Retention & Dropout Prevention

Oxford School District recognizes that students rarely leave school because of a single event. Instead, dropout risk often develops over time through patterns of absenteeism, behavioral challenges, academic struggles, disengagement, or significant life circumstances. This plan establishes a proactive system for identifying students early, coordinating supports, and removing barriers to success before they become obstacles to graduation.

By integrating attendance, academics, behavior, social-emotional supports, and alternative pathways, Oxford School District is committed to ensuring that every student remains connected, supported, and on track toward graduation and postsecondary success.

The Department of Student Services serves as the district's central coordination point for student support systems and dropout prevention efforts. Through collaboration with schools, families, and community partners, Student Services is responsible for:

• Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)
• Attendance intervention
• School counseling services through the MTSS framework
• Student discipline and behavioral supports
• Alternative school programming and student reengagement
• Section 504 coordination and appeals
• Title IX compliance and student protections
• Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team (MET) processes
• Student registration and enrollment processes and support
• District Tier Team oversight and intervention fidelity monitoring

Student Services ensures that district systems operate consistently, interventions are implemented with fidelity, and students receive the support necessary to remain successful in school.

Success will be measured through a comprehensive set of student outcome indicators reviewed throughout the school year by district leadership, school teams, and the Board of Trustees.

Metrics

• Student Success Metrics
  • Increased graduation rate
  • Increased promotion rates
  • Increased student engagement and school connectedness
  • Increased participation in alternative graduation pathways
• Attendance Metrics
  • Reduction in chronic absenteeism
  • Reduction in truancy rates
  • Improved average daily attendance
• Academic Metrics
  • Increased proficiency rates
  • Growth among Bottom 25% students
• Behavioral Metrics
  • Reduction in office discipline referrals
  • Increased utilization of preventative interventions and behavior supports
• System Effectiveness Metrics
  • Timely intervention reviews through District Tier Teams
  • Increased fidelity of Multi-Tiered Student Supports (MTSS) implementation
  • Increased completion of counseling and support plans
  • Improved transition and reentry outcomes for students participating in alternative programs

MTSS uses readily available data to:

• Identify students at risk of missing key educational milestones,
• Recognize factors that are negatively impacting their learning and behavior, and
• Provide supports and interventions platform that help get students back on track for success in school and, ultimately, to graduation.

Data gathered as part of the Multi-Tiered Student Supports (MTSS) can be examined to better understand the needs of individual students, groups of students, or the school.

The strongest predictors of high school graduation are student attendance, behavior, and course performance (University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research, 2014). Gathering and analyzing data pertaining to these indicators can assist a school in identifying students who are:

• On track for graduation (similar to Tier I in Multi-Tiered System of Supports),
• Sliding off track (similar to Tier II in Multi-Tiered System of Supports), or
• Off track (similar to Tier III in Multi-Tiered System of Supports).

Once the school has identified struggling students (those in the ‘sliding off track’ and ‘off track’ categories), appropriate interventions can be selected and implemented. This will ensure that each student has appropriate supports matched to his/her needs, thereby resulting in each student getting back on track for graduation (Johns Hopkins, 2010).

Establishing and Training MTSS Teams (Schools)

To assure success of the MTSS framework, it is essential to establish a team that understands its mission to enact safeguards that routinely identify and assist students in jeopardy of dropping out of the educational system.

For best results, district-level team(s) should be established to work in collaboration with school level teams that function at every elementary, middle, and high school within the district.

The District Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Team that serves the elementary level (K-6th grade) functions to analyze the data and utilize similar intervention processes and resources.

At the middle- and high-school level, a district level team should be established and should include staff from the following categories of service:

Oxford School District utilizes multiple indicators to identify students who may require additional support and intervention. Research consistently demonstrates that attendance, behavior, academic performance, and student engagement are among the strongest predictors of graduation success.

Attendance Indicators

Attendance remains one of the strongest predictors of student achievement and graduation.

Indicators may include:

• Chronic absenteeism
• Excessive tardies
• Frequent early checkouts
• Patterns of missed instructional time
• Truancy concerns

Students who miss significant amounts of instructional time are at increased risk for academic difficulties, disengagement, retention, and dropout.

Behavior Indicators

Behavioral concerns often signal disengagement or unmet student needs and may impact a student's ability to remain successful in school.

Indicators may include:

• Office discipline referrals
• In-school suspension
• Out-of-school suspension
• Alternative placement referrals
• Behavioral intervention plan referrals
• Social-emotional concerns

When reviewing behavioral data, teams should consider factors such as homelessness, foster care status, trauma, mental health concerns, bullying, family circumstances, and other barriers that may influence student behavior and engagement.

Academic Performance Indicators

Academic performance is a critical predictor of graduation readiness and long-term student success.

Indicators may include:

• Course failures
• Credit deficiencies
• Bottom 25% academic performance
• Tier III intervention status
• Literacy and numeracy deficits
• State assessment performance
• iReady and district assessment data
• Graduation pathway eligibility

Attendance Indicators (Elementary, Middle, and High Schools)

Regular school attendance is one of the strongest predictors of academic success, student engagement, and on-time graduation. Students who miss instructional time are more likely to experience academic difficulties, fall behind their peers, and become disconnected from the school environment.

Oxford School District utilizes attendance data as a key Early Warning System indicator to identify students who may require additional support and intervention. Attendance reviews include absences, tardies, early checkouts, patterns of missed instructional time, and chronic absenteeism.

The District Tier Team and School-Level Tier Teams will monitor attendance data regularly to identify students exhibiting attendance concerns and implement interventions designed to improve school attendance and engagement.

Students identified through attendance monitoring should receive interventions matched to their level of need, which may include:

• Parent and family communication
• Attendance conferences
• School counselor support
• Attendance improvement plans
• Check-in/check-out systems
• Mentoring and student advocacy supports
• MTSS interventions
• Referrals to community resources or attendance services

Research Foundation for Attendance Monitoring

Research consistently demonstrates that attendance is one of the strongest predictors of student achievement, engagement, and graduation outcomes. The Social Science Research Center at Mississippi State University found that students who miss 10% or more of the academic year are considered chronically absent and are significantly more likely to experience academic difficulties and increased dropout risk.

Early attendance patterns are particularly important. Students who miss fewer than two days during the month of September demonstrate substantially lower rates of chronic absenteeism than students who miss multiple days during the first month of school. As a result, Oxford School District emphasizes early identification and intervention for attendance concerns beginning at the start of each school year.

Chronic Absenteeism

The chronic absenteeism rate represents the percentage of students who miss excessive amounts of instructional time for any reason, including:

• Excused absences
• Unexcused absences
• Suspensions
• Other absences resulting in missed instructional time

Consistent with state guidance and research-based practices, a student is considered chronically absent when they miss 10% or more of the school year, which equates to approximately 18 days in a traditional 180-day school year.

Students identified as chronically absent will be reviewed through the district's Early Warning System and Tier Team processes to determine appropriate interventions and supports.

Truancy

In accordance with Mississippi Code §37-13-91, truancy refers to students who accumulate five (5) or more unlawful or unexcused absences during a school year, exclusive of out-of-school suspensions.

Students exhibiting truancy concerns may require additional attendance interventions, family conferences, attendance contracts, referrals to attendance services, or other supports designed to improve school attendance and engagement.

Oxford School District Commitment

Oxford School District is committed to addressing attendance concerns proactively rather than reactively. Through attendance monitoring, family engagement, counseling supports, MTSS interventions, and collaboration with school and community partners, the district seeks to ensure that all students remain connected to school, engaged in learning, and on track toward promotion, graduation, and postsecondary success.

Prescribing and Mapping Intervention

What Works Clearinghouse is an excellent source for finding evidence-based interventions. The Mississippi Department of Education also provides many resources for districts to access when determining ways to assist potential dropouts, inclusive of innovative educational programs, School Attendance Officers, the Multi-Tiered System of Supports, and the Positive Behavior Intervention System.

Mississippi Code 27-103-159 defines research-based and evidenced-based programs and practices. Evidence-based programs and practices are preferable due to the preponderance of evidence supporting their effectiveness.

• Research-based programs or practices have some research demonstrating effectiveness but do not yet meet the standard of evidence based.
• Evidence-based programs or practices have had multiple site random and controlled trials across heterogeneous populations demonstrating that the program or practice is effective for the population.

All Mississippi schools are required, according to State Board of Education Policy Part 3, Chapter 41, Rule 41.1, to implement a three tier instructional model in accordance with the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), which addresses student learning via quality classroom instruction and opportunities for intervention. The tiers are organized as follows:

• Tier 1 – focuses on all students and involves implementation of evidence- based curriculum and instructional practices that align with state standards and include differentiated instruction.
• Tier 2 – focuses on students identified as at-risk, providing them with targeted supplemental instruction delivered in small groups in the classroom.
• Tier 3 – focuses on struggling students who have already moved through tier 1 and 2 assistance and now require intensive, supplemental instructional support delivered in small groups or individually.

In elementary grades (Kindergarten through 6th grade), the MTSS Teacher Support Team can function simultaneously as the Early Warning System Team. The MTSS Documentation Packet can serve as the location for recording action of the MTSS Teacher Support Team/Early Warning System Team.

In grades 7 through 12, the MTSS Teacher Support Team coordinate efforts.

• NOTE: All Tier 3 students will automatically be placed on the MTSS team communicating with the MTSS Teacher Support Team relative to effectiveness of interventions conducted.
• NOTE: Tier 2 students may require monitoring as ‘sliding off track,’ with this determination to be made by the EWS team based on information and resources available.

School staff serving on the MTSS Teacher Support Team and Early Warning System Team can use the same thresholds, share information, and map their efforts in the same document if they choose. The EWS Team must document attendance, behavior and course performance thresholds, though other indicators can be tracked as deemed warranted by the local school/ district. The MTSS Teacher Support Team must use the MTSS Documentation Packet or a system that collects the same information.

Evaluating Student Progress and Intervention Effectiveness

Student progress in relation to the indicators (attendance, behavior, and course performance) must be examined on a bi-weekly basis. Each school should set a process into place to accomplish this goal so the MTSS team can modify interventions as necessary, add new students to the process, and take students out of the process that have experienced positive change.

Evaluating the effectiveness of each intervention utilized at the school level will assist the district and individual schools in determining those interventions that work best with their student population. Looking for trends in data across the district and across grade levels can assist with decision-making.

Factors listed below can be tracked by the district or school in the effort to positively impact the graduation rate. The predictors listed first are outside the control of educators, while the indicators listed in the second grouping can be considered when the school or district is determining actions to take to keep students in school. Each EWS team should determine which indicators will be used by the team for tracking of students in the schools Early Warning team.

Dropout Predictors Outside of School Control

• Age – Students who drop out tend to be older compared to their grade-level peers.
• Gender – Students who drop out are more likely to be male. Females who drop out often do so due to reasons associated with pregnancy.
• Socioeconomic background – Dropouts are more likely to come from low-income families.
• Ethnicity – The dropout rate is higher on average for African American, Hispanic, and Native American youth.
• Native language - Students who come from non-English speaking backgrounds are more likely to dropout than students from English-speaking homes.
• Region – Students are more likely to drop out if they live in urban settings as compared to suburban or nonmetropolitan areas. Dropout rates are higher in the South and West than in the Northeast region of the U.S.
• Mobility – High levels of household mobility contribute to an increased likelihood of dropping out.
• Ability – Lower scores on measures of cognitive ability are associated with higher dropout rates.
• Disability - Students with disabilities (especially those with emotional/behavioral disabilities) are at greater risk of dropping out of school.
• Parental employment – Dropouts are more likely to come from families in which the parents are unemployed.
• School size and type – School factors that have been linked to the dropout rate include school type and large school size.
• Family structure – Students who come from single-parent families are at greater risk of becoming a dropout.
• Parenting – Homes characterized by permissive parenting styles have been linked with higher dropout rates.

Dropout Indicators Within School Control

• Grades – Students with poor grades are at greater risk of becoming a dropout. Academic preparedness impacts graduation potential.
• Disruptive behavior – Students who dropout are more likely to have exhibited behavioral and disciplinary problems in school. Suspension doubles the odds that a student will drop out of school.
• Absenteeism – Rate of attendance is a strong predictor of dropout.
• School policies – Alterable school policies associated with the dropout rate include raising academic standards without providing supports, tracking, and frequent use of suspension.
• School climate – Positive school climate is associated with lower rates of dropout.
• Sense of belonging – Alienation and decreased levels of participation in school have been associated with increased likelihood of dropout. Students are more apt to dropout if their friends or peer group have left school.
• Attitudes toward school – The beliefs and attitudes (e.g., locus of control, motivation to achieve) that students hold toward school are important predictors of drop out. Engagement in learning can significantly improve student attendance and grades, making it important for teachers to develop lesson plans that will create curiosity while addressing appropriate standards and utilizing best practices for instruction and assessment.
• Educational support at home – Students whose families provide higher levels of educational support for learning are less likely to drop out.
• Retention – Students who drop out are more likely to be retained than students who graduate. Using National Education Longitudinal Study data, being held back was identified as the single biggest predictor of dropping out.
• Stressful life events – Increased levels of stress and the presence of stressors (e.g., financial difficulty, mental health issues, moving, homeless status, health problems, early parenthood) are associated with increased rates of dropout.

There are four types of support that schools can provide to students with best results accruing when a web of support with assistance from multiple levels is provided:

• Emotional – Express care and develop trust; Give comfort when needed
• Informational – Provide helpful insight and advice
• Appraisal – Give positive feedback so the student can use information provided for self-evaluation; Affirm competence and strengths
• Instrumental – Provide tangible resources and services (college visits, introduce potential employers, provide tutoring, etc.)

Appropriate Actions

Actions Appropriate for Attendance, Behavior and Course Performance Categories:

• Assign Case Manager
• Assign Staff Member Advocate
• Talk to Parents/Call Home
• Check In/Out
• Praise Journal
• Positive Action (PBIS)
• Behavior Contract
• Self-Monitoring

Actions Appropriate for Impacting Attendance:

• 1st Period Check-In
• Individual Counseling
• Small Group Counseling
• Exit Conversation
• School Attendance Officers

Actions Appropriate for Impacting Behavior:

• School-Home Note System / Emails
• Differential Reinforcement
• Positive Peer Reporting
• Social Skills Training
• Individual Counseling
• Small Group Counseling
• Peer Mediation
• Service Learning
• MET/SAT Referral – Tier System
• PBIS – Positive Behavior Intervention System

Actions Appropriate for Course Performance:

• Tutoring
• Late Homework Policy
• Additional Study Time
• MTSS Referral – Tier System

In-School Intervention: Best Practices

It takes more than a room and a teacher to make in-school intervention an effective strategy for changing student behavior. Schools should devise a system that addresses multiple issues so that students can return to class faster and stay there. 

The in-school intervention coordinator is the facilitator of a proactive setting designed to help students problem solve, develop appropriate school and classroom behaviors, and reduce the need for classroom removal. He or she can provide social and emotional support, interventions and remedial supports for academics. The in-school interventionist assumes the role of a supportive resource to help students improve their conduct; to develop their self-esteem; to encourage them to achieve and behave positively; and to experience a respectful environment with firm behavioral expectations.

The duties and responsibilities of the in-school interventionist will be as follows:

• Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
  • Enforces adherence to established rules and regulations of the program and creates an effective climate for learning.
  • Serves as a liaison between the classroom teacher and students assigned to the program to obtain and return the student’s daily class work and homework.
  • Works in conjunction with school counselors, behavior coaches and mental health personnel in order to support and access individual and group counseling.
  • Serves as a supportive resource or mentor for students. 
  • Provides structure, support and supervision to students in the program.
  • Communicates appropriate behavior, school rules, and regulations to students in the program; explains to students the impact on their education.
  • Guides and encourages students to develop a positive attitude toward learning.
• Essential Duties and Responsibilities continued:
  • Communicates with administration and staff regarding student behavior and progress.  
  • Provides student progress monitoring upon return to classroom
  • Closely monitors student data through weekly reviews of EdClick, Power School and School Status programming. 
  • Develops contract agreement with students in the program as to the rules and expectations. 
  • Reviews incident with student as well as discusses causes and alternative behavior. 
  • Provides mediation between assigned student and staff or peer involved in conflict.
  • Provides support for students who are returning from out of school suspension.
  • Provides training on building parent capacity to increase student achievement.
  • Collaborates with families to develop family activities to increase student achievement. 
  • Identifies and set parameters to determine successful completion of the program. 
  • Updates parents daily as to progress or completion of the program  through School Status Channel.
  • Ensures full engagement while in the program. 
  • Conducts and provides character building lessons daily.
  • Posts rules/regulations and expectations in the classroom along with motivational information.
  • Provides academic support as needed.
  • Conducts daily physical movement activity.
  • Provides students with conflict resolution skills. 
  • Models nondiscriminatory practices in all activities.
  • Performs other duties as assigned by the principal.

Oxford High School Expands Pathways to Graduation Through NWCC Partnership

Oxford High School remains committed to ensuring that all students have access to meaningful, attainable paths to high school completion. For students whose needs are not best met by a traditional high school setting, we have developed a structured partnership with Northwest Mississippi Community College (NWCC) to support their transition into the HISET/GED program.

Through our established liaison system with NWCC, students are guided through the enrollment process and introduced to the Charger Circuit program via an orientation tour of the NWCC Oxford campus. This allows students to build familiarity with both the academic environment and support personnel before transitioning.

OHS counselors and staff maintain contact with students throughout their time in the program to ensure consistent social-emotional and academic support. This continuity contributes to student retention and completion.

To date, the program has yielded strong outcomes. Most recently, nine Oxford High School students completed their high school equivalency and participated in NWCC’s GED graduation ceremony. These students are now positioned to pursue employment, career training, or postsecondary education opportunities—an outcome fully aligned with Mississippi’s broader goals for workforce readiness and graduation rate improvement.

Oxford High School will continue to refine and expand this partnership to support all learners while maintaining rigorous expectations and accountability for student success.