Dropout Prevention
BP 5147.00
DROPOUT PREVENTION
The School Board is deeply concerned about the many students who leave school without graduating. The Board particularly desires to provide a learning environment conducive to keeping in school those "high-risk" students who are susceptible to frequent absenteeism, truancy, or tardiness, or who have the potential to drop out because of pregnancy or marriage, financial needs, dislike of school, classes, or teachers, lack of basic skills, disciplinary problems, low self-esteem, emotional or physical problems, or feelings of alienation.
The School Board sees every student as a valuable individual to be carefully nurtured and equipped to become a productive citizen. The School Board will review data to understand if there is a disproportional dropout rate of students by race, gender, and economic status. The School Board will take action to address and resolve any disproportionality.
The School Board recognizes that children who have experienced trauma drop out of school at a significantly higher rate than those who have not experienced trauma. The symptoms of traumatic stress can impact on educational success due to risk factors such as learning challenges, low academic achievement, emotional disturbance, disengagement, and/or truancy. To support the needs of students experiencing trauma, and the needs of all students who may be at risk of dropping out, the District will provide universal and selected evidence-based approaches to create safe, trauma informed, and culturally safe climates and practices. The District will work to identify those students with increased risk for not completing high school in order to provide additional supports, which may include referrals for external services available to support the student or the student’s family.
Because children all differ, variations of pace, topic and activity are needed to challenge and interest them. Besides seeking continual improvement in the quality and relevancy of our educational programs, the School Board encourages the use of appropriate evidence-based dropout prevention strategies at all age and grade levels.
The Board directs the Superintendent to implement this policy with parental and community involvement.
(cf. 5131.6 - Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco)
(cf. 5141.51 - At-risk Youths)
(cf. 5146 - Married/Pregnant/Parenting Students)
(cf. 5113 - Absences and Excuses )
KETCHIKAN GATEWAY BOROUGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
Adoption Date: 10/13/99
Revision Date: 3/27/2024