Plan for Success
Suggested solutions
Strategy
There is no one quick fix solution to the dropout problem. The problem is complex and requires a comprehensive array of solutions. Dropouts have a multitude of characteristics that contribute to this alarming epidemic and therefore need various programs which speak to their individual circumstances and needs. In order for programs to be effective they will need to provide one-on-one intensive attention to at-risk students, who most often need to be convinced that they can be successful in school. In addition, the interrelated causes and multiple problems associated with dropping out call for comprehensive community-wide, multi-service approaches and multi-component programs.
At-risk youth need to be identified at a young age (as early as preschool) so that early sustained intervention can be applied. Success at an early age diminishes the possibility of students later dropping out of high school. The key to reducing the dropout rate is to help students overcome their sense of loss and their feelings of being disconnected from the community. Not all factors related to dropout rates can be controlled. In order to address this problem, the combined efforts of students, parents, teachers, administrators, community-based organizations and businesses, as well as the federal, state, and local governments must work together and develop innovative strategies focused on multiple intelligences.
These students will be our future employees. Will you play your part in the movement to motivate and empower them? Music Changing Lives’ goal is to conduct and analyze research, sponsor extensive workshops, and collaborate with a variety of practitioners to further the mission of reducing America’s dropout rate by meeting the needs of at-risk students. These strategies, although appearing to be independent, frequently overlap and are synergistic. When school districts develop an improvement plan that encompasses most or all of these strategies, positive outcomes result.
“Bruny, whose nickname is “V,” is a self-made entrepreneur in the entertainment industry, producing his own hip-hop album and music videos. He believes music and film could be the way to taking youth off the streets and giving them hope for their future.” Comment from Melissa Eiselein of The Press Enterprise
