is currently being offered at the following sites:

Arlington

Mandarin

Murray Hill

Riverview

Gateway

St. Johns

103rd Street

Other dropout retrieval schools in Duval County

Biscayne High School Grades: 9‐12

1680 Dunn Ave.

Jacksonville, Fl. 32218

904.301.4364

Lone Star High School Grades: 9‐12

8050‐1 Lone Star Rd.

Jacksonville Fl. 32211

904.725.5998

MycroSchool for Integrated Technologies Grades: 9‐12

1584 Normandy Village Pkwy

Suite 25


904.783.3611

SALTech (School of Accelerated Academics and Technologies) Grades: 9‐12

4751 Walgreen Rd.


904.328.5001

Dropout Retrieval Schools

Dropout Retrieval School Data

The data in tables below shows various aspects of performance for the district’s dropout retrieval schools. It is often the case that this population of students have experienced

limited success in the traditional school setting as it relates to attendance, discipline, and

credit acquisition. The data snapshot in the tables 17-21 reveal the five year performance

in enrollment, graduation, dropout rate, and average number of credits earned various dropout retrieval schools.

During the 2015-2016 school year, various schools participated in district-led graduation

check meetings. Under the leadership of the Assistant Superintendent of Accountability and Assessment and the district School Counseling Office, dropout retrieval school teams

met with district staff to monitor schools’ potential graduates. The grad check meeting

was a chance for each school to receive feedback about their cohort graduating students.

The district school counseling office offered troubleshooting strategies to assist charter

schools with reducing the number of negative cohort numbers and subsequently increasing the graduation rate.

Table 17 Survey 3 Enrollment

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Biscayne - - - - 140 203 227 245

BTS High School

- - 84 125 692 501 414 217

Catapult 792 779 713 598 407 714 1218 1222

JWJ-ACTC - - - 94 418 409 420 383

Lonestar - 252 353 282 343 327 261 223

Murray Hill - - 134 330 325 257

MycroSchool - - - 215 274 263 272 271

SALTech 198 174 161 152 137 135 137 219

Total 990 1205 1445 1796 2736 2809 2949 2780

Table 18 Six Year Comparison of Graduation Rate Percentages for Dropout Retrieval Sites

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Biscayne - - - - 7.70 15.10 9.7

BTS High School - - - - 14.10 28.90 36.4

Catapult 5.39 1.71 3.34 2.65 6.00 10.50 11.4

Lonestar - 5.26 2.11 1.23 8.70 14.50 24.2

Murray Hill - - 9.09 2.78 7.80 8.60 0

MycroSchool - - - 16.67 24.40 24.80 30.6

SALTech 27.71 38.10 25.00 33.33 30.00 29.20 6.3

Table 19 Six Year Comparison of Dropout Rate for Dropout Retrieval Sites

Dropout Rate

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Biscayne - - - - - TBA

BTS High School

- - 0.00 3.20 2.70 TBA

Catapult 27.32 14.30 24.40 45.90 44.1 TBA

Lonestar - 0.00 9.50 28.50 23.00 TBA

Murray Hill - - 13.20 31.00 21.90 TBA

MycroSchool - - - 0.30 7.4 TBA

SALTech 0.57 0.00 0.40 1.90 3.3 TBA

Table 20 Six Year Comparison of the Average Number of Credits Earned for Dropout Retrieval Sites

Average Credits Earned

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Biscayne - - - - 1.42 1.38 2.2 2.4

BTS High School

- - 6.21 5.87 5.87 6.26 5.9 6.0

Catapult 2.11 2.06 1.55 1.19 2.09 0.74 1.7 1.9

JWJ-ACTC - - - 7.86 7.65 9.24 9.6 10.5

Lonestar - 2.51 2.28 1.66 1.95 1.61 3.0 2.3

Murray Hill - - 1.58 1.70 2.53 1.58 0 0

MycroSchool - - - 2.56 3.45 2.73 3.0 1.7

SALTech 5.70 4.58 5.44 4.92 6.13 9.25 2.2 2.1

Accomplishments

Notable areas of accomplishment related to enrollment are the growing enrollment at

Catapult and James Weldon Johnson Academic & Career Training Center (JWJ-ACTC) also

known as Bridge to Success Middle School. The enrollment at BTS Middle has maintained

full capacity due to their effective academic, emotional, and social program model. Small

class sizes and caring staff has also contribute to the consistent maxed enrollment.

The graduation rate is another area of celebration for the Dropout Retrieval Schools. A

few of these schools increased their graduation rate from the previous year. In the 2015-

2016 school year, BTS high school doubled their graduation rate from the previous year. This increase is linked to the acquisition of credits through virtual classes that were not

otherwise attainable through face-to-face instruction. Another area of accomplishment is

the decline in the district dropout rate. While the overall dropout rate declined from 2.9%

in 2013 to 2.7% in 2014, four of the Dropout Retrieval Schools decreased their dropout rate from the previous year. Continued focus on academic advisement and non-traditional

program options are the reason for this decline. As shown in Table 20, the schools that

have the highest credits earned are BTS High School, JWJ-ACTC, and Biscayne. Over the

past two years BTS Middle/High School has led the pack in highest number of credits

earned.


School-based counselors and Graduation Coaches provide academic advisement to

students who are at-risk of dropping out. In cases where the student is at-risk of aging

out due to the few number of credits earned and GPA, counselors recommend an alternative learning environment. The dropout retrieval schools offer a variation of

academic settings as well as flexible and extended hours, a blended learning format, and

locations other than a comprehensive school setting. In some instances, students seek

assistance for alternative education options by contacting the district office. The Alternative Education and Dropout Prevention Office assists at-risk and over age students

with school placement in a setting that meets their individual learning needs. Such options

are discussed in this plan.


There is a need to improve awareness of the dropout retrieval program options. By doing

so, students and families will gain a thorough understanding of their academic alternative

choices, in lieu of dropping out. Messaging of dropout retrieval options will be done

through district counselor meetings, the school choice options, and the district web page.


Dropout retrieval schools will continue to provide an alternative option for non-traditional

students. The Dropout Prevention Office in collaboration with the School Choice Office and

the District School Counseling Office will work with students and families to message the

menu of alternative educational options. Information is shared via walk-in visits, telephone

inquiries, and inter-office referrals. School-based counselors will extend dropout retrieval

selections to help students find the best environment for obtaining their high school

diploma.

Alternative Schools for Behavior

Duval County Public Schools offers an alternative setting for students who have committed behavior offenses in their neighborhood schools. Students are referred to the district

hearing officer who reviews the facts surrounding the offense. Based on criteria outlined

in the district student Code of Conduct, the hearing officer determines whether a student

is assigned to an alternative school. The district currently has two sites for alternative

education (Table 22). The behavior alternative schools underwent a re-design during the 2015-2016 school year, which included restructuring of grade levels and providing

additional services.

Alternative Education Schools

Table 22

District Alternative Schools for Discipline

Mattie V. Rutherford Grand Park

Grade Level 4th through 9th 6th – 12th

Criteria Students that exhibit repetitive

misbehavior

Students that exhibit a pattern of

continuous aggressive misbehavior

Length of

Assignment

45 to 90 days 1 calendar year

Support Staff Transition Specialist, Social Worker, & School Psychologist

Administrator Mr. Maurice NeSmith

1514 Hubbard St. | Jacksonville,

FL 32206

904.630.6782

Dr. Tyrone Blue

2335 W. 18th St. | Jacksonville, FL

32209

904.630.6894

Accomplishments The Alternative schools have experienced a decline in enrollment at both schools. This is

partly due to adding a full-time Social Worker, Transition Specialist, and School

Psychologist to deliver support in the alternative setting. These staff members play an

integral role in supporting teachers and students through the use of behavior interventions and de-escalation strategies. Another area of accomplishment is related to the alternative

schools’ rate of students who exit and return within the same school year. As shown in

Table 23, both Mattie V. Rutherford and Grand Park had a decrease in the number of

students who exit and re-enter the alternative school in the same school year. Table 23

Alternative Education Programs Re-entry Rate for Alternative

Schools 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017

Grand Park 5% 10% 0%

Mattie V. Rutherford 9.7% 5% 2%


Students are referred to the Hearing Officer by the administrator of a traditional school.

Based on the information provided, the Hearing Officer makes the determination to assign

a student to Mattie V. Rutherford or Grand Park. Students’ academic history and current grades are also reviewed. The alternative school counselors schedule students in classes

aligned with their original schedule from their previous school. Each student, and their

parent/guardian, must participate in an orientation before the student attends. The

orientation is conducted individually, and the parent and student are provided pertinent

information to ensure they are aware of the rules and regulations of the school. School

uniforms are required and transportation is provided, if needed, to alleviate non-

attendance and tardiness.

Areas of Opportunity While the alternative schools have improved in multiple areas, there are opportunities to

consider for improvement. The Code of Conduct has undergone significant changes over

the past two years, shifting a focus toward intervention design and meeting the needs of

the whole child. It is the desire of the Office of Alternative Education and Dropout Prevention to see The Code of Student Conduct include a behavior matrix for the

traditional school and the alternative school. Too often, students at alternative schools

continue to receive the same types of consequences applied in the previous school.

Additionally, there is opportunity to streamline the interventions students receive. This can be captured through improved behavior monitoring by teachers and school

administrators.


Continuing with the existing model, it is expected that both alternative education centers will improve their implementation of Tier 3 support for the district’s most fragile students

as it relates to behavior. Through the use of professional development for staff and support

from the Office of Culture and Climate, the alternative education sites will have access to

the resources needed to support their students. It is further expected that the impact of the program will continue to reduce the re-entry rate and serve as a model of what positive

behavior supports can provide.

Alternative School for Vocational Training Marine Science Center

Duval County Public Schools offers an alternative education setting for students interested

in obtaining a high school diploma and vocational training. Students enrolled at the Marine

Science Center divide their day between academics and commercial fishing with the goal of earning a State of Florida High School Performance-Based Diploma and a vocational

certificate. To be eligible for the program, potential students must be over age for their

grade level, at least 16 years old, and must commit to attend the program for one school

year. Additionally, students entering the program cannot graduate prior to what would

have been their graduation date. Prospective students are first given a TABE test to assess their basic education skills, which may assist in determining their success in the program.

The Marine Science Center’s program is designed such that students who pass the GED,

10th grade reading and writing FSA, the Algebra 1 EOC or a concordant score on the ACT,

SAT or PERT exam will receive a Florida High School Performance-Based Diploma. Students that don’t obtain a passing score on their FSA and or the Algebra 1 EOC but pass

the GED will be awarded a GED High School Diploma only.

Accomplishments

As shown in Table 24, the Marine Science Center has proven to be promising academic

alternative setting. Through its delivery of education the Center has maintained an average GPA of at least 2.0 each year for the past four years. Additionally, they have

consistently graduated more students with a high school diploma than a GED, and has

maintained more than 40 total graduates each year for these same years, with 67 in 2016

alone. Table 24 4 Year Comparison of Marine Science Center’s Performance

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Average GPA – 11th

graders

2.48 2.5 2.58 2.1 2.86

Average GPA – 12th

graders

2.68 2.72 2.97 2.00 2.08

# of diploma graduates 42 40 38 58 67

# of GED graduates 15 11 7 9 5

Total # of graduates 57 51 45 67 72

Over the past three years, student enrollment at the Marine Science Center has averaged 67 students per year. In 2014-2015 there were 69 students, in 2013-2014 there were 62

students, and in 2015-2016 there were 71 students enrolled. The Marine Science Center

has also proven to be a viable option for students who are over age and interested in a

non-traditional setting. This continues to be a program that provides students an alternative option in a non-traditional setting.


Students are enrolled in the core classes and vocational classes. Through this delivery model, students have an opportunity to graduate with a State of Florida High School

Performance-Based Diploma and a vocational certificate. The program has two full-time

instructors, and thus there is an enrollment cap for students. The vocational teacher

assists in meeting the objectives for the commercial fishing course work. The academic

teacher works with students on their core coursework towards graduation.


Due to the location of the Marine Science Center, there is a limited number of students

who are able to access it. The vocational concept combined with academics could be

replicated in a centralized area to increase the number of students who benefit from the

non-traditional setting.


The Marine Science Center continues to be one of the district’s best kept secrets. It is expected that the Center will continue to maintain high enrollment and students will thrive

due to the real-life experiences which are created through the commercial fishing

program.

Contact Information: Dean Ledford, Principal

[email protected]

When an underage DCPS student (age 16-17 years old) within the district* desires to

withdraw to take the GED® test, they must complete the following steps:

1. Parent and student must meet with the student’s School Counselor to receive

academic counseling. After which, student will complete an Exit Interview, Student Survey, Conduct Form, and Declaration of Intent to Terminate School

Enrollment form. School-based staff will fax all documents within 24 hours to

the Office of Alternative Education and Dropout Prevention.

Fax: 904.390.2260

2. An Age Waiver process with the Office of Alternative Education and Dropout

Prevention must be completed. The process consists of the following:

Contact Ms. Terri Jones at 904.390.2622 to schedule an appointment. Parent and student must bring a Government issued ID to 1701 Prudential

Drive 3rd floor on the day of the appointment

Select a GED Test Center; If attending Adult Education courses at Florida State

College at Jacksonville (FSCJ), the FSCJ Conduct Form will be completed by district staff member

Student will be officially withdrawn from Duval County Public Schools

Parent will receive copy of the Conduct Form and Proof of Withdrawal

document to submit to Mrs. Sharlene Chatham located at 601 West State

Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202 – 904.633.5962 or [email protected] An Age Waiver is submitted to the State of Florida GED Facilitator upon receipt

of the items above

*Students must be a Duval County resident. Out of county students must submit their requests to the county in which they reside.

Contact Information: Ms. Terri Jones

Supervisor, Dropout Prevention

[email protected]

GED Waiver Process



Schools in the Department of Juvenile Justice Facilities

The Youth Development and Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) programs are for

students who are in need of protective custody, assigned to a detention or commitment

program, or placed in a probationary or adjudicated program. All students are provided

instruction to enable them to demonstrate proficiency in the skills required for grade

progression/remediation and high school graduation. The educational program is based

on the contractual agreements between the Department of Juvenile Justice, the

Department of Education, and the Duval County School Board. The eight programs

provide instruction in reading, math, English/writing, science, and social studies. All

students receive basic academic instruction preparing them for a high school diploma or

the GED Exit Option. The current DJJ facilities receiving District educational services

include Duval Academy, Jacksonville Youth Academy (also known as Impact House),

Duval Detention Center, PACE Center for Girls, and AMIKids.

Specific Student Eligibility Criteria

According to Florida Youth Services Program or Department of Juvenile Justice State Board of Education Administrative Rule 6A‐6.0528.1, participation in a program may be assigned.

Assigned participation means that the school district, courts, or other agencies require the

placement. Students are at these sites under the following circumstances: neglect, court

appointment, or voluntary participation.

Specific criteria for student eligibility include any of the following:

exhibits a history of disruptive behavior, which interferes with his own or others’ educational program(s) OR results in frequent conflicts of a disruptive nature in or

out of the classroom while the student is under the jurisdiction of the school

threatens the general welfare of others

requires assistance in behavior modification beyond that which can be provided in the traditional class

commits an offense which would warrant out‐of‐school suspension or expulsion

placed in protective custody, a commitment program, or a detention center

Program Goals The Youth Development Programs desires to remain successful and has outlined program goals.

Despite the reason for the student’s enrollment, the program will provide instruction to

prepare all students to demonstrate proficiency in the skills necessary for successful

grade progression and high school graduation. The program will also provide a learning

Youth Development Programs

environment emphasizing personal growth, positive interpersonal skills development,

and responsibility for one’s own behavior. Additionally, the program intends to provide

strategies designed to individualize instruction for each student as prescribed by their

initial assessment. Looking to the future of each student the Youth Development

Programs intend to provide career awareness and improve employability skills.

Contact Information:

Edward Robinson, Principal [email protected]

Executive Director

Dr. Pamela Davis

District Supervisor

Ms. Terri Jones

District Specialist

Ms. Julia Samms

Support Technician

Ms. Wytana Patrick

Social Workers

Ms. Trina Lovett

Ms. Tricia Pough Ms. Takiya Tillman

Coordinators

Ms. Nora Miller Mrs. Floresha Woodley-Brown-Glaze

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” – Benjamin Franklin

Dropout Prevention Team

duval county public schools dropout prevention plan 2017-2018 · monitoring of high school grading...

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