Success PlansFor High School Completion

Promising Best Practices for Re-engagement

Joan Gauthier• All in For Youth Project Manager• Retired Principal, Calgary Catholic School District

Who are we? What do we know anyway?

Tim Main• AIFY School Liaison• Retired Principal, Calgary Board of Education

Heather Innes• AIFY School Liaison, Volunteer Engagement

Coordinator• Manager, Learning & Engagement, Campaign

& Resource Development

• Administrators, teachers, counsellors… anyone working to reconnect youth to school

• We will discuss students who:WANT to return to schoolAre contemplating a return to schoolNeed a little “nudge”Who need HOPE

Who is this presentation for?

Why is United Way here today?

• Low 3-year high school completion rates

• 3000 Calgary youth don’t complete each year

• Low transition to post secondary education

• Social problems in YYC – beyond the usual scope or conventional approaches.

• Need for skilled workers in Alberta

• The issue resonates with Calgarians

Introducing “All In For Youth”

By 2017, we will:–Reduce Calgary’s high school dropout

rate by 50%–Connect 3000 Calgary youth to

positive adults

Our Goals

• First strategy; launched in 2012• Invited hundreds of youth to return to school• Barriers to successful return

• Food• Financial Hardship• Problems with attendance • Lack of Positive Adults in their Lives• Lack of family support• Negative Peer influence• Mental Health Issues

The Call Back Strategy

Tackling the issue through Partnerships

Partners• CBE and CSSD• YMCA Calgary• Big Brothers Big Sisters• Boys & Girls Clubs of Calgary• Youth Employment Centre• Jr Achievement• Burns Memorial Fund• Bow Valley College• Calgary Youth Justice

Society• And more…

Strategies

• Free after school math tutoring• “mPower” Mentoring program• Success Coaches embedded in

schools• Career Talks (out of the box)• World of Choices – career

mentoring for girls• High school bursaries• The Detour Program• In the Lead – mentoring• …and more

• Call Backs = System Change– PARTNERSHIP between CBE and CSSD– Calls (texts) made in August and December– Students directed to shared storefront Resource

Centre: Encore CBE*– Calls made by experienced staff (not volunteers)– Success Plan for re-entry developed– Goal: All city school websites

Call Backs

CBE - Encore CSSD - Return To School

• Students who are a few credits short!!!

The Students!

What are their Options – Unique to every student and every scenario

• Students who have been suspended/expelled

– need to know when, where and HOW to return…

– What is the plan going to be?

The Students

Sometimes students needa break!

But is there a Plan in Place to Return

When students leave…

Students with Special Needs• ELL or ESL students

– Do we have the resources in place that can help

• Students with Learning Limitations – Career Counseling and Introductions – Post Secondary Programs

• Students with Family or Individual Needs– Government or Not for Profit Agencies and Partnerships – FNMI Students – Where / How can we best provide support

Students

Exit Plan

https://education.alberta.ca/resources/backtoschool/StudentsParents.aspx

Resources

EXIT Information1. Full Name and common Alias or name used2. Accurate address and phone numbers and an email or text!3. Alberta Ed. Number and Transcript in order to advise them correctly

if they are to elect to re-engage4. Leaving Date

1. Reason for leaving the school2. Agencies that could help were they recommended or provided

5. You need to know who they are and what they might be interested in1. List any strengths or interests that might be useful when trying

to connect with him/her6. Are they welcome back or a recommendation as to where the

appropriate or better fit would be.1. Were the contact numbers for adult education or others

provided

• Sneeze cards• Websites CBE and CSSD• Success Packages• Goal – every school’s website…

Additional Resources

• Working Groups– Northern Alberta– Edmonton– Central Alberta– Calgary– Southern Alberta

Working Session

Because it is IMPORTANT!

WHY?

You are on the front lines…

Your thoughts and questions will make returning to school easier for

Alberta’s youth.

Questions / Sharing Session / Questions

Questions?