About the Early Warning System (EWS) Tool

EWS Tool Specifications
Application name: Early Warning System Tool
Type: FileMaker Run-time Database Application
Platform: Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, Mac OSX
Current Version: 2.1.1 | What's new in v.2.1.1?
Release Date: March, 2010
License: Freeware/non-commercial use only
Support: http://txcc.sedl.org/orc/ews

TXCC Contact:
Eric Waters - eric.waters@sedl.org
Web: http://txcc.sedl.org

NHSC Contacts:
Jessica B. Heppen - jheppen@air.org
Mindee O'Cummings - mocummings@air.org
Susan Bowles Therriault - stherriault@air.org
Web: http://betterhighschools.org

Download
Click the download button below to access the EWS Tool download page.

---

Webinar Archive
Fill out the form at the bottom of the page to view the last EWS Tool webinar including a training overview of the EWS Tool.

---

EWS Webinar Archive - 10/30/2009
Identification to Intervention - 12/10/2009
 

The Early Warning System (EWS) Tool was developed by the National High School Center (NHSC) and customized as a desktop database application in collaboration with the Texas Comprehensive Center at SEDL; it is freely available to schools and districts. The tool tracks key ninth-grade indicators related to high school dropout (such as attendance, course failures, GPA) and automatically calculates on-track status. The customized database application also provides both pre-defined and custom reports showing which students are below the defined benchmark for each of the indicators. The information generated by this tool is based on the school's readily available data regarding student academic performance, attendance, and behavior. The data can be imported or entered manually, and reports can be viewed, printed, or shared via Microsoft Excel.

Is the EWS Tool Research-based?

The EWS Tool is based on research conducted by the Consortium on Chicago School Research and Johns Hopkins University on the identification of potential high school dropouts. The research identified several indicators that were correlated to high school dropout in the areas of academic performance and attendance. In addition to the research-based indicators, behavior referral tracking is also provided in the database application tool in response to a request from the Texas Education Agency. For an overview of research findings that determine how the EWS Tool flags "at-risk" students, see the NHSC's Early Warning Systems Guide.

How does the EWS Tool Relate to the TNGTI?

The Texas Ninth Grade Transition Initiative (TNGTI) is a pilot program of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to provide support for students transitioning from the eighth to the ninth grade who are at risk of low performance and/or failure. The program has three basic components:

1. Summer Transition Program - an intensive summer program designed to prepare students to enter high school
2. Early Warning System - a data system indicating whether students are making sufficient progress during their ninth grade year
3. Interventions - activities or services used to support students who are not making sufficient progress, as noted by the early warning system

The EWS Tool is provided as an option for districts or campuses to use for fulfilling these requirements. In addition to flagging at risk students based on key performance indicators, the EWS Tool tracks whether students participated in a summer transition program, as well as any interventions provided.

For more information about the TNGTI or other state initiatives, contact Chris Caesar at chris.caesar@tea.state.tx.us.

Watch the archived webinar:

Please let us know who you are by filling out the form below; then, click the submit button to view the webinar archive.