Three-Tiered
Attendance
Intervention
Information Packet
Compiled by the
Attendance Best Practices Group
2012-2013
1
Foreword
This packet is intended to provide information about current
attendance intervention/practices used currently in the
Worcester Public Schools. The information within it is by no
means exhaustive, but instead is meant to capture the
majority of attendance interventions.
It is hoped that this document will be regularly revised and
expanded to capture the breadth of attendance interventions
performed not only by School Adjustment Counselors, but
also practices that are embedded into school practices and
performed individually by school faculty/staff, as well as
collaboratively between all school staff and student families.
Table of Contents
Page 3
Pages 4 - 6
Pages 7 - 15
Triangle Diagram
Activity Descriptions
Appendix of Sample Documents
2012-2013 Best Practices Group Members
Jean Conway
Brendan Keenan
Linda Lacroix
Jean McNulty
Tabitha Muchai-Kahura
2
Tiered
Attendance
Interventions
Court
51A
Fresh
Start
ESSIP
Student
Incentive
Plan
Principal/
Admin Phone
Calls
Parent Phone
Conference
Tardy/
Absence
Letter
Teacher
Follow-Up
Automated
Absence
Notification
Connect Ed
Messages
Student Support
Process Meeting
Automatic
Letters
(5/10/15)
Monitor Ongoing
Attendance Data
Secretary
Follow-Up
Tardy
Letters
Teacher/ Principal
Newsletters
Home
Visit
Parent
Workshops
Tardy
Station
Know Your
School Night
Student
Incentive
Plans
PK/K Open
House
In-School
Parent
Conference
Attendance
Pledge
Nurse
Follow-Up
Teacher
Consultation
Student
Conference
Attendance Best
Practices
Activity Descriptions
Tier 1
! Teacher Follow-Up
o Teacher may make a phone call home if student is absent.
Opportunity to catch up about missed work or any other concerns.
! Secretary Follow-Up
o Secretary can assist to verify about absent students.
! Automated Absence Notification
o This goes out automatically each day a student is absent.
! Tardy Letters
o This reminds parents about the school start time. (Sample
attached).
o Post around the school a reminder about school start time.
! Tardy Station
o A place where students can get a tardy slip to take to class. This
helps with consistency and helps address student if they have too
many tardies.
o Students can bring in doctor or parent/guardian notes at this
station.
! ConnectEd Messages
o This is a message that goes out either weekly or every so often to
inform parents about thing happening in school.
o Opportunity to remind families about importance of being in school
each day and on time.
! Teacher/Principal Newsletter
o Reach out to parent/guardians and their families through weekly
newsletter.
! Know Your School Night
o Students and parents learn more about the school and meet
teachers.
o Opportunity to emphasize about attendance.
o Give parents tips on how to get kids ready for school each day.
(See attached)
! Parent Workshop
o Parents are invited to attend an information session early in the
school year where attendance and tardy issues are discussed
! Attendance Pledge
o Students commit to good attendance by signing an age appropriate
pledge that outlines WPS expectations (sample attached)
! Student Incentive Plans
o Students are rewarded for good attendance or improvement in
attendance. Letters go home to parents quarterly, classroom
incentives, and public recognition opportunities. (sample attached)
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! Nurse Follow Up
o School Adjustment Counselor works closely with the school nurse
to coordinate efforts and suggest solutions for health-related
absences
! Pre-Kindergarten/Kindergarten Open House
o Parents/Guardians of PK/K students are given the opportunity to
attend an open house that includes information on the importance
of attendance and explains why arriving at school on time is critical
to success
! Teacher Consultation
o Teachers are provided support to address attendance
importance/issues with parents early on (sample letter attached)
! Student Conference
o School Adjustment Counselor meets with student and provides
support/suggestions to address issues
Tier 2
! Student Incentive Plan
o PBIS; individualized for target student – earn privilege, reward (ice
cream, item form school store, etc) important that student has a
voice in incentive.
! Parent Phone Conference
o Friendly but honest conversation about how attendance impacts
student achievement and importance of routine helps to discover
problem (behaviors) impacting attendance from perspective of both
student and parent.
! Tardy/Absence letters
o Personalized letters to parent/guardian to assist them in
understanding the outcomes of absences and tardiness for
students at all levels. Good back up to phone conference.
! Automatic Letters
o Attendance letters that are generated usually by school secretaries
and are of a standard system wide format.
! Monitoring Ongoing Attendance Data
o Using both school-wide and individual student SAGE attendance
reports
o Used to target both universal and targeted attendance
interventions.
! In-School Parent Conferences
o Opportunity to have a face-to-face conversation with
parents/guardians to discuss/plan around student attendance
issues.
o Relevant school staff may attend and/or contribute through written
reports.
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! Student Support Process (SSP) Meeting
o A formal pre-referral process that exists in WPS to address
decreased student academic achievement.
o Specific and data-driven goals are developed and monitored,
including interventions that will occur at the school-level to
remediate the presenting problem.
! Principal/Administration Phone Calls
o This approach is often used when less intimidating attempts at
parent/guardian contact have persistently been unsuccessful (e.g.
phone calls by SAC/secretary/other staff)
o Can often help to increase communication between family and
school by stressing the importance of developing positive
attendance habits.
! Home Visit
o These can either be scheduled or unscheduled, and are usually
completed by the SAC.
o Can be an effective approach for engaging families with the school.
o Often helps to provide a deeper understanding of environmental
factors impacting student families.
o As always, risk/safety of the school staff conducted the home visit
should be carefully considered.
Tier 3
! 51A
o File report with DCF for educational neglect
! Fresh Start
o WPS and Worcester Community Connections Coalition work
together with school and families who are at-risk to improve
attendance.
! Elementary/Secondary School Intervention Program (ESSIP)
o WPS, DCF and Probation Officer work together with school and at
risk family's to improve attendance.
! Court
o Adult Failure to Cause school attendance (ADF) is a criminal
complaint filed against a parent/guardian
" In a 6 month period, student must have 7 absences or 14
half days out.
o The court also acknowledges that 4 tardies = 1 absence.
o Child Requiring Assistance (CRA): student must have 8 absences
in a quarter.
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Appendix A: Sample Attendance Letter
Dear
I am sending this letter to establish contact with you to discuss concerns
regarding your son/daughter, XXXXXX , and the lack of academic progress and
attendance to school. To date, XXXXXX has missed XXXXXX days of school.
Many attempts have been made via telephone calls to your home and place of
employment to discuss this matter.
According to the Worcester Public School attendance policy, students who have
accrued 14 or more unexcused absences for the academic year may lose credits
in their classes. Furthermore, a school could file a Child Requiring Assistance
application (formerly known as Child in Need of Services-CHINS) with the
Worcester Juvenile Court on behalf of any student under the age of 16 who
meets the truant criteria.
It is my hope that we will have an opportunity to meet and discuss
attendance and academic difficulties prior to pursuing a court intervention. This
will allow us to identify obstacles that are impeding XXXXXX ability to achieve at
her fullest potential and to identify strategies/resources that my help in this
matter.
I can be reached at XXXXXX. I look forward to hearing and meeting with you as
soon as possible.
Sincerely,
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Appendix B: Sample Improved Attendance Letter
Date
Dear
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and congratulate your child on
his/her improved attendance during the XXXXXX quarter of this school year. CHILD
Name has been getting to school on time, each day much more consistently for the
quarter and his/her teacher reports it is paying off in the classroom.
Punctuality and regular attendance are important to your child from the very first day of
school. Extensive research shows that the earlier a child learns that school is his/her job,
and that she/he has important work to do, the more satisfactory will be the child’s growth
and development. Good habits set in these early years contribute to greater success in
life.
Again, my sincere thanks for supporting our determination to make every day at
SCHOOL NAME, from beginning to end, a great learning experience for you child.
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Appendix C: Sample Tardy Letter
The first 20 minutes of the day are very important!
Your children learn what their schedule for the day is
and what work is expected to be completed!
Being on time for school helps your child to start
their day ON TIME!
School starts at ___________
Thank You for your Support!
The first 20 minutes of the day are very important!
Your children learn what their schedule for the day is
and what work is expected to be completed!
Being on time for school helps your child to start
their day ON TIME!
School starts at ___________
Thank You for your Support!
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Appendix D: Sample Attendance Tracking Log
ID
#
Student
Name
Student
D.O.B.
Grade
SPED
Contact
Information
Parent/Guardian &
Student Contact
Log
Case Notes
Signicant
Attend. Hx?
ESSIP//
CHINS
Appendix E: Sample Attendance Tracking Log
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Attendance!Activity!Form!
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Student’s!Name:!
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ID!#:!!
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Area!of!Concern:! !Attendance!!! !
#!of!absences!!!!!!
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Type!of!contact:!
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!Phone!call!home!!!!
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Information!gathered!from!parent/guardian!contact:!
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Plan!of!action:!
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FollowGup!meeting:!! !
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Copy!to:!!
Parent/Guardian!
Student’s!Cum!file!
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Appendix F: Sample Attendance Letter!
!
WORCESTER
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS
Dear Parents/Guardians,
I would like to take this opportunity to review with you the importance of the Attendance
and Tardy policy of the Worcester Public Schools. You may also refer to an in depth
description in the WPS Handbook that you received early in the school year.
Inherent in the policy is an understanding that parents and the school need to work
together in encouraging pupil attendance and punctuality on each day that school is in
session. Punctuality and regular attendance are important to your child from the
very first day of school. Extensive research shows that the earlier a child learns that
school is her/his job and that she/he has important work to do, the more satisfactory will
be the child’s growth and development. Habits set in these early years contribute to
success in life.
School starts promptly at XXXXXX Teachers meet the children in the school yard at_
XXXXXX , children line up with their class and enter the building. Learning begins
immediately as the children settle into their morning routines. When a child is late for
school, even by a few minutes, learning is interrupted.
I am asking for your cooperation in assuring that your child gets to school on time every
day. Morning is the best time for learning, and playing “catch-up” is not fun for any
child.
Included with this letter is your child’s current attendance/tardy report for the first
half of the school year. Please carefully review it along with the WPS attendance/tardy
policy; excessive absences and tardiness greatly impact your child’s success.
Thank you for supporting our determination to make every day, from beginning to end, a
great learning experience for your child.
Sincerely,
Days Tardy ___________
Days Absent ____________
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Appendix G: Sample Attendance Parent Handout
SCHOOL&ATTENDANCE&and&YOUR&CHILD!&
“P unctuality and regularity of attendance are important to the
child from the very first day of school. T he earlier a child learns
that school is her/his job and that she/he has something
important to do, the more satisfactory will be her/his growth and
development. “
(W.P.S. Policy Handbook)
Facts:
“Parents want their children to do well in school and to have a positive school
experience. When there is a “Home-School Partnership” children show improved
academic achievement.” (National Parent Teacher Assoc.)
All children become ill at times and need to stay home from school so that they
can get better and so they do not spread germs.
Grades K, 1 and 2 provide the building blocks to learning. Time missed because
the child is late or absent on a regular basis makes it more difficult for him/her to
succeed in school.
General Laws of Massachusetts, chapter 76
School Attendance guidelines are based on Massachusetts General Law
(The following is a summary of this law)
•
•
•
Requires children between the ages of 6-16 to attend school.
7 or more full days or 14 half days of unexcused absence in a six
month period is considered excessive.
A court complaint can be filed against a parent/guardian and the
parent/guardian may be fined. Also a Care and Protection order or
a CRAS can be filed if parents do not assure a child attends school.
When your child is absent, please:
1. Call the school to report the absence: (508) 799-3527.
2. Send a note to the teacher explaining the reason for the absence.
3. If you take your child to the doctor because of illness, get a note.
4. Check to see if there is any work your son/daughter needs to make up.
13
Appendix H: Sample Perfect Attendance Letter
WORCESTER
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
April 29, 2013
Dear Parents/Guardians,
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and congratulate your child on his/her
perfect attendance during the third quarter of this school year. It is quite an
accomplishment to live in New England and achieve perfect attendance, especially
during the late winter season.
Punctuality and regular attendance are important to your child from the very first day of
school. Extensive research shows that the earlier a child learns that school is her/his job,
and that she/he has important work to do, the more satisfactory will be the child’s growth
and development. Good habits set in these early years contribute to greater success in
life.
Again, my sincere thanks for supporting our determination to make every day at
SCHOOLNAME, from beginning to end, a great learning experience for your child.
14
Appendix I: Exit Protocol
CPR 16
Coordinated Program Review Response
System-wide, Non-Graduate Exit Protocol
Third Progress Report
9/1/10
(
(
(
(
(
(
1. School(based(office(clerical(sends(out(initial(letter(in(the(student’s(native(
language(to(those(students(16(years(old(or(older(who(have(15(consecutive(
absences.(
(
2. School(based(office(clerical(files(a(copy(of(the(letter(in(the(cumulative(folder.(
3. Guidance(counselor(receives(weekly(list(of(students(who(have(received(letters.(
(
4. Guidance(counselor(contacts(student(and(family(and(schedules(a(meeting.(
5. At(the(meeting(with(the(student(and(family(the(guidance(counselor(discusses(the(
options(which(include(returning(to(the(home(school(or(pursuing(alternative(
pathways(to(graduation(within(the(Worcester(Public(Schools.(
(
6. Guidance(counselor(completes(the(exit(protocol(form(and(files(in(the(cumulative(
file.(
7. If(there(is(no(response(and(no(meeting,(the(guidance(counselor(refers(the(
student(to(the(School(Adjustment(Counselor(to(attempt(a(home(visit(during(
which(information(on(options(will(be(shared.(
8. An(annual(letter(in(the(student’s(primary(language(will(be(mailed(the(last(week(of(
August(to(all(students(age(16(and(over(who(have(been(identified(as(school(
leavers(in(the(previous(school(year.((These(letters(will(offer(the(same(invitation(
concerning(options(for(returning(to(the(Worcester(Public(Schools.(
9. Training(will(be(provided(to(guidance(counselors,(principals,(school(adjustment(
counselors,(and(school(based(office(clerical(staff.(
The district will gather data including the number of high school students who were sent
an initial notice, the number of students who were sent an annual notice, the number of
students who required notices to be sent in the primary language of the student.
15