Michigan Dropout Prevention - HomeMichigan Dropout Prevention Leadership Summit

Background

For our children to thrive in today’s global economy, they must graduate from high school ready for post-secondary education or training programs.  The consequences of dropping out of school are unacceptable.  Research is clear and compelling – education success in high school and beyond matters to a lifetime of employment options, earning potential, family support, health and civic engagement.  The consequences of high dropout rates translate to communities as lost tax revenue, as well as higher monetary and social costs. Communities can only be economically vibrant when their residents are engaged in lifelong learning beginning with a quality high school diploma.  It is in our children’s, our communities’, and our state’s best interest to succeed in graduating more young people from quality high schools, and we have many models of this success around the state and nation. 

 

While schools are at the heart of this discussion, high school graduation is a symptom of a success (or failure) that has been built over the course of a young person’s life.  To tackle the symptom, communities need to work in partnership to pledge that all of our young people will be Ready by 21 – ready for post-secondary, for work, for life.

 

Now is the time to share this vision with others in your community and around the state.

 

Who Should Participate?  Everyone Who Cares About the Future of Their Community, Including:

  • Existing Community Collaborative Leadership
  • Youth
  • School Board Members
  • School Administrators and Staff
  • Parents and Parent Organizations
  • School & Family Counselors
  • Alternative & Adjudicated Youth Educators
  • Family Court Administrators
  • Law Enforcement Officials
  • Mental & Public Health Officials
  • Social Service Agencies & Social Workers
  • Parks & Recreation Directors
  • Athletic Directors & Coaches
  • Non-Profits & Civic Leaders
  • Service Clubs
  • Employers & Job Training Agencies
  • Churches & Youth Group Leaders
  • Local Housing Authorities
  • Public Transportation
  • Childhood Care Providers
  • Youth Advisory Councils & Youth Advocates
  • Community Foundations & Other Funders
  • Literacy Councils & Librarians
  • Community Based Organizations
  • Professional Organizations

  • And More!

     

Coming Together At the Summit:

 

In keeping with the spirit of America’s Promise, founded by General Colin Powell, the goal is to “develop strong, effective partnership alliances that are committed to seeing children experience the fundamental resources they need to succeed at home, in school and out in the community.”  We believe that the Summit will enable communities to expand on existing partnerships and build new partnerships to help deliver on the promise that we make as a state and a nation to ensure that all children graduate from high school ready to succeed in work and life.

 

Michigan’s Promise for the Whole Child:

 

All young people in Michigan need to be… 

 

Healthy.   For students to successfully navigate school and life, they must be born healthy and remain healthy.  We must ensure access to prenatal care, immunizations, health screenings (vision, hearing), basic health care access including dental and specialty care.  We must promote a lifetime of recreation and physical fitness, and good diet and nutrition.  We must make sure that behavioral and substance use needs are addressed. 

 

Safe.   For students to successfully navigate school and life, they must feel safe and secure.  We must support stable homes and safe neighborhoods before, during and after school.  We must prevent intimidation and bullying, and promote appropriate discipline, behavioral expectations, rules and routines.

 

Supported and Cared For.  For students to successfully navigate school and life they must feel supported and cared for.  We must promote empowered parents and access to other caring adults.  We must ensure access to qualified teachers, counselors, mentors, positive role models and coaches, and we must encourage communities that are active in schools and youth programs.

 

Challenged.   For students to successfully navigate school and life, they must be challenged and inspired to achieve.   We must provide a well-rounded curriculum that includes rigorous programs in reading, math and the sciences, the arts, world literature, foreign languages, economics, business and entrepreneurial literacy, social studies, life skills, health and wellness.  We must promote multiple ways for meeting challenging graduation requirements.

 

Engaged and Connected.  For students to successfully navigate school and life, they must be engaged and connected in their learning, in their communities, to their future, to extracurricular activities,  and at home.  We must demand motivated, inspired, active learning strategies in the classroom; real-world connections to instruction; a variety of extracurricular activities; community-based apprenticeships, internships and youth programs; individualized learning pathways; and opportunities to develop social, civic and leadership skills.

 

* These topics are drawn from the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development’s INVEST IN THE WHOLE CHILD, Educating Our Children in the 21st Century, www.ascd.org.

 

Attending the Summit As a Team: Communities are encouraged to register a core group of stakeholders for the Summit itself (maximum of 10 due to seating capacity).  We will use a “train-the-trainer” model at the Summit, equipping participants with the knowledge and resources to take back to your community and grow your alliance. Seating is limited to 400 participants statewide, so register early to make sure your community is well-represented.

 

The voice and involvement of young people who directly experience the level of community support for their success and challenges is critical to the Summit.  We expect each community team to include at least one youth.

 

Attending the Summit as an Individual: You can also register as an individual.  We will connect you with others from your community at the Summit itself.

 

 

Preparing Your Community for the Summit: 

 

The purpose of the Summit is to help participants take stock of the resources available locally to support children, youth and families; identify gaps in programs and services; share promising practices with others around the state; and explore other local, state and federal resources that can make a difference in the educational success of young people and, ultimately, the success of our communities.   Summit activities will help communities leverage existing partnerships and networks into more cohesive, efficient service delivery systems.

 

At the Summit, each Community Group will be paired with facilitators to help start assessing your community’s needs and assets, and translate those assessments into action steps.  Many communities have done considerable work assessing children and youth and programs that serve them.  This can provide a foundation for the Summit discussion.  All members of your group can become more familiar with the status of children and youth in your community and where your community has prioritized services for them.  This includes local data on dropout and graduation rates. But that is just the beginning.  The Summit will take a “Whole Child” approach to addressing those factors that contribute to the dropout crisis. Therefore, we encourage you to assess and collect data covering the span of a child’s life for the first 21 years.  Michigan’s Promise for the Whole Child provides a framework for assessing the status of young people in your community, and you’re the resources for supporting them toward a successful adulthood.

 

Pre-Conference Briefing: 

 

Immediately preceding the Summit at 8 a.m. on October 20 will be a panel reflection of community, youth and educator input from a series of hearings around the state, hosted by the Michigan Education Association, Michigan’s Children, the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators, Michigan's Charter Schools, Kent Intermediate School District, and Michigan Future, Inc. These hearings have gathered information about what programs, initiatives and support have really mattered to graduating young people from high school.  This briefing will be attended by the media and policymakers and is open to Summit participants.