Meeting the Challenge:
Fiscal Implications of Dropout Prevention in Massachusetts
Tuesday March 1, 2011
8:30 - 10:30 AM
Omni Parker House Hotel
Boston, MA
Presented by:
Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy
Massachusetts Association of School Business Officials
Boston Private Industry Council/Youth Transitions Task Force
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE)
Session Overview
In 2009, for the first time in a decade, Massachusetts’ dropout rate fell below 3 percent. While this progress is promising, there remain nearly 8,600 students who did not earn their high school diplomas. In light of the societal and individual costs of dropping out, it is critical that schools and districts urgently focus on reducing the number of students who drop out. Yet, in the current environment of constrained resources, many districts are reluctant to launch new programs or improve existing services that provide additional supports for students at risk of dropping out.
At this event, the Rennie Center will release a new policy brief, generously funded by ING and the Massachusetts Association of School Business Officials, that explores the approaches, costs and potential financial benefits of implementing dropout reduction strategies in five Massachusetts districts. The event will begin with opening remarks from Secretary of Education Paul Reville, Representative Marty Walz, and Jenny Caldwell Curtin from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, followed by a presentation by the Rennie Center’s Policy Analyst, Michael Bennett. A panel of school and district leaders will respond to the report and discuss the strategies, costs and benefits of dropout reduction strategies in Massachusetts’ schools and districts.
This event is made possible through the generous support of the Hyams Foundation.
Welcome
Jill Norton, Executive Director, Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy
Opening Remarks
Secretary Paul Reville, Massachusetts Executive Office of Education
Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, Massachusetts State Legislature
Representative Marty Walz, Massachusetts State Legislature
Research Presentation
Michael Bennett, Policy Analyst, Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy
Panel Discussion
Brian Allen, Chief Financial and Operations Officer, Worcester Public Schools; MASBO Board of Directors
Jenny Caldwell Curtin, Coordinator of High School Graduation Initiatives, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Carl Martin Ladd, Superintendent, Gill-Montague Public Schools
Edward Reynoso, Principal, Business Management & Finance High School, Lawrence
Moderator: Tammy Tai, Program Officer, Hyams Foundation
Discussion with Audience Members
Closing Remarks
Patrick Collins, President, Massachusetts Association of School Business Officials
