Professional Documents
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A Tool for Guiding and Measuring Success as a Full Service Community School District
August 15, 2011 Hedy Chang Director, Attendance Works
Average Daily Attendance: The percentage of enrolled students who attend school each day. Satisfactory Attendance: Missing 5% or less of school in an academic year. Chronic Absence: Missing 10% or more of school in an academic year for any reason excused or unexcused. Severe Chronic Absence: Missing 20% or more days of school per year approximately two months of school. Truancy: Typically refers only to unexcused absences and is defined by each state. In CA, it is missing 3 days of school without a valid excuse, or being late to class 3 times without a valid excuse.
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Developed by Annie E. Casey Foundation & Americas Promise Alliance For more info go to www.americaspromise.org/parentengagement
Students Chronically Absent in Kindergarten & 1st Grade Much Less Likely to Read Proficiently in 3rd Grade
Percent Students Scoring Proficient or Advanced on 3rd Grade ELA Based on Attendance in Kindergarten and 1st Grade
100%
80%
64%
60%
43% 41%
40%
20%
17%
0%
No attendance risks
Missed less than 5% of school in K & 1st t Missed 5-9% of days in both K & 1st 5-9% of days absent in 1 year &10 % in 1 year Missed 10% or more in K & 1st
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School Readiness & Early Attendance Are Critical to Early School Success
3rd Grade ELA Test Scores By Attendance and School Readiness Level
400
388
369
361
330
320
299
311 307
No attendance risk
Missed less than 5% of school in K & 1 st t Missed 5-9% of days in both K & 1st 5-9% of days absent in 1 year &10 % in 1 year Missed 10% or more in K & 1st
The Long-term Impact of Chronic Kindergarten Absence Is Most Troubling for Poor Children
5th Grade Math and Reading Performance By K Attendance
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50 48 46 44
Reading Math
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40 0-3.3% in K 3.3 - 6.6% in K 6.6-10.0% in K >=10.0% in K
Kindergarten and 1st grade can reduce the achievement gap for low-income vs. middle class students, but only if they attend school regularly. (Ready 2010) The negative impact of absences on literacy is 75% larger for low-income children, whose families often lack resources to make up lost time on task. (Ready 2010) Only 17% of low-income children in the United States read proficiently by 4th grade. (NAEP 2009)
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Poor children are 4x more likely to be chronically absent in K than their highest income peers.
Children in poverty are more likely to lack basic health and safety supports that ensure a child is more likely to get to school. They often face:
Unstable Housing Limited Access to Health Care Poor Transportation Inadequate Food and Clothing Lack of Safe Paths to School Due to Neighborhood Violence Chaotic Schools with Poor Quality Programs, etc.
* (Romero & Lee 2007)
Chronically Absent
9th Grade Attendance Predicts Graduation for Students of All Economic Backgrounds
Note: This Chicago study found attendance was a stronger graduation predictor than 8th grade test scores.
Source: Allensworth & Easton, What Matters for Staying On-Track and Graduating in Chicago Public Schools, Consortium on Chicago School Research at U of C, July 2007
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Chronically Absent OUSD Students Have Lower CST ELA Scores (2010-11)
How do CST ELA Scores Relate to Chronic Absence (2010-11)? 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40%42% 40% 33% 30% 21%20% 20% 10% 0% % Prof/Adv % FBB/BB Grades 2-5 % Prof/Adv % FBB/BB Grades 6-8 % Prof/Adv % FBB/BB Grades 9-11
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54% 52% 46% 35% 28% 26% 26% 16% 34% 32%
58%
All OUSD Students 40% 37% NOT Chronically Absent Chronically Absent
Chronically Absent OUSD Students Have Lower CST Math Scores (2010-11)
Grades 2-5
Grades 6-8
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20%
% Of Active Students
15%
10%
5%
0% K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Grade Level
Note: Since state funding is based upon attendance, this is not just a matter of achievement but of resources.
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Asian
10%
5%
Latino
White
0% K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Grade Level 9 10 11 12
15
31%
50%
19%
16
17
18
19
16.0% 14.0%
12.0% 10.0% 8.0% 6.0% 4.0% 9.3% 14.2% 12.4% 12.5%
5.8%
2.0% 0.0%
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If chronic absence is unusually high for a particular group of students, explore what might be common issues (unreliable transportation, community violence, asthma and other chronic diseases, poor access to health care, unnecessary suspension for non-violent offenses, lack of engaging curriculum, child care or afterschool programming, foreclosures, etc.)
If chronic absence is unusually low for a high risk population, find out what they are doing that works. 24
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Increased Attendance Involves a 3-Tiered Approach that Fits with Most Reform Efforts
High Cost Students who are chronically absent & habitually truant 5-15% of a schools students
Recovery
Programs
Students at-risk for poor attendance and/or with rising absence rates
Intervention Programs
Low Cost
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Safe and supportive school environment Inviting and engaging classroom environment Intentional family involvement and participation On-going attention to attendance data Rapid parent contact for unexplained absences Recognition for good and improved attendance Collaboration with afterschool programs and early childhood programs to build a culture of attendance Increased access to school based health supports A school plan and budget that reflects high attendance priorities
Refer chronically absent/ truant students for intervention including SART &SARB Identify and remove barriers Provide on-going support
Recovery Strategies
Interagency Staffing Case management and wrap-around services Referral as last resort for court -based intervention
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Baltimore Student Attendance Work Group adapted from Scott Perry, Attendance Audit, Oregon
Many parents may not be aware that attendance in pre-K & K matters. Young childrens attendance is affected by what happens to parents. Multiple maternal and family risk factors increase chronic absence.
Participation in formal child care is associated with lower chronic absence in kindergarten. Developing good on-time attendance habits begin in pre-K. Poor health was associated with higher chronic absence for in K-3 for children from 200-300% of poverty.
While attendance is more affected by family conditions, childrens attitudes are a factor too.
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Attendance is more heavily influenced by the youth although family still matters. Older youth may miss school due to family responsibilities ( e.g. caring for siblings or ill parent, holding a job). Mental health, teen pregnancy, chronic conditions, and dental disease are top health concerns that affect attendance Safety issues (In-school and community) play even greater role. Students miss school due to suspensions for non-violent behaviors. Students become discouraged as they fall behind in credits and graduation feels increasingly unattainable. Direct and meaningful engagement of youth in the classroom and activities on campus even more essential.
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Schools need insights, assets, commitment of students, parents and community agencies to understand and address barriers to student attendance and create caring, engaging environments where students want to be in class, every day.
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Consider using it as: A unifying, common goal Effective tool for resource allocation Easy to understand measure of progress and success
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