Strategies for Reducing Chronic Absence Communities in School Secondary Schools

August 2016 www.attendanceworks.org

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Attendance Works is a national and state initiative that promotes awareness of the important role that school attendance plays in achieving academic success starting with school entry. We are a partner for attendance with the Campaign for Grade Level Reading.

Our three focus areas to improve student attendance are:Build public awareness and political will Foster state campaigns Encourage local practice

About Us

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Session Agenda

5 minutes Welcome, Introductions, and Agenda Review

5 minutes What is Chronic Absence?15 minutes What is the impact of chronic absence

on student achievement? 15 minutes Case Study: School Climate

Interpersonal Relationships20 minutes Exercise: Caring Conversations10 minutes Closing and Reflection

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Introductions

Turn to the person next to you and introduce yourself

Briefly share one activity or strategy that helps to support good attendance

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Learning Objectives

Identify the reasons for student absences Describe the impact of chronic absence on

student outcomes Articulate common reasons why students

miss school Describe strategies for organizing

responses to absences Access attendance tools and resources

6http://www2.ed.gov/datastory/chronicabsenteeism.html

Chronic Absence is a Huge National Problem: Over 6 million Students prekindergarten 12th Grade Missed 15 or More Days of School

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What is Chronic Absence?

Unexcused absences

ChronicAbsence

Chronic absence is different from truancy (unexcused absences only) or average daily attendance (how many students show up to school each day).

Chronic absence is missing so much school for any reason that a student is academically at risk. Attendance Works recommends defining it as missing 10% or more of school for any reason.

Excusedabsences

Suspensions

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Average Daily Attendance (ADA) Can Mask Chronic Absence

90% and even 95% A

98% ADA = little chronic absence95% ADA = dont know

93% ADA = significant chronic absence

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Truancy Can Mask Chronic Absence

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Chronic Absence Is Easily Masked If We Only Monitor Missing Consecutive days

Chronic Absence = 18 days of absence = As Few As 2 days a month

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Why Does Attendance Matter for Achievement?

What we know from research around the country

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Multiple Years of Chronic Absenteeism = High Risk for low 3rd Grade Reading Skills

Note: ***Indicates that scores are significantly different from scores of students who are never chronically absent, at p

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Chronic Early Absence Connected to Poor Long-Term Academic Outcomes

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 in kindergarten

Lower levels of literacy in first grade

Lower achievement as far out as fifth grade

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Number of core coursesfailed in ninth grade

Months during ninth grade

Baltimore Education Research Consortium

Passing Courses in High School Is Related to Attendance

Chart1

0.96118954730.94416743160.92831070790.89382745050.8127534275

0.95586781020.93344679630.91017512080.86969432080.7553825141

0.94215527420.91921687530.88969337480.84035649950.7016224338

0.92192623110.89187065960.85781374280.81586353870.653671087

0.94073445290.91249667980.8899370030.83557676730.6846709686

0.93446233610.90355964970.86063781640.80919813520.6553671244

0.92725121750.88877057750.8445880680.78463115090.6325734932

0.93166172030.89158300930.83308730290.7624027640.6062698322

0.92911188480.89378997870.84205735410.75530031990.5759649393

0

1

2

3

4 or more

Percent of School Days Present

Total Course Failures

2004-05 Ninth Grade Cohort First-Year Percent of School Days Present per Month by Number of Course Failures

SeptOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay

Failures

096%96%94%92%94%93%93%93%93%

194%93%92%89%91%90%89%89%89%

293%91%89%86%89%86%84%83%84%

389%87%84%82%84%81%78%76%76%

4 or more81%76%70%65%68%66%63%61%58%

All Students93%91%89%86%88%87%85%85%84%

Total Course Failures

0

1

2

3

4 or more

Percent of School Days Present

2004-05 Ninth-Grade Cohort First-YearPercent of School Days Present per Monthby Number of Course Failures

Course Failure (1+)

2004-05 Ninth Grade Cohort First-Year Percent of School Days Present per Month by Course Failure (1+)

SepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay

Fail 0 Courses.9612.9559.9426.9222.9399.9342.9277.9307.9288

Fail 1+ Courses.8949.8660.8356.8012.8267.8045.7853.7717.7639

All Students.9287.9115.8894.8616.8829.8685.8552.8494.8443

Course Failure (1+)

Fail 0 Courses

Fail 1+ Courses

2004-05 Ninth-Grade Cohort First-YearPercent of School Days Present per Monthby Course Failure (1+)

Course Failure (2+)

2004-05 Ninth Grade Cohort First-Year Percent of School Days Present per Month by Course Failure (2+)

SepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay

Fail 0-1 Courses.9570.9503.9368.9146.9330.9264.9178.9208.9199

Fail 2+ Courses.8690.8313.7932.7554.7839.7557.7348.7140.7014

All Students.9287.9115.8894.8616.8829.8685.8552.8494.8443

Course Failure (2+)

Fail 0-1 Courses

Fail 2+ Courses

Percent of School Days Present

2004-05 Ninth-Grade Cohort First-YearPercent of School Days Present per Monthby Course Failure (2+)

Graduation Outcome

2004-05 Ninth-Grade Cohort First-Year Percent of School Days Present per Month by Graduation Outcome

8th GradeSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay

Non-Graduate0.8.8772.8427.8010.7674.7928.7755.7489.7327.7150

Graduate0.93.9573.9509.9395.9163.9360.9278.9230.9254.9279

Transfer0.88.9147.8917.8715.8422.8669.8372.8256.8176.8159

All Students.9287.9115.8894.8616.8829.8685.8552.8494.8443

Graduation Outcome

Non-Graduate

Graduate

Transfer

2004-05 Ninth-Grade Cohort First-YearPercent of School Days Present per Monthby Graduation Outcome

8th grade

2004-05 Ninth Grade Cohort First-Year Percent of School Days Present per Month by Number of Course Failures

8th GradeSeptOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay

0.000.930.960.960.940.920.940.930.930.930.93

1.000.910.940.930.920.890.910.900.890.890.89

2.000.890.930.910.890.860.890.860.840.830.84

3.000.860.890.870.840.820.840.810.780.760.76

4 or more0.800.810.760.700.650.680.660.630.610.58

All Students.9277.9101.8876.8597.8815.8666.8527.8472.8416

Non-Graduate

Graduate

Transfer

8th grade

0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4 or more

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Improving attendance matters because it reflects:

Exposure to language: Starting in Pre-K, attendance equals exposure to language-rich environments especially for low-income children.

Time on Task in Class: Students only benefit from classroom instruction if they are in class.

On Track for Success: Chronic absence is a proven early warning sign that a student is behind in reading by 3rd grade, failing courses middle and high school, and likely to drop-out.

College and Career Readiness: Cultivating the habit of regular attendance helps students develop the persistence needed to show up every day for college and work.

Engagement : Attendance reflects engagement in learning. Effective Practice: Schools, communities and families can improve

attendance when they work together.

(For research, see: http://www.attendanceworks.org/research/)

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Pair and Share Reflection

Turn to the person next to you and share one thing you learned that you didnt know or one thing that you learned that gave you a greater sense of urgency.

Popcorn Share & Questions

How Can We Address Chronic Absence?

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Unpack contributing factors to chronic absence

Myths

Absences are only a problem if they are unexcused

Sporadic versus consecutive absences arent 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 Homelessness

Aversion

Child struggling academically or socially

Bullying Ineffective school

discipline Parents had

negative school experience

Undiagnosed disability

Disengagement

Lack of engaging and relevant instruction

No meaningful relationships with adults in school

Vulnerable to being with peers out of school vs. in school

Poor school climate

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Invest in Prevention and Early Intervention

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Recommended Site-Level Strategies

A. Recognize Good and Improved Attendance B. Engage Students and Parents

D. Provide Personalized Early Outreach

C. Monitor Attendance Data and Practice

E. Develop Programmatic

Response to Barriers

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Creating a Culture of Attendance through Recognition

Attendance Data WallOrchard Gardens, City Year Boston

VIP LoungeCollins High School, City Year Chicago

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