Early Warning Indicators

BPE was one of the first organizations in the country to provide schools with early-warning data that help them identify students who, without support, are at risk of dropping out. We drew on local and national research on predictors of dropping out to create early-warning data tools that help school staff and students act before it’s too late.

• The Composite Learning Index puts key individual student data in one place – including past performance on MCAS (the state’s assessment), grades in math and English, age, and attendance and discipline records. Each factor is weighted according to how well it predicts the likelihood of dropping out, and every student is flagged as “on track” or “off track.”
• The graduation progress tracker provides each student with a clear picture of his progress toward meeting high school graduation and college admissions requirements. In one colorful, easy-to-read page, the tracker shows each student her grades and grade point average, credits earned, required courses remaining, MCAS performance, and attendance data. The reverse side includes space for future planning. To our knowledge, no other district has provided all of its students with such data.

The tracker was developed through a collaborative planning process that engaged students, teachers, guidance counselors, and district and school leaders. It is based on a similar tool developed by New Visions for Public Schools in New York City and grew out of BPE's success using early-warning data with teachers and school teams.  

These data tools, and others we’ve since created, provide a clear picture of where students are — and where they need to be — so teachers, leaders, families, and students themselves can make timely decisions that get more students on track for success.