Project Spotlight: APEX IILeading the way in dropout prevention 
As a senior in high school, 18-year-old Ryan was on the verge of dropping out. He showed little motivation, having successfully completed only about one-fifth of the credits he needed to graduate. His attendance was sporadic. He slept through class. He defied teachers when asked for assignments. Some might have considered him a lost cause. In November 2006, a targeted team of mentors and faculty came to Ryan's rescue. Through a series of informal meetings, the team was able to find out more about Ryan's family history, his social network, and his dreams for the future. He began a new set of classes in January 2007, and by the end of February, Ryan had completely turned around, becoming alert, animated, and engaged in meetings with the team, all while achieving an "A" in art and a "B" in finance. Ryan is now working at the Job Corps Center in Maine and is on track to receive his GED by the end of the summer.
Ryan's success story is one of many that can be attributed to the work of the IOD's APEX project, or Achievement in Dropout Prevention and Excellence. APEX works with New Hampshire high schools to induce a cultural shift in how teachers address discipline,
seeking to prevent inappropriate behavior through a systematic and consistent school- "As a school, we have been working diligently to combat our dropout rate," said Sean Peschel, faculty member at Somersworth High School. "APEX has helped focus and organize our faculty's energy and initiatives. It's not an overnight fix. It takes time, thought, and patience, but it will bring us together with commonality and continuity." Schools are seeing results because of APEX, including one high school that experienced a nearly 400% reduction in its dropout rate, from 16.8% to under 3% in three years. The current APEX project (APEX II) has expanded into 11 high schools throughout New Hampshire, addressing the needs of over 3,000 students at risk for dropping out, and has become a national model for dropout prevention. For more information on APEX II, visit www.iod.unh.edu. |