Kimberly S. McDuffie, Ed.D
Principal Intern
New Hanover County Schools
Eugene Ashley High School
Wilmington, NC
Outline
Main Level of Focus: Elementary-High
School

 Absenteeism
 Attrition & Retention
 Factors Contributing to Absenteeism
 Push Effects
 Pull Effects
 Effects on Student Engagement/Drop out
 Student Attendance: What’s Your Role?





School District
School Administration
Teachers
Parents
Community
2
Absenteeism

 Persistent absence or habitual failure to appear
regularly.
 Tendency to be away from work/school without
good reason.
 The practice of not being present.
 North Carolina Compulsory Attendance
 Ages 7-16
3
Absences:
Excused/Unexcused

 Excused:





Injury‘
Illness
Death
School activities
Court/legal issues
 Unexcused
 Skipping
school/truancy
 Any absence not listed
as excused
4
Attrition and Retention

 Chronic Absenteeism eventually leads to student
drop outs.
=
Chronic
Absenteeism
=
Student
Drop outs
School Culture and School Climate:
How does this impact Attrition and Retention?
5

Factors Contributing to
Student Absenteeism
6
Absenteeism
Push Effects

Pull Effects`
Testing
Home-related issues/Divorce/Marriage
Low Academic
Achievement
Violence/Abuse
School Safety
Faculty/Staff
Support/Lack of school
involvement/discipline
issues
New birth/Death/older sibling
influence
Young parenting/Criminal
Involvement/ caregiver/Excessive
moving
Results
Results
Ending the Journey
Setting the Stage
Teetering/Winnowing
Ending the Journey
7
Push Effects

 Push effects: issues
within the school
setting.
 Testing
 Low academic
achievement
 Unsupportive
teachers/staff
 Safety concerns
 Bullying
 Hazing
 Peer discipline
problems
 Lack of Social Skills
(not fitting in)
 Seeking peer approval
 Stereotyping/labeling
8
Pull Effects

 Pull effects: external
issues such as family
related problems.
Divorce
Death
Violence
Abuse
Change in family
dynamics
 Lack of home discipline





 Lack of parent support
 Generational Truancy
 Family vacations during
school time
 Lack of parent presence
 Poor parenting skills
 Lack of parent
involvement & school
communication
9

Student Engagement &
Disengagement
10
Student Engagement

 The Glowing Student
 Teacher’s favorite
 The thriving student
 Smart
 Good mannerisms
 The involved student
 Athletes
 clubs
 Honors/AP Student
 Hard working on level student
11
Stages of
Disengagement

 Setting the Stage
 Teetering & Winnowing
 Living invisibly
 Walking in the dark
Push & Pull Effects
 Ending the Journey/Dropout
12
Discussion/Q & A

What can we do to
increase attendance?
13
Reference List

 McDuffie, K. S. (2013). Motivating students to complete
high school through career and technical education. Ann
Arbor: UMI Dissertation Publishing.
*All referenced research from dissertation
http://gradworks.umi.com/35/68/3568559.html
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Reference List
Continued

 http://www.elementaryed.ualberta.ca/~/media/elementaryed/Documents/Centre
s/CRTED/ComposingLives_FinalReport.pdf
 Absenteeism. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved December 23, 2013, from
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/absenteeism
 http://www.wcpss.net/policy-files/series/policies/6000-bp.html
 http://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByArticle/Chapter_115
C/Article_26.html
 http://www.every1graduates.org/wpcontent/uploads/2012/05/FINALChronicAbsenteeismReport_May16.pdf
 Scanlon, D., & Mellard, D. (2002). Academic and participation profiles of school-age
 dropouts with and without disabilities. Exceptional Children, 68(2), 239-258.
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