The Pupil Motivation and Maintenance (M&M) Program was built upon provisions of the School-Based Coordination Act (SB 77, Statutes of 1981). In addition to addressing the needs of students in at-risk situations, this program funds a dropout prevention specialist (outreach consultant). Other key components of the program are positive attendance and discipline programs, Coordination of Service Teams (COST), Student Success Team (SST) and resiliency-creating strategies. The program is a performance-based effort, and schools report evidence of their efforts and success on an annual end of the year report. The most successful schools are acknowledged each year at the annual dropout prevention conference.
Funding for the M&M Program (fiscal year 2005-06: $16.6 million) is provided from the state General Fund. Schools receive approximately $50,000 grant to pay the salary, benefits, travel, and related employment costs of the outreach consultant position. Funding for the program is part of the Pupil Retention Block Grant enacted by Assembly Bill (AB) 825 (2004). Pursuant to the Block grant legislation, school districts receiving program funding in 2004-05 must maintain at least the same number of outreach consultants they had in 2004-05.
There are no longer applications for this program and districts that operated the program in 2004-05 continue to receive the funding. Initially only school districts with the highest dropout rates in the state were eligible. Not unexpectedly, these school districts were also the lowest performing in the state. The program targets elementary, middle, and high schools and serves students from kindergarten through grade twelve. The focus of all school-based coordinated programs is multi-funded students. These students are recipients of services from special education, Title I, bilingual education, and gifted and talented education. The immediate concern for M&M schools is the early identification and intervention into the lives of those students who exhibit early evidence of school failure.
The 350 M&M schools funded in 2004-05 are improving both their student performance and reporting on their own awareness of student learning levels. The employment of an outreach consultant has proven to be a remarkable support for some of the most challenged schools in California. Dropout rates in the high schools are down. Elementary schools implementing M&M programs routinely lead their school districts in attendance. Performance data related to resiliency factors are collected on such indicators as community connectedness, high level of academic expectations from staff and students, adult mentoring, and student service learning. Although the M&M program is focused on preventing school dropouts, it also has a significant impact on school-wide student achievement. M&M schools are much more likely to meet or exceed their Academic Performance Index (API) target than the average California school. In 2002, 65 percent of M&M schools in California met or exceeded their API target compared to 52 percent of California schools.
For more information about the M&M Program, contact:
Margarita Garcia Education Programs Consultant (916) 323-5029 Monica Nepomuceno Education Programs Consultant (916) 323-2212
Since applying for and receiving the M&M grant Oroville
High School has seen a dramatic decline in truency,
suspensions and expulsions.
Through the efforts of our dedicated Administration and
staff members we have been able to help students and
their families with housing, food, clothing, school
supplies, class fees and needed mental health services.
We have also started an Outreach Club here on campus
which allows students to help each other and others in
the community. Our belief is that only through opening
our eyes to the needs of others can we see how
fortunate we are.