EWS 2.0 EARLY WARNING & ON-TRACK SYSTEM RESOURCES
EWS 2.0: Keeping All Students on Track to High School Graduation and Post-Secondary Success
Below please find a curated selection of practical guidance and training materials on how to implement early warning and on-track systems to enable greater high school graduation and postsecondary success outcomes for all students.
These materials were developed by districts and state departments of education who have implemented early warning and on-track systems, as well as leading non-profit organizations that have supported schools, districts, and states in this work.
The materials are organized by topic, including How to Guidebooks for School and Districts, Extending Early Warning and On-Track Systems to Post-Secondary Success, Staff Training Materials, District and State Guidance for Building Early Warning and On-Track Data systems, and How EWS and On-Track Systems Fit with other student support and school improvement initiatives. There are also sections on EWS and on-track Systems at work at the state, district, and school level, the research foundation for this work, and insights and intervention strategies.
WHAT ARE EARLY WARNING &
ON-TRACK SYSTEMS?
Why implement an early warning or on-track system?
Early warning and on-track systems enable educators to progress monitor all students with reliable predictive indicators, pool their knowledge to promote student success, act strategically, and respond rapidly and effectively when students signal they need additional supports. They also fuel analysis of ways schools and classrooms are working (or not working) for student subgroups, so that school leaders, staff, and teachers can develop effective plans of action, not only for individual students, but also at small group, classroom, grade, and schoolwide levels.
The ABCs of Success in High School and Beyond
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
On Track for Success: The Use of Early Warning Indicator and Intervention Systems to Build a Grad Nation
The Everyone Graduates Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Education
Keeping Your Student in School: A Parent Guide
REL Midwest
Introduction to Early Warning Systems and Indicators
A 30-minute video narrated by Robert Balfanz, Everyone Graduates Center
EWS 101: Introduction to the Five Core Components of EWS
Regional Educational Laboratory Network
Core Components of Early Warning Systems –Adapted for Impacts of Pandemic
Everyone Graduates Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Education
Videos
Middle School Moment: Omarina's Story, Part One
Through the story of a student, see how a middle school in the Bronx uses Early Warning Systems, FRONTLINE
The Second Window: How to Focus on Freshman Transformed a System
Documentary on how Chicago uses freshmen on-track systems, UChicago
GUIDEBOOKS & TOOL KITS
How-to guidebooks for schools and districts
A selection of how-to guidebooks and toolkits which provide detailed guidance for schools, districts, and states on how to launch and operate early warning and on-track system, from organizations, state departments of education, and district offices that have long experience supporting EWS and on-track system implementation.
Indicators & Interventions
Everyone Graduates Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Education
Freshman On-track Toolkit
The Network for College Success, The University of Chicago.
Using Data to Keep All Students on Track to Graduation: Team Playbook
Johns Hopkins University
Preventing Dropout in Secondary Schools
IES National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance
EWS to Promote K-12 Academic Success, District Guidance
Mississippi Department of Education
Early Warning Intervention & Monitoring System Implementation Guide
Michigan Department of Education
Framework: EWS 2.0
Pathways to Adult Success Learning Community
Early Warning Intervention & Monitoring System Implementation Guide
National High School Center at American Institutes for Research
A Practitioner's Guide to Implementing Early Warning Systems
Education Northwest
On-Track Data Teams: A RISE Network Strategy Guide
RISE Network
Root Cause Analysis
Clark County School District
EWS Implementation Guide
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Pathways to Adult Success Resources
Workgroup recommmendations of best practices for the core components of Early Warning Systems to help prepare young people for successful adult lives
Standards for Predictive Indicators
EWS 2.0 Workgroup Guidance, Pathways to Adult Success
Analysis, Root Causes, and Strategic Actions
EWS 2.0 Workgroup Guidance, Pathways to Adult Success
Standards for Action
EWS 2.0 Workgroup Guidance, Pathways to Adult Success
The Roles of School/District Leaders and Teams
EWS 2.0 Workgroup Guidance, Pathways to Adult Success
How-Tos
Curated guidance for getting started—or moving forward—in developing effective Early Warning Systems and enabling teams of school adults to carry them out successfully.
How to Bring an Equity Lens to the Work
Pathways to Adult Success
How to Monitor Interventions
Pathways to Adult Success
EXTENDING EWS & ON-TRACK SYSTEMS TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR POSTSECONDARY SUCCESS
Early Warning Systems have been in widespread use during the past decade to help more students successfully graduate high school. In recent years, however, educators have extended and adapted the early warning indicator categories to help ensure more students not only graduate, but transition successfully to higher education and other postsecondary pathways leading to fulfilling, family-supporting careers. This section provides guidance on adapting EWS systems to attain this longer-term goal.
Framework: EWS 2.0
Pathways to Adult Success Learning Community
College, Career, and Life Readiness: A Look at High School Indicators of Postsecondary Outcomes in Boston
Robert Balfanz and Vaughan Byrnes, Everyone Graduates Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Education
Beyond College Eligibility: A New Framework for Promoting College Readiness
The Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
District Self-Assessment Tool
The Annenberg Insitute for School Reform at Brown University
Keeping Students On Track to Postsecondary Success
Robert Balfanz
College and Career Readiness in Boston: Understanding and Tracking Competencies and Indicators
Matthew J. Welch, Aseel Abulhab, Susan Bowles Therriault, American Institute for Research
Essential Elements in Implementation
The John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities
How to Transition from a Graduation-focused EWS to Focus on Postsecondary Success
Pathways to Adult Success, Everyone Graduates Center
Postsecondary Success Toolkit
Network for College Success, UChicago
TRAINING TOOLS
Practical training for schools and districts
A selection of practical training tools for schools and districts, including four self-paced learning modules for school teams, two self-paced video training series for school teams with trainer guides, and series of topic-based digital presentations with learning activities.
Four-Part Self-Paced EWS Training Modules
Developed by the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University School of Education for the Pennsylvania Department of Education, these modules include activities for school teams to engage in collaborative learning.
Video Training Series #1
This series was developed by the Everyone Graduates Center for New Mexico schools, but could be used by any district or state.
EWS Trainer's Guide
Everyone Graduates Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Education
EWS Video Training Series
Everyone Graduates Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Education
Video Training Series #2
A series of training videos produced by the AIR (American Institutes of Research) for Michigan schools, but could be used by any district or state.
Early Warning Intervention and Monitoring System Facilitator's Guide
Great Lakes Comprehensive Center / American Institute for Research
Early Warning Intervention and Monitoring System Training Videos
Great Lakes Comprehensive Center / American Institute for Research
EWS Training Series
A three-part series produced by Talent Development Secondary for school and teacher teams.
EWS Resource Mapping
Talent Development Secondary
Rubric for Early Warning Indicator Meetings
Talent Development Secondary
Implementing an EWS
Talent Development Secondary
BUILDING EARLY WARNING & ON-TRACK DATA SYSTEMS
Guidance for systems at the district and state level
District Guide for Creating Indicators for EWS
REL West, WestEd
Forum Guide to Early Warning Systems
National Forum on Education Statistics
Selecting Effective Indicators
UChicago CCSR
Of Needles and Haystacks: Building an Accurate Statewide Dropout Early Warning System in Wisconsin
Jared E. Knowles, Journal of Educational Data Mining
Data Sharing for Collaborations
Education Northwest
Early Warning Indicators and Segmentation Analysis
Jobs for the Future & U.S. Department of Education
A Technical Guide to College Readiness Indicators
UChicago CCSR
Using Data from Schools and Child Welfare Agencies to Predict Near-Term Academic Risks
National Center for Education Statistics
Four Signs Your District is Ready for an Early Warning System
Regional Educational Laboratory Network
HOW EWS & ON-TRACK SYSTEMS FIT
WITH CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, MTSS AND RTI, EQUITY AND ASSET-BASED APPROACHES
A variety of tools, systems, and approaches have been developed to help schools better serve their students. How do early warning systems complement and enhance the programs already in place? And how can coordinating these approaches facilitate staff and teacher efforts to support students?
How to Bring an Equity Lens to the Work
Pathways to Adult Success, Everyone Graduates Center
Early Warning / On-Track & Continuous Improvement
Martha Mac Iver & Robert Balfanz, Everyone Graduates Center
Defining EWS and Tiered Models (infographic)
Regional Educational Laboratories
EARLY WARNING & ON-TRACK SYSTEMS IN USE:
STATE, DISTRICT, & SCHOOL LEVELS
Websites that provide real time examples of effective adoption, support, and implementation of early warning systems at the state, district, and local school levels.
State Examples
Rolling out Early Warning Systems at the state level is a major undertaking, but, when done well, can ease the burden on LEAs and prove more effective, for more students, than relying on a piecemeal approach. These are examples of states that have led the way.
Early Warning System
Rhode Island Department of Education
The Early Warning System (EWS)
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Montana EWS for Dropouts
Montana OCHE
Early Warning Indicator System
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Massachusetts EWIS: Reflections on Building a Statewide System
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
District Examples
District-level guidance on Early Warning System implementation from LEAs in diverse circumstances and localities.
Early Warning Systems 2.0
Gresham-Barlow School District
Early Warning Systems Over the Long Term
Metro Nashville Public Schools
Warning to Winning: One District's Approach to Success for ALL Students
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation
Early Warning Systems and Interventions
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District
Oregon Data Suite: Your Roadmap to Student Success
Willamette Education Service District
Pathways to Adult Success
Philadelphia Education Fund
School Examples
Individual schools’ experience and guidance on adapting early warning systems to their particular local needs and circumstances.
EWS: A How-To Navigation Guide for Educators and Practitioners
St. Ignatius Middle/High School
Early Warning Systems
Compass Academy
Videos on Early Warning & On-Track Systems
Inspiration and guidance on how and why to use Early Warning System
to improve student success at the school and district levels.
OMARINA’S STORY
A three-part series by Frontline highlights one student’s journey from a public middle school in the Bronx, NY to college.
Learning Series on Early Warning Systems
Regional Educational Laboratories
The Predictive Power of Ninth-Grade GPA
UChicago CCSR
High School GPAs and ACT Scores as Predictors of College Completion
Elaine M. Allensworth and Kallie Clark
Early Warning Indicators and Intervention Systems: State of the Field
Robert Balfanz and Vaughan Byrnes
Early Warning Systems in Transition Annotated Bibliography
Misty Terrell, National Technical Assistance Center on Transition
Using an Early Warning System to Identify and Support Students at Risk for High School Dropout
National High School Center
Predicting Early College Success for Indiana's High School Class of 2014
REL Midwest at American Institutes for Research
Getting Students on Track for Graduation: Impacts of the Early Warning Intervention and Monitoring System After One Year
REL Midwest at American Institutes for Research
Preventing Student Disengagement and Keeping Students on the Graduation Path in Urban Middle-Grades Schools
Robert Balfanz, Liza Herzog, Douglas J. Mac Iver
Learning What It Takes
The Everyone Graduates Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Education
Re-Envisioning the Purpose of Early Warning Systems: Shifting the Mindset from Student Identification to Meaningful Prediction and Intervention
Brian M. McMahon and Sabrina F. Semiante, Review of Education
Organizing Schools to Address Early Warning Indicators (EWIs): Common Practices and Challenges
Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk (JESPAR)
ATTENDANCE
BEHAVIOR / SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
COURSE PERFORMANCE
Addressing Chronic Absence
Attendance Works
National Student Attendance Engagement Success Center
U.S. Dept. of Education
MBK National Success Mentors
Everyone Graduates Center
Action Community Change Package on Belonging, Engagement and Resilience
City Year and Everyone Graduates Center
How to Use the Action Community Change Package on Belonging, Engagement, and Resilience
City Year and Everyone Graduates Center
