Shocking data often serves a purpose, jarring us into motion to make a change or move things up the "priority list" and search for solutions. That is what happened at Oakdale High School when we heard the staggering statistic from Rick Dufor's book, Whatever It Takes. Dufor states that, of the students who drop out of high school, 75% of them make that decision by October of the freshman year. They may "stick around" for four years and enjoy the social offerings at your school, but they are not there for the academics because it does not meet the needs of their plan to drop out. What can you do as an educator with such distressing news?

At OHS, we implemented our first ever "Passport to Success: Anything's Possible!" Scheduled right after the close of first quarter, freshman got to hear from those in the trenches; students and staff with real life stories to share about "how to do high school right." Students began in the Main Gym for a short opening and then traveled with their "passport" to four stations. One stop was in the theater to hear from seven high profile students who shared how they have overcome obstacles to be successful in school. One young man, a star football player, told how he has had to "go it alone" since his father died when he was twelve. A cheerleader challenged the students, asking them if they thought it was hard to get out of bed in the morning. She shared that, because of her juvenile arthritis, she knows what it is like to not be able to get out of bed in the morning. She talked about the pain she feels every day but pushes herself to be a successful student and cheerleader. Our star quarterback shared how he is not able to accept offers from colleges that are currently recruiting him because he did not take college prep classes and get the required grades.

Another station allowed students to hear from select, positive staff members who shared tips on how to do well in school. Students were divided into four small groups so about thirty went to one of four classrooms. Popular teachers shared a David Letterman style "Top Ten" power point on the do's and don'ts of being successful in school. Another stop was in the small gym where students saw a skit between the Vice Principal (playing the role of a student) and a highly visible senior (playing the role of the VP) who has battled cancer and is a star athlete. The skit was concluded with this young man telling his story, his personal triumph over cancer while maintaining his college prep status.

Another station included a short motivational video and students got to try on the famous Oakdale High School red Jostens graduation gown and sign their name on a gown as their commitment to graduate in 2011 with their class.

Although it is too early to measure the effectiveness of this program, quarterly follow up will be done with students by checking their progress and awarding prizes to students who are being successful, moving toward earning passing grades and those who have excellent attendance. Teachers submit names of freshman students who are working to be successful in school and drawings are held throughout the quarter for movie passes, gift cards, and IPods.