Reducing Chronic Absence
Why Does It Matter? What Can We Do?
January 29, 2014
www.attendanceworks.org
What is Chronic Absence?
Attendance Works recommends defining chronic absence
as missing 10% or more of school for any reason.
Excused
Absences
Unexcused
absences
Chronic
Absence
Chronic absence is
different from
truancy (unexcused
absences only) or
average daily
attendance (how
many students show
up to school each
day).
Suspensions
2
High Levels of Average Daily Attendance
(ADA) Can Mask Chronic Absence
90% and even 95% ≠ A
Chronic Absence For 6 Elementary Schools
in Oakland, CA with 95% ADA in 2012
30%
30%
25%
26%
25%
20%
15%
10%
Chronic Absence for 6 Schools in New
York City with 90% ADA in 2011-12
12%
13%
13%
15%
16%
20%
20%
20%
A
B
C
21%
23%
20%
15%
7%
10%
5%
5%
0%
0%
A
B
C
D
% Chronic Absence
E
F
D
E
F
% Chronic Absence
98% ADA = little chronic absence
95% ADA = don’t know
93% ADA = significant chronic absence
3
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 Readiness: Attendance patterns predicts college enrollment
and persistence.
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/)
4
Starting in PreK, More Years of Chronic Absence =
Need for Intensive Reading Support By 2nd Grade
Some risk
At risk
* Indicates that scores are significantly different from scores of students who are never chronically absent, at p<.05 level; **p<.01;
***p<.001
5
Attendance Is Key To Laying A Foundation
For 3rd Grade Reading
6
Multiple Years of Elementary Chronic Absence
= Worse Middle School Outcomes
Each year of chronic absence in elementary school is associated with
a substantially higher probability of chronic absence in 6th grade
18.0x
Increase in
probability of
6th grade
chronic
absence
Chronic absence in 1st
grade is also associated
with:
7.8x
5.9x
•
•
Lower 6th grade test
scores
Higher levels of
suspension
Years of Chronic Absence in Grades 1-5
Oakland Unified School District SY 2006-2012, Analysis By Attendance Works
7
The Effects of Chronic Absence on
Dropout Rates Are Cumulative
With every year of
chronic
absenteeism, a
higher percentage
of students
dropped out of
school.
http://www.utahdataalliance.org/downloads/ChronicAbsenteeismResearchBrief.pdf
8
Chronic Absence in High School
Predicts Lower College Persistence
In Rhode Island, only 11% of chronically absent high school students
persisted into a 2nd year of college vs. 51% of those with low absences.
Rhode Island Data Hub: May 2014
9
How Can We Address
Chronic Absence?
Find Out Why Students Are
Chronically Absent
Myths
Absences are only a
problem if they are
unexcused
Sporadic versus
consecutive absences
aren’t a problem
Barriers
Child struggling
academically
Chronic disease
Lack of engaging
instruction
Lack of access to
health or dental care
Poor
transportation
Attendance only
matters in the older
grades
Aversion
No safe path to school
Poor school climate
and ineffective school
discipline
Parents had negative
school experience
11
Going to School Every Day Reflects
When Families Have …
Hope
for a better future
+
Faith
that school will help you or your child succeed
+
Capacity
Resources, skills, knowledge needed to get to school
12
AW Recommended Site Level Strategies
13
Improving attendance requires adoption of a
tiered approach that begins with prevention
TIER 3
Students who missed 20% or more of the
prior school year (severe chronic absence)
• Intensive case
management with
coordination of public
agency and legal
response as needed
High
Cost
Truancy
interventions
TIER 2
Students exhibiting chronic
absence (missing 10%)
TIER 1
All students
• Provide personalized early outreach
• Meet with student/family to develop plan
• Offer attendance Mentor/Buddy
• Recognize good and improved attendance
• Educate & engage students and families
• Monitor attendance data
• Clarify attendance expectations and goals
• Establish positive and engaging school climate
Low
Cost
14
Tier 1: Communication, Education,
and Engagement
Parent Video & Discussion Guide
• SETTING THE STAGE
• VIDEO (6 minutes)
• FACILITATED CONVERSATION
– THE CONSEQUENCES OF CHRONIC
ABSENCE
– HOW TO IMPROVE ABSENTEEISM
•
•
•
•
FAMILY PRACTICE
INCREASE SOCIAL CAPITAL
IDENTIFY HOW SCHOOL CAN HELP
COMMUNITY SERVICES
Discussion: When and where might you use these materials with
a family or a group?
16
Criteria for Identifying Priority
Students for Tier 2 Supports
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:
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
17
Possible Tier 2 Interventions
Partner with
families/students
to develop
Student
Attendance
Success Plan
Assign
Attendance
Buddies
Recruit for
engaging Beforeor After-School
Activities
Positive Linkages
and Engagement
for Students and
Families
Connect to
Walk- to-School
Companion
Offer plan or
contacts for
Health Support
18
Tools for Tier 2: The Power of
Positive Connections
19
Ingredients for System-wide
Success & Sustainability
District
Community
Conveys why building a
habit of attendance is
important and what
chronic absence is
Positive
Messaging
Schools
Actionable
Data
Is accurate, accessible,
and regularly reported
Students
& Families
Ensures monitoring &
incentives to address
chronic absence
Shared
Accountability
Capacity
Building
Strategic partnerships between
district and community partners
address specific attendance
barriers and mobilize support for
all ingredients
Expands ability to
interpret data and work
together to adopt best
practices
20
Lessons learned from other
communities
21
Kent School Services Network
(KSSN)
Interdisciplinary attendance teams: Attendance teams meet
weekly to monitor attendance trends and intervene with students
who are chronically absent or headed off track. Teams typically
include a DSS worker, community school coordinator, principal,
nurse, attendance secretary and family support specialist.
• Coordination of services: KSSN schools are community
service centers offering health, mental health, dental and vision
services to low-income families. They also connect families to
churches, businesses & other organizations that offer supports.
• Student and family engagement: KSSN schools engage
families in improving attendance through one-on-one outreach,
attendance incentives and parent involvement activities.
22
KSSN Insights into Elements of
Success
• Superintendent and Principal Leadership
• District and Building Attendance Policy
• Teacher/Staff Buy-in
• Regular Attendance Meetings
• Parent Outreach
• Attendance Incentives
• Interagency Casemanagement
• Year End Assessment
23
Improvement is possible; implementation
matters
Axis Title
Absenteeism Trends Overtime in KSSN Schools
50.0%
45.0%
40.0%
35.0%
30.0%
25.0%
20.0%
15.0%
10.0%
5.0%
0.0%
Alger Middle
Burton Elementary
Coit Creative Arts
Harrison Park
Martin Luther King
Sibley
24
The Response: Interagency Task Force
Established in 2010 by Mayor Bloomberg and
comprised of the Mayor’s Office, Department of
Education, and various other city agencies
• Key Aspects:
• Using Data to Measure, Monitor, and Act
• Success Mentors
• Principal Leadership
• New Models for Connecting Community Resources to
Schools
• Promoting Awareness
• Incentives, Recognition, and Response
• Accountability Strategies to Sustain Efforts
MAYOR’S INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE 25
Success Mentor Models
• Three Models: Developed with Nationally Recognized Leaders
• External: Community-based Organizations
• E.g. City Year, Social Work Students, Retired Professionals
• Internal: School Staff
• E.g. Teachers, Guidance Counselors, Social Workers, Classroom
Teachers, Administrators
• Peer-to-Peer: Students
• E.g. High school seniors/juniors mentoring freshman
MAYOR’S INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE 26
Success Mentors’ Responsibilities
•
Target Students
• Success mentor assigned “target” students who were chronically absent the
year prior, and is matched with these students early in year, for full year.
•
School-Wide Strategies
•
•
Promote a positive school-wide culture that encourages all students to
attend and achieve.
Principal’s Weekly Student Success Meeting
•
•
Attend the weekly meeting and collaborate with school partners to support
mentees.
Parental Engagement
•
•
Work with families to share importance of attendance, and call home for
every absence.
Interact with parents to celebrate students’ success whether big or small.
MAYOR’S INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE 27
Key Finding: Task Force Schools Significantly
Reduced Chronic Absenteeism
• All three cohorts of task force schools
consistently outperformed comparison schools.
• Positive impacts were consistent across
elementary, middle, high schools, and alternative
schools.
• Impacts greatest for students who benefit most
from being in school: high poverty students &
students in temporary housing.
MAYOR’S INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE 28
Key Finding: Success Mentors & Supporting Infrastructure
Substantially Improved Student Attendance
• Students with prior histories of chronic absenteeism with a
Success Mentor gained nearly two additional weeks of
school (9 days), which is educationally significant.
• In the top 25% of schools, students with Success Mentors
gained one additional month of school.
• High School students with Success Mentors (including
those overage for their grade) were 52% more likely to
remain in school the following year.
• Mentees reported they liked having a mentor and the
mentor helped improve their attendance, schoolwork,
motivation, and confidence.
MAYOR’S INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE 29
New Britain, Connecticut
• Professional development: site administrators and teams
trained to interpret attendance data, adopt best practices and
engage in peer learning.
• Actionable data: sent report every 10 days with information on
how many and which students are chronically absent
• School attendance teams: monitored the data and ensured
appropriate supports are in place.
• Home visits: hired two outreach workers to conduct home
visits to chronically absent kindergartners.
• Parent engagement and communications: Messaged thru
newsletters, daily interactions with parents & attendance
incentives.
• Community partnerships: used community agencies to offer
supports at school sites and thru a district Attendance Review
Committee formed to avoid referrals to juvenile court.
What was the impact in New Britian?
Chronic absence dropped from 20-13% for K-8 in
year 1 ; progress sustained in year 2.
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
11-12
12-13
13-14*
25%
20%
15%
10%
*School year 13-14
represents 140 school
days
5%
0%
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
31