school attendance: what’s working and what’s next · myths absences are only a problem if they...
TRANSCRIPT
www.attendanceworks.org
School Attendance: What’s
Working and What’s NextThe Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
Funder to Funder Huddle
April 24, 2015
• Welcome – Ron Fairchild
• Presentation – Attendance Works
• What’s Working and WhyEric Dregne, Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque
Aimee Eng, Thomas J. Long Foundation
2014 Attendance Pacesetters
• Discussion
• Expanded Focus on Health - Teledentistry
• Conclusions and Key Take-aways
Agenda
2
Chronic Early Absence Connected to
Grade-Level Reading Goal
Chronic absence in kindergarten
Lower levels of literacy in first grade
Lower achievement as far out as fifth grade
A Rhode Island Data Hub analysis found that compared to
kindergartners who attend regularly, those chronically absent
• Scored 20% lower in reading and math in later grades and gap grows
• 2X as likely to be retained in grade.
• 2X likely to be suspended by the end of 7th grade.• Likely to continue being chronically absent
Chronic Absence Definition:
Missing 10% or more of school
year (18+ days)
Use Chronic Absence to Map The
Attendance Gap
Excused Absences
Unexcused absences
Suspensions
Chronic Absence
Attendance Works recommends defining chronic absence
as missing 10% or more of school for any reason.
Chronic absence is different from truancy (unexcused absences only) or average daily attendance (how many students show up to school each day).
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90% and even 95% ≠ A
High Levels of Average Daily Attendance
(ADA) Can Mask Chronic Absence
7%
12% 13% 13%15% 16%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
A B C D E F
Chronic Absence For 6 Elementary Schools
in Oakland, CA with 95% ADA in 2012
% Chronic Absence
98% ADA = little chronic absence
95% ADA = don’t know
93% ADA = significant chronic absence
20% 20% 20% 21%23%
26%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
A B C D E F
Chronic Absence for 6 Schools in New
York City with 90% ADA in 2011-12
% Chronic Absence
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Looking at Chronic Absence Helps
Identify an Early Attendance Gap
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0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Number of Chronically Absent Versus Chronically Truant Students San Francisco Unified School District
# chronic absentees - 2010-2011
# students missing 10 days unexcused (as of May 16th 2011)
Chronic Absence, Starting in the Early Grades,
Contributes to the Achievement Gap
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Source: Office of the Attorney General, State of California,
In School + On Track 2014
Find Out Why Students Are
Chronically Absent
MythsAbsences are only a problem if they are
unexcused
Sporadic versus consecutive absences
aren’t a problem
Attendance only matters in the older
grades
Barriers
Lack of access to health or dental care
Poor Transportation
Trauma
No safe path to school
AversionChild struggling
academically
Lack of engaging instruction
Poor school climate and ineffective school
discipline
Parents had negative school experience
Chronic disease
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AW Recommended Site Level Strategies for
Debunking Myths and Identifying Barriers
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High
Cost
Low
Cost
10
• Recognize good and improved attendance
• Educate & engage students and families
• Monitor attendance data
• Clarify attendance expectations and goals
• Establish positive and engaging school climate
Improving attendance requires adoption of a
tiered approach that begins with prevention
TIER 1All students
• Provide personalized early outreach
• Meet with student/family to develop plan
• Offer attendance Mentor/Buddy or Walk to
School Companion
TIER 2Students exhibiting chronic
absence (missing 10%)
• Intensive case
management with
coordination of public
agency and legal
response as needed
TIER 3Students who missed 20% or more of the
prior school year (severe chronic absence)
Pilot Survey by Todd Rogers At Harvard
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Bottom 20%(~18 days)
20%-40%(~10 days)
% of parents who think their child's attendance is...
…better than classmates
…same as classmates
...don't know
Vast Majority of Parents, Even Students Those With Excessive
Absences, Believe Their Child’s Attendance is same as
classmates, better than classmates, or just don’t know
Harvard research study found comparison reduced absence by 5-10% for all students,
regardless of severity of absenteeism
Chronic absence (missed 10% or more of school) in
the prior year, assuming data is available.
And/or starting in the beginning of the school year,
student has:
Criteria for Identifying Priority
Students for Tier 2 Supports
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In first 2 weeks
In first month
(4 weeks)
In first 2 months
(8 weeks)
2 absences
2-3 absences
4 absences
Missing
10% any
time after
Possible Tier 2 Interventions
(See Power of Positive Connections Toolkit)
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Assign
Attendance
Buddies
Partner with
families/students
to develop
Student
Attendance
Success Plan
Recruit for
engaging Before-
or After-School
ActivitiesConnect to
Walk- to-School
Companion
Offer plan or
contacts for
Health Support
Priority Early
Outreach for
Positive Linkages
and Engagement
Students
& Families
Schools
Actionable
Data
Positive
Messaging
Capacity
Building
Shared
Accountability
Is accurate, accessible,
and regularly reported
Expands ability to
interpret data and work
together to adopt best
practices
Conveys why building a
habit of attendance is
important and what
chronic absence is
Ensures monitoring &
incentives to address
chronic absence
Community District
Ingredients for System-wide
Success & Sustainability
Strategic partnerships between
district and community partners
address specific attendance
barriers and mobilize support for
all ingredients 15
Peer opportunities to compare
data, share & learn about best
practices, and identify and
problem-solve common
challenges
Locality
B
Locality
DEducation Associations
Unions (teachers, adm,
etc.)
Advocacy Organizations
Parent Organizations
State Dept of Education
State Policy Makers Communities/
Districts Across
State Join In
Ongoing peer learning,
TA, administrative guidance,
regulations, and legislation promote
best practices & systemic change
Advance Peer Learning Networks as part
of a broader change strategy
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Others
ECE/HS Association
Locality
A
Locality C:
Early Innovator
Advance local practice
through peer learning
Inform state organizations
with insights from local
practice
Spread work state-wide
through TA and policy
Encourage Release of State and Local Briefs To Catalyze Action
Encourage Participation in Webinar Series:
Ready, Set, Go: Launching Attendance Awareness Month 2015 ~ April 15, 2015 (Recording Available)
Start Strong: Address the Attendance Gap in the Early Grades ~ May 13, 2015
Finish Strong: Close the Attendance Gap in High School ~ August 12, 2015
Map the Attendance Gap: Use Data to Target Action ~ September 9, 2015
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Use Attendance Awareness
Month to Cultivate Interest
• Forthcoming policy statement by American
Association of Pediatrics
• Strong interest from the National
Collaborative on Health and Education
which is cultivating interest from Surgeon
General
• Identification of new health resources and
models including dental health
Expanded Focus on Health
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What is Working to Reduce
Chronic Absence?
Perspectives from Funders in Pacesetter Communities
1. Tell us about the community of focus for
your foundation and why your foundation
got involved in addressing chronic
absence?
2. Share briefly how you’ve been investing in
improved attendance and what are the
results?
3. What are your plans for the coming year?
Key Questions
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Attention to Attendance
in Contra Costa County
13.5%
8.1%7.3%
6.4%
8.8%7.7%
5.6%4.7%
K 1st grade 2nd grade 3rd grade
Chronic Absence Rate
2013-14 2014-15*
One Contra Costa District’s Improvement
* 2014-15 is partial year data for the period 8/25/2014 – 12/2/2014
• Reflecting on the presentations, where are
the leverage points to move our
communities and states?
• As we look over the horizon, what are the
emerging opportunities to improve student
attendance?
Discussion
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Impacting Students Attendance: Onsite Dental Services
Pacific Center for Special Care
Maureen Harrington, [email protected]
www.virtualdentalhome.org
Dental Disease in Children
• Most common childhood illness in US: almost 5 X as common as asthma & 7 X as common as hay fever
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [DHHS]. Oral Health in America. A Report of the Surgeon General; 2000, p. 63.
• Cause of 1/3 of elementary school absences of children from economically vulnerable families.
• Children reporting recent toothaches were 4 x more likely to have a lower GPAs than peers reporting no dental pain.
Seirawan, H., Faust, S. & Mulligan, R., (2012). The Impact of Oral Health on the Academic Performance of Disadvantaged Children, American Journal of Public Health,(102) 9, 1729-1734.
• Pain and infection
• Nutrition and speech development
• Social engagement
Pacific Center for Special Care
Source: Schools Struggle to Provide Dental Health Safety Net. The California Report. April 3, 2013.
http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/04/03/schools-struggle-to-provide-dental-health-safety-net/
Challenges with Access
• Insurance status
• Access to providers
• Transportation
• Hours of practice
• Dental literacy
• Cultural differences
• Dental fear
Pacific Center for Special Care
Virtual Dental Home• Innovative system of care
• Practiced in California elementary and preschools
• Onsite care using portable equipment
Pacific Center for Special Care
What happens at school?
• Dental hygienist provides: – clinical services to students
– education to students, parents, school administration, faculty, and staff
– referral support for those who need specialized care
• Telehealth tech. facilitates communication with dentist
Pacific Center for Special Care
State and National Implications
• The VDH is a disruptive innovation that will transform the creation of oral health
• Each state requires review/reform of:– Regulations: Scope of practice laws
– Payment: Telehealth
– Policies: school districts, dental boards, and public health departments
• Pacific can help analyze the state environment and develop plans
Pacific Center for Special Care
Questions?
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