APEX
Achievement in Dropout Prevention and Excellence
Project Description
The state of New Hampshire has made dropout prevention a priority, with a goal of zero dropouts by the year 2012. The Department of Education reports that, in the 2009-2010 school year, the state dropout rate was .98%, a reduction of over 3 percentage points since 2005-2006. The dropout rate among students with disabilities has also dropped dramatically; however, students with disabilities continue to drop out at rates double that of students without disabilities. Recognizing that more needs to be done to ensure that all students have access to a high quality education and that all graduate with a diploma, the Bureau of Special Education at the NH Department of Education has funded
Achievement in Dropout Prevention and Excellence (APEX), a project at the Institute on Disability to provide direct services, training, and technical assistance to 6-8 high schools that have higher-than-state-average dropout rates and high rates of disciplinary problems among students with disabilities, and to develop and provide high quality training for middle and high schools throughout the state.
Based upon its work using the three-tiered Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) model as a dropout prevention approach during the APEX and APEX II projects (2002-2009), the APEX III project beginning in January 2010, the project builds schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) at the Universal (Tier1), Secondary (Tier 2) and Tertiary (Tier 3) levels in the 7 high schools that have been chosen to participate:
- Campbell High School, Litchfield, NH
- Memorial and West High Schools, Manchester, NH
- Raymond High School, Raymond, NH
- Nute High School, Milton, NH
- Pittsfield High School, Pittsfield, NH
- Pinkerton Academy
By providing training and technical assistance to school teams and staff members using a positive behavioral support problem-solving framework, the plan is to improve the outcomes for all students and reducing the need for segregated programs for students with disabilities and significant behavior support needs.
The NH Center for Effective Behavioral Interventions and Supports (NH-CEBIS), the Parent Information Center of New Hampshire (PIC) and Strafford Learning Center are collaborators on this project and will work with the IOD staff to develop and provide high-quality training, consultation, and coaching services to staffs in the participating high schools. The project goals include reducing the dropout rates of students with disabilities, reducing behavior problems and suspensions, and improving the educational outcomes of students with disabilities. In additional to working with the demonstration site schools, the project will hold a 6th Annual APEX Summer Institute (August 17 & 18, 2011), and several statewide training events throughout the 2011-12 school year.
APEX II Project: Participating High School Graduation Rates
The APEX III project is funded by a two-year, $750,000 grant from the New Hampshire Department of Education.