Early Warning System

Definition: Early warning systems (EWS) use readily available school data to identify students who are at risk of dropping out, allowing educators to intervene early. Schools can use information from an early warning system to support students who are at risk of dropping out with both school-wide strategies and targeted interventions. Districts and schools can use early warning system data to examine school-level patterns in the current school year and over time, in order to address systemic issues that may be impeding a student’s ability to graduate. (National High Schools Center, http://www.betterhighschools.org/ews.asp)

What it Means: Some states are developing Early Warning Systems based on collected student data to provide school counselors and teachers with a tool for identifying students who are at risk at failing.

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