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Chronic Absence in Oakland Schools:

A Tool for Guiding and Measuring Success as a Full Service Community School District
August 15, 2011 Hedy Chang Director, Attendance Works

Defining Key Terms


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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Why Does it Matter? It is An Antidote to Drop Out

Attendance Every Day

Achievement Every Year

Attainment Over Time

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

Small attendance risks

Moderate attendance risks

High attendance risks

No risk Small risk Moderate risk High risk

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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Source: Applied Survey Research & Attendance Works (April 2011)

School Readiness & Early Attendance Are Critical to Early School Success
3rd Grade ELA Test Scores By Attendance and School Readiness Level
400
388

380 360 340 Proficient


325

369

361

330

High on Kinder Academics skills

320
299

311 307

300 280 260

Low on Kinder Academics skills

No attendance risk

Small attendance risk Moderate attendance risk

High attendance risk (chronically absent)

No risk Small risk Moderate risk High 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

Source: Applied Survey Research & Attendance Works (April 2011)

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

Average Academic Performance

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

Absence Rate in Kindergarten


Source: ECLS-K data analyzed by National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) Note: Average academic performance reflects results of direct cognitive assessments conducted for ECLS-K.

Chronic Absence is Especially Challenging for Low-Income Children

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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Chronic Absence is Especially Challenging for Low-Income Children

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 6th Graders Have Lower Graduation Rates


Dropout Rates by Sixth Grade Attendance
(Baltimore City Public Schools, 1990-2000 Sixth Grade Cohort)

Severely Chronically Absent

Chronically Absent

Not Chronically Absent


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Source: Baltimore Education Research Consortium SY 2009-2010

9th Grade Attendance Predicts Graduation for Students of All Economic Backgrounds

Need to recolor chart

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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What Do We Know About the Impact of Chronic Absence on Oakland Students?

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)

How do CST Math Scores Relate to Chronic Absence (2010-11)?


90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 42% 40% 32% 30% 20% 10% 0% % Prof/Adv % FBB/BB % Prof/Adv % FBB/BB 15% 14% 18% 38% 36% 38% 36% All OUSD Students NOT Chronically Absent Chronically Absent 68% 66% 61%

Grades 2-5

Grades 6-8

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Chronic Absence Affects 1 of 9 OUSD Students


% Chronically Absent Students
2010-11 School Year
25%

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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African American and Latino Students Most Affected


% Chronically Absent Students By Ethnicity 2010-11 School Year
30% 25% % Of Active Students 20% 15%
African American

Asian

10%
5%

Latino

White

0% K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Grade Level 9 10 11 12
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Half of Oaklands Chronically Absent Students Are in Elementary School


Chronic Absence By Level (Total # Chronic Absence in 2011: 4,639 Students)
Elementary Middle School High School

31%
50%

19%

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Elementary Absenteeism Concentrated in West Oakland

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Middle School Absenteeism

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Patterns Change Substantially By High School

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What Interrupts Chronic Absence?


Insights from Best Practice Nationally and in OUSD

Step 1: Find Out If Chronic Absence Is A Problem


Most Schools Only Track Average Daily Attendance and Truancy. Both Can Mask Chronic Absence.
Variation in Chronic Absence for Schools with 95% ADA in Oakland, CA
20.0% 18.0% 17.3%

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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You Can Look at Your Own Data!!

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Data By Teacher Now Available for Elementary Schools

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Data is Needed for Identifying Programmatic Solutions


Chronic absence data (as well as other attendance measures) should be examined by classroom, grade, school, neighborhood or sub-population.

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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Variation Helps Identify Good Practice and Need for Intervention


Chronic Absence Levels Among Oakland Public Schools in 2009-10

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Effective Strategies In OUSD


1. Take Accurate Attendance 2. Effective Use & Review of Attendance Data 3. Develop a Culture of Attendance 4. Educate & Engage Parents and Students
5. Partner with Community Agencies to Address Attendance Barriers
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6. Establish Clear and Effective Referral System

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Effective Strategies In OUSD


7. Motivate Attendance Through Engaging Learning Activities offered In and After School 8. Use Caring Relationships to Encourage Attendance and Engage in Outreach
9. Provide Alternatives to Suspension

10. Involve the Entire School Community in Addressing Attendance


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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

15-20% of a schools students

All students in the school

Universal/Preventative Initiatives and Programs

65-100% of a schools students

Low Cost

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Improving Attendance Takes an CrossDisciplinary Approach


Universal Attendance Supports

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

Individual Assessments and Intervention


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

Considerations for Young Children


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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Considerations for Older Youth


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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Community Schools Approach Is Key To Reducing Chronic Absence

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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Chronic Absence Is Critical Tool for Community Schools

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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Hedy Chang, Director www.Attendanceworks.org

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