Alabama Dropout Prevention Summit
March 05, 2009
Convener: Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
Estimated Attendance: 500
Summit Highlights:
The summit was convened by the Governor’s office in Montgomery where approximately 500 participants attended. Presenters included Mrs. Alma Powell, Governor Bob Riley as well as State Superintendent of Schools, Joe Morton and Dr. Don Williamson, State Public Health Officer. Dr. Shelley Stewart, CEO of the Mattie C Stewart foundation also gave remarks. Bob Balfanz from the Everyone Graduates Center will to work with the summit convening team and regions across the state on follow-up action planning.
Summit Planning Team:
- The Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
- The Governor’s Office
- Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs
- The Alabama State Department of Education
- AT&T
- Alabama Supreme Court Justice Patti Smith
- The Mobile Area Education Foundation
- Butler County AmeriCorps
- Big Brothers Big Sisters
- Jefferson County Family Court
- The Children’s Trust Fund
- Mattie C. Stewart Foundation
Alabama's Dropout Prevention Action Plan
Progress Since the Summit
Since the March summit, Alabama has made progress on several state-wide dropout prevention efforts:
- On April 28 and 29, thirty community teams participated in day-long trainings, titled “Community Action, Linking Leaders” led by Bob Balfanz. These trainings were positioned as follow-up sessions to the summit. In each community, a superintendent-appointed leader assembled 30-member teams to participate in the sessions via the state’s distance learning system. While the teams were multi-sector, more than half of participants were educators. Each team is now developing local action plans. These plans will be submitted to Dr. Kay Atchison Warfield in the Alabama Department of Education’s Prevention and Support Services office.
- The legislature also created the Alabama Select Commission on High School Graduation and Student Dropouts. Fifteen Commissioners were recently named, representing state department of education leaders, nonprofits, local education foundation and the business community.
- In May, Governor Riley signed into law a Senate bill that raised the compulsory school age from 16 to 17. It went into effect this fall for the 2009-10 school year.
Contact:
Jessica Fair
Community Outreach Coordinator
Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
One Commerce St., Suite 620
Montgomery, AL 36104
(334) 467-6964
Jessica.Fair@ServeAlabama.gov
URL: http://www.servealabama.gov/dropoutprevention/dropoutprevention.htm