Russell Rumberger is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Education. A faculty member at UC Santa Barbara since 1987, he has published widely in several areas of education: education and work; the schooling of disadvantaged students, particularly school dropouts and linguistic minority students; school effectiveness; and education policy. He has served on three committees of the National Research Council (NRC), including the Committee on Increasing High School Students’ Engagement and Motivation to Learn that issued, Engaging Schools: Fostering High School Students' Motivation to Learn (2003). He was a member on the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences panel that produced the Dropout Prevention Practice Guide (2008). His book, Dropping Out: Why Students Drop Out of High School and What Can Be Done About It (Harvard University Press, 2011) was called a “masterpiece” by the Washington Post and nominated for the AERA Outstanding Book Award. From 2010-12 he served as the Vice Provost for Education Partnerships, University of California Office of the President. He currently directs the California Dropout Research Project, which produces reports and policy briefs about the dropout problem in California. Professor Rumberger received a Ph.D. in Education and a M.A. in Economics from Stanford University and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University. In 2013 he was made a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association and received the Elizabeth G. Cohen Distinguished Career in Applied Sociology of Education Award, Sociology of Education SIG, American Educational Research Association. In 2016 he was elected to the National Academy of Education.
Accountability For California's Alternative Schools Public Policy Institute of California Researcher Paul Warren will present his findings on the ground breaking study - "Accountability for California's Alternative Schools.” About 12 percent of all California high school seniors attend an alternative school, but far fewer than half graduate. To improve outcomes and promote the success of at-risk students, the state needs a new approach to measuring alternative school performance. This PPIC report compares California's efforts with those of Colorado, Florida and Texas to provide useful directions for the next phase of alternative school accountability. One of his findings sure to resonate with alternative accountability advocates is that the "four year graduation rate ... does not work as intended in the alternative school context." Hear why Paul concludes, "To improve outcomes and promote the success of at-risk students, the state needs a new approach to measuring alternative school performance.”
Building A Cohesive Voice for Alternative Accountability Be sure to join us for the 2016 Closing Session which will provide an opportunity to strategize about ways to impact National and State accountability policy. The adoption of ESSA brings a fresh perspective for refining accountability policies for those serving vulnerable populations and recognizes sustained momentum focused on opportunity youth. Join representatives of American Youth Policy Forum, Civic Enterprises, the California Dropout Research Project and RAPSA to learn about new opportunities and gain insight into past barriers to alternative accountability needs. Gain insight into some of the data challenges nontraditional schools and students present to researchers, advocates and policy makers. Help build a consensus to encourage best practices for data collection and useage. Learn how to frame the alternative accountability conversation to ensure policies are flexible, responsive, and useable for alternative settings. Join us on Saturday October 29th!
What Should Legislators Spend for Effective Dropout Recovery Programs? Join with two of California’s highly regarded education experts in an exploration of what can be done to support adequate dropout recovery efforts. This interactive session will: describe the costs to individuals and states of those who drop out of high school; explore how California funds high school programs and the limits on at risk populations; the needs of opportunity youth beyond a high school diploma; and a look at the practical and political implications of developing programs with significant impacts on state budgets. The presenters look forward to hearing the ideas and experiences of education leaders from across the Country. Walk away with a framework for approaching the adequate funding of dropout recovery.
