Successes of the Initiative 
 Today, more than 800 graduation coaches 
serve Georgia middle and high schools, offering intervention services to support the personal and academic needs of nearly 100,000 at-risk Georgia students. 
 Due in great part to the work of 
Georgia's graduation coaches, the state's graduation rate has reached 75.4% -- a record for the state. 
Georgia's Graduation Rate 
Georgia's Dropout Rate 
 
Parent Resources 
Graduation Coaches, School Counselors, and School Social Workers Contact these support personnel for assistance in creating a successful school experience for your child through graduation and beyond. 
 Georgia Appleseed Center 
www.gaappleseed.org 
 Georgia PIRC  
Parental Information and Resource Center www.georgiapirc.net 
 National Dropout Prevention Center/ 
Network www.dropoutprevention.org/effstrat/ family_engagement/overview.htm 
 National Dropout Prevention Network 
for Students with Disabilities www.ndpc-sd.org/resources/for_parents.php 
 Parents Teachers Association 
www.pta.org 
 Georgia Family Connection Partnership 
http://www.gafcp.org/ 
 Georgia Department of Education 
Title I Programs Parent Services Unit http://www.gadoe.org//tss_title_parent.aspx 
For More Information Georgia Department of Education Division of School and Leader Quality http://www.gadoe.org/tss_school.aspx 
(404) 463-0976 lmartin@doe.k12.ga.us 
February 25, 2009 All Rights Reserved 
 
What is a Graduation 
Coach? 
Understanding Georgia's Graduation 
Coach Initiative 
 
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools 
 
 Why Do Students Drop Out of School? 
Lack of Rigor/High Expectations 
 69% of dropouts said they were not 
motivated or inspired to work hard. 
 80% of dropouts said they were required 
one hour or less of homework each day in high school. 
 66% of dropouts reported they would 
have worked harder if more was expected of them. 
Lack of Relevance 
 81% of dropouts said there should be 
more opportunities for real-world learning to give students an opportunity to see connections between school and getting a good job. 
Lack of Relationships/Adult Support 
 68% of dropouts reported that their 
parents only became involved in their education when they became aware that their child was on the edge of dropping out of school. 
 Less than half of dropouts interviewed 
stated that their school contacted their parents or them when they were absent or dropped out of school. 
Lack of Encouragement 
 70% of dropouts were confident that 
they could have graduated if they had tried, including those with low GPAs. 
Source: Bridgeland, J.M., Dilulio, J.H., & Morison, K.B. (2006). The silent epidemic: Perspectives of high school dropouts. Washington, DC: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. 
 
Who is At-Risk? 
At-risk students are often those who: 
 are credit deficient.  have failed one or more state assessments.  display poor/irregular attendance.  display frequent discipline/behavior 
challenges. 
 are transient.  struggle in reading and mathematics.  are disengaged from school.  have a history of school failure. 
Intervention Strategies that Promote Student 
Excellence 
 Academic remediation  Credit recovery  Teachers-As-Advisors  Faculty Friend Program  Extracurricular imvolvement  Peer tutoring  Extra help sessions  Attendance monitoring  Significant adult mentor 
 
Graduation Coach 
Mission 
To ensure the successful transition of all students from elementary to middle school, middle to high school, and high school to post-secondary education or work. 
Role of the 
Graduation Coach 
To identify and provide early intervention services to students at risk of dropping out or otherwise not graduating by: 
 analyzing data to identify students at-risk 
of dropping out. 
 implementing schoolwide support 
interventions. 
 motivating students to focus on a 
graduation plan. 
 negotiating extra help services.  offering academic advisement.  providing direct student support and case 
management. 
 developing effective transition programs.  connecting parents and students with 
appropriate school and community resources. 
 encouraging parent/ 
community involvement.