Before the state awards more dropout grant money, a committee that decides who gets it will require more information from recipients on what students they want to participate in their programs and what results they expect.
The state Committee on Dropout Prevention is preparing to award its third round of grants to local schools, non-profits and other groups that want money for their programs, Lynn Bonner reports. About 30 percent of the state's ninth graders don't graduate on time, and legislators and school officials have made reducing the dropout rate a focus.
Legislators haven't finished writing the next state budget, but House and Senate negotiators have agreed to spend $12 million on dropout prevention grants next year, said Chris Minard of the state Department of Public Instruction. The legislature spent $7 million on dropout grants in 2007 and $15 million on the grants last year.
More after the jump.
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A report on the first round of grant recipients said the local anti- dropout services varied in what they offered. Some programs targeted specific groups while others served entire school districts or groups of more than 500 students. Most of the students served were in 8th and 9th grade, but some kindergarteners were also included in dropout prevention programs.
The dropout prevention committee, whose members are appointed by the governor and House and Senate leaders, met Monday to review its new application criteria. One of the committee's goals is to find successful programs that can be replicated, said Bill Farmer, a committee co-chairman. Some members said they wanted programs to better target students who are at risk of dropping out. Applicants will have to describe specific, measurable and realistic goals. "We want to have a more disciplined approach to dropout prevention," Farmer said.
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NC does not want SOLUTIONS to Dropout prevention--JUST MONEY
"that gave hunderds of thousands of dollars to for an after school line dancing program in Greensboro."
WASTE.
The real (sad) IRONY here is that while the Greensboro School Board Officials were "WASTING" taxpayers money on non-productive, non-results oriented programs--it REFUSED TO SUPPORT or even consider programs like AmericasCHILD RELAY (www.americaschildrelay.com) which the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation cited back in 1991 as being the top "Community Change" in the State. This program has two decades of success--but NO SUPPORT from these same wasteful, self-serving education administrators/officials.