RETENTION can equal ATTENTION
While examining this module, I found the phrase ATTENTION equals RETENTION to be utterly true. I work on a campus where I am responsible for retention percentages and I agree, the more we provide attention to our students, the more likely they are to "stick around." On the other hand, when we focus too much on numbers (retention), then we have to work backwards to place more attention on our students to figure out "why" they are dropping out of school hince how RETENTION can equal ATTENTION. Do you currently experience this at your school? What methods seems to work best to find a balance between numbers and providing attention to your students?
Keeyon,
The best way to approach this is to determine what is best for each student. Some want or need more attention than others. The numbers are important, but we should not focus on them. We need to focus on the things we know influence students positively. The numbers will take care of themselves.
Jeffrey Schillinger
We have a saying at our school, that we can get more work done in the hallways conversing with students than behind our desks crunching numbers and policies. It rings very true to attention=retention!! Showing the students that you care and are human have gotten me far in my position.
Elizabeth,
There is always time to do the paperwork when students are not in immediate need. Spending time in the hallways during class change can have a really positive impact. I used to send out my staff smokers to smoke with the students. That was a long time ago when smoking was not quite as restricted as it is today.
Jeffrey Schillinger
