Superintendent's Initiative
Arizona State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Horne, has made dropout prevention a top priority. For the first time in the department's history, a Dropout Prevention/High School Renewal Director has been hired to network with schools, businesses, community organizations and others to identify programs aligned to research based effective strategies.
Program Description
Dropout Prevention is a critical issue of national concern and is being aggressively addressed by State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Mr. Tom Horne. Mr. Horne has funded a Director of Dropout Prevention/High School Renewal position within the Department of Innovative and Exemplary Programs as an important part of his high school initiatives.
Dropout Prevention and High School Renewal are purposefully linked together to emphasize that improving our dropout rate is contingent upon improving academic success for all students. The Class of 2006 will be the first class impacted by the requirement to pass of all three Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards in order to graduate. The state spotlight is focused on what will happen to students who do not meet standards and how our educational system will address the needs of those students to prevent them from becoming part of our dropout numbers. Superintendent Horne has championed state funding for AIMS tutoring programs to address skill gaps of our current seniors. Those not meeting standards have their own tutorial guides geared to their needs. Schools and private providers have access to funding to support the hiring of qualified tutors to enrich the number of successful students in the Class of 2006.
Clearly, we need to move the spotlight to the “promotion power” of our schools. When we focus on the reasons why youth leave school, we tend to try to “fix” the students instead of the system. ADE is working with the Center for the Future of Arizona and others to set a reasonable, achievable graduation rate by the year 2012. This website will provide a snapshot of a very complex, multifaceted dropout issue and how the Arizona Department of Education, under Mr. Horne, is addressing the situation.
A primary goal for the Director of Dropout Prevention has been to visit with those in the field who are directing and implementing prevention programs. Identifying Arizona programs which are showing promise in implementing effective prevention strategies is a lengthy, fluid, but important process. Three such programs were recognized last May during the Spotlight on Success Award Banquet and Conference. These programs will again have the opportunity to share what they have accomplished during the MEGA Conference this November. A Dropout Prevention website link is now located on the ADE homepage to support LEAS in addressing their local dropout and graduation rate issues, to support replication of successful programs, and to provide a reference point for additional resources and technical assistance.
Contact Information
Academic Achievement Division
Dropout Prevention/High School Renewal
1535 West Jefferson Street, Bin 32
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Tel: (602) 542-4575
Fax: (602) 542-3100
Director: Robert Coccagna
Robert.Coccagna@azed.gov
