A Major Milestone on the Path to Successful Adulthood
Many of us may not realize that reading is a critical bridge to success in school, work and life. Children generally are learning to read until third grade. By the fourth grade, they should be reading to learn. After that, coursework gets harder and reading becomes more challenging. Students who don’t read well have increasing difficulty keeping up. This can lead to bad grades, disengaging from school, and dropping out. In fact, children who aren’t reading at grade level by the end of third grade are four times as likely to drop out of high school.
In today’s downturned economy with a high unemployment rate, prospective employees need all the credentials they can get in a highly competitive job market. Having a high school diploma is no longer optional, as it was for three generation’s past, but it is necessary. Over their lifetime, high school graduates earn 74% more than those who drop out. High school graduation is the single most powerful predictor of whether a young person coming from generations of poverty will break the cycle.
A “real” diploma based on rigorous curriculum matters because the jobs of the future demand a workforce with skills aligned with a knowledge-based economy. As a state, we must work not only to increase the number of real diplomas but also to see that all students receive one. The good news is that graduation rates are actually on the rise in West Virginia. As a result, the state is on track for the first time to achieve an 85% graduation rate by the class of 2020.
WV GRADUATION 20/20 is a West Virginia initiative to ensure all students graduate from high school with a world-class education, who are college and career-ready, with an emphasis on students with disabilities.
Recording of August 28, 2015
Introduction to WV Graduation 20/20
Recording of September 8, 2015
Research on School Drop-out and Prevention
Recording of October 13, 2015
Using School-Level Data to Identify School Completion Needs
Recording of November 10, 2015
Strategies for Improving Attendance
Recording of December 8, 2015
Increasing Pro-Social Behavior
Recording of January 19, 2016
Strategies for Improving Academic Success
Recording of February 9, 2016
School Climate
Recording of March 8, 2016
Family Engagement
Resources
Collaborative Team
High School Core Data Tool
Elementary/Middle School Core Data Tool
Graduation 20/20 One Pager
High School Implementation Manual
Middle School Implementation Manual
Graduation Webinar Series
Alternate Diploma Brochure
Process
Process Graphic
School Action Plan and Additional Resources
WV Landscape Demographic Data
Memorandum of Understanding
School Leadership Team Contact List
Action Plan Template
Action Plan Sample
Point of Contact Monthly Reporting Log
School Meeting Agenda Minutes
ABCs for Schools and Families
ABCs for Graduation
Transition Resources
Transition Framework
Transition Practices and Predictors
Transition Slide
Transition Brochure
Transition Services Planner
Planning for the Future One Pager
Pre-Employment One Pager
Transition Guide for Students with Disabilities One Pager
Transition Slide Guide One Pager
Work Exploration Program One Pager