Mr. Bill Betzen

Position: Teacher of Computer Applications
Organization: Dallas ISD

Biography

Child abuse investigations and child placement social worker for 28 years. MSSW received from UTA specializing in Administration and Planning. Expanded open adoption services to Lutheran and Catholic Charities agencies in Dallas. Joined wife in teaching in Dallas ISD in 2000 as a middle school teacher. After studying the dropout rate, started School Archive Project in 2005 which has lowered dropout rates as much as 40% since that date. (See www.studentmotivation.org.)

Married with 4 adult children and 5 grandchildren.

Speech Titles

Lowering dropout rates for $2/student

Speech Description

The history and achievements of the School Archive Project. Using a 400-pound vault you can focus your students onto their own futures, and a 10-year 8th grade reunion, to improve the potential they will work harder toward their own graduation.  The 9th 10th grade dropout rate has gone down 40% in the 4 years since the project started. Most Dallas dropouts never make it to the 10th grade.

References

In 2005 a presentation on the project was made at the National Dropout Prevention Conference in San Antonio.

December 11-12, 2008 it will be presented at the Texas School Improvement Conference in Austin.

Multiple presentations have been made to small local groups in Dallas area.

Minimum Speaking Time: 30 min
Maximum Speaking Time: 2 hours