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District reports decline in dropout rate; principals cite care teams, block scheduling and partnerships
Summary
Mesa staff reported districtwide declines in dropout rates for grades 7–12 and highlighted targeted interventions at high schools and junior highs, including care teams, block scheduling and community partnerships that district leaders credited for improvements.
Mesa Public Schools staff reported a decline in the district dropout rate for grades 7–12 and described school‑level strategies that officials say are helping retain students and support on‑time or near‑term graduation.
Doctor Glassmeyer and site leaders from Carson High School and Dobson High School described data clean‑up and operational changes the district implemented to identify and support at‑risk students earlier. Doctor Glassmeyer described districtwide improvements across multiple subgroups, noting declines for students identified as limited English proficient and for American Indian/Alaska Native students.
Carson High School leaders described a formalized care‑team process that meets weekly or biweekly to coordinate attendance outreach, social‑emotional supports and academic interventions. Carson leaders also cited partnerships with the Salt River community, attendance monitoring and structured follow‑up as contributors to improved retention. Principal Buckley said staff streamlined student‑tracking systems and set up targeted interventions so students who enroll credit‑deficient can quickly address gaps.
Dobson High School leaders similarly credited block scheduling, targeted credit recovery and counseling interventions for allowing credit‑deficient students to make faster progress toward graduation. Staff emphasized that smaller interventions—attendance meetings, case management, one‑to‑one outreach and community partners—helped prevent students from disengaging and becoming long‑term dropouts.
Board members asked technical questions about how the state defines a dropout and how the district tracks students who leave Arizona or who register as homeschoolers. Staff explained there is a withdrawal code for homeschooling and a state dropout tracker that can show whether a student re‑enrolled elsewhere in Arizona; auditors review withdrawal codes and the district must document records to support those codes.
District staff said improvements are the result of layered interventions and better data practices rather than a single policy change, and they committed to continuing the work.
