STEP 1 - Establish a Dropout Recovery Team & Flowchart

When working on dropout recovery it is important to establish a recovery team on your campus consisting of the following minimum personnel:

• Campus Administrator
• Dropout Prevention Specialist
• Parent Support Specialist
• Counselors
• Attendance Specialist
• PEIMS Clerk
• Hall Monitors
• School Resource Officer
• School Community Liaison
• Registrar
• Communities in Schools Representative

Also develop a dropout recovery flowchart that includes the following activities and specify which staff will be responsible for each (dropout process flowchart can be found in this section):

• Monitoring overall campus leaver recovery efforts
• Enter SASI leaver reason codes
• Receive records requests
• Monitor accuracy of web-based leaver roster output/affect corrections to SASI data
• Determine when its appropriate to withdraw students with multiple absences
• Maintain leaver reason documentation requirements
• Ensure that teachers are taking attendance
• Run SASI "Teachers Not Taking Attendance" report
• Check PET
• Determine leaver reason codes

STEP 2- Identify Students (Dept. of Accountability Leaver & No-Show Roster)

• Investigate students with multiple absences
• Separate all students 18 and under from students who are over 18 years of age, and separate students by grade
• Obtain list of dropout codes from PEIMs clerk for purposes of knowing what type of supporting documentation will be needed
• Focus on 12th graders who haven't pass the TAKS test and work on getting them to return to their school, enroll them in a TAKS preparation class, or ensure they are enrolled in a community college full time (9 hrs. minimum)

Step 3- Use Resource Materials

The following information may be helpful in the recovery process:

• PET- useful to verify student enrollment in another Texas school (PEIMs Clerk, Registrar and Dropout Prevention Specialist can provide others with access to search the PET database)
• Student Information, Parent/Guardian Information, TAKS Scores, and current credits earned- SASI, also check Cum Folder for younger siblings and compare telephone #'s, especially emergency contacts
• Status of enrollment- Confirmation of Student Transfer Out of AISD
• Request for Records from receiving school if student not in PET
• Recent graduation lists (including summer school graduation)
• Enrollment information from alternative programs
• Review Travis County Detention Information
• Information from siblings, relatives, friends (e.g.-ask teachers to seek information from classmates), and Impact Team
• Ask Staff and Students for possible leads
• Check SR 290 for Telephone contact (Parent(s), Relatives)
• If a student has been filed on in Justice of The Peace Court- compare address on file
• Check Municipal Ct. & Austin Police Web-site for current address (www.ci.austin.tx.us/public/) (www.ci.austin.tx.us/police/)- enter name and date of birth
• Have volunteers call students on the dropout list (sample call sheet and confidentiality form can be found at the end of this section)
• Additional resources to explore: Juvenile Justice Center, Child Protective Services, Summer School graduation list, Telephone Book, Internet sites, Myspace.com, Dept. of Human Services, Local churches

Step 4- Correspondence

For students who are 18 and Under-

• Use mail outs- send a letter to parents explaining Texas compulsory school attendance law, and a desire to meet with the parent(s) and student. Attach a copy of the AISD Board policy and an attendance contract.
  • The information should be mailed out immediately, indicating a response date no later than 2 days after receipt of letter and contract.
  • The parent/legal guardian and the student in the presence of a school representative should sign the attendance contract. However, if this is not possible, a duplicate copy of the contract with the school representative's signature on both copies can be mailed with a self-addressed envelope.
• File Truancy charges on non-responsive students (if current address is known). You can contact Janie Saldana at 414-0197 to check the City of Austin Utilities database for an address.

For students who are 18 and Over-

• Generate a letter indicating an interest in the student's completion of high school. Contents of the letter should include the following:
  • Student credit information and TAKs status.
  • Also include in the letter that schools have the right to withdraw students who have 10 or more consecutive unexcused absences and must withdraw a student who has 20 or more consecutive unexplained (school day) absences within the school year.
• The mail-out should also include information regarding available in- school resources (e.g., Childcare, CIS, Impact Team).
• Include in the mail out a list of Alternative Education programs on campus (e.g. Garza, Delta, Virtual School Pilot, etc.) and off-campus (e.g. American Youth Works, Gary Job Corp., Austin Can, etc. - there is a sample list in the AISD Programs/Resources section of the toolkit).

Step 5- Supporting Documentation

As the telephone calls, attendance contracts, and/or home visits begin, remember the importance of good documentation in that this will determine the applicable code.

• Maintain a log documenting the outcome of telephone calls, home visits, court, and school interventions (sample tracking log can be found at the end of this section).
• Request copies of enrollment in other programs, signed documentation from parents/legal guardian indicating the whereabouts of their child.
• Complete and submit documentation of student whereabouts, school enrollment, and/or other pertinent information to the campus PEIMs clerk who will, based on supporting documentation apply the applicable code.
• Please remember that the SASI leaver reason code 'NR -Non reportable', is reserved for students that have been CONFIRMED as enrolled in another Texas charter or public school district. Students coded 'NR' in SASI that are not enrolled in another district/charter become "Under Reports" for Austin ISD, and are subject to investigation under the Performance-Based Monitoring System. In enrollment in another district/charter cannot be confirmed through the PET system, please confirm the enrollment by phone and document the call using the Pink SR 301 (sample form can be found at the end of this section) prior to entering the 'NR' leaver reason code in SASI. Call Debra Ready at 414-9907 for questions.

Step 6- Updates

Normally it is the PEIMs clerk responsibility to update the leaver codes upon receipt of supporting documentation.

• Complete and attach supporting documentation to the paperwork given to the PEIMs clerk for updating.
• Verify Leaver Roster updated within 1-2 days, if not immediately contact accountability staff for assistance.

Step 7- Follow Up

Now that you've recovered the student it is important to monitor the attendance (by using the attendance contract) and Impact Team referral.

• Campus designee (PEIMs clerk, Registrar or other) if student enrollment information is not in PET or other proof of enrollment is not on file within 5-days, telephone verification must occur on the next school day.
• If the student is in danger of dropping out again, consider performing withdrawals on established days when recruiters from alternative educational settings can be present.
• Establish a campus transition plan for recovered students for example:
  • Upon returning the student to campus- immediately take the student to a Counselor for academic advising
  • Dropout Prevention Specialist, Parent Support Specialist, Assistant Principal, or other campus designee will put the student on an Attendance Contract
  • Based on academic and/or social services needs refer student to Impact Team (sample transition plan from can be found at the end of this section)