March 2011

In an effort to extend its reach to more educators, administrators and political leaders, the National Dropout Prevention Center at Clemson University has produced a professional development series on DVD, including tools for 10 sessions of development training.

“This tool provides a resource that gives school leaders a workshop, resources and a guidebook for implementation that better assures success in conducting an effective in-service program of school staff,” NDPC spokesman Marty Duckenfield said.

Just a few years ago, Denver Public Schools was making national news for having one of the worst dropout rates in the country.

On Tuesday, school officials had something to celebrate.

According to newly released statistics from the Colorado Department of Education, DPS has seen a 42 percent drop in its dropout rate in the last five years, Denver's 9News reports.

The American Academy's Gregg Rosann, a frequent contributor to NoDropouts.org, chimes in at USA Today on a recent article about teachers cheating on standardized tests. 

That's just the tip of the iceberg, Rosann says.

President Barack Obama on Monday cited the remarkable turnarounds of two schools — each of which went from graduating a minority of students to graduating nearly all of them — as he pushed for changes in the nation's 10-year-old No Child Left Behind law.
Speaking at Kenmore Middle School in Arlington, Va., Obama applauded the efforts of students, parents, teachers, administrators and community members who helped reverse a pattern of failure at Bruce Randolph School in Denver and Taft High School in Cincinnati.