A.I.M. For Success A ttendance I ntervention M odule OVERVIEW OF - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

A.I.M. For Success

Attendance Intervention Module

OVERVIEW OF COURSE

 Importance of Attendance  GA Compulsory Attendance Law  Explanation of Truancy, Dependency, CHINS  Fulton County Attendance Policy  Attendance Categories and Definitions  Myths and Misperceptions  Parents Role in Preventing or Reducing Excessive Absences  Where You Can Go for Help

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WHY IS DAILY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE SO IMPORTANT?

Children who attend school EVERY DAY often…..

• GET BETTER GRADES
• BEHAVE BETTER AT SCHOOL AND HOME
• ARE SUCCESSFUL IN MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL
• ARE MORE LIKELY TO GO TO COLLEGE
• HOLD HIGHER PAYING JOBS AS ADULTS

Why Do Students Miss School?

• Oversleeping
• Hanging with friends
• Health Problems (physical and mental)
• School Environment
• Academic Failure
• Substance Use/Abuse
• Family Issues
• Appointments

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Students with poor attendance often:

• Do not perform up to their ability
• Have difficulty getting along with others
• Are more likely to drop out of high school
• Are more likely to use drugs & alcohol as teens!!

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DO YOU KNOW THE LAW?

All students between the ages of 6 -16 are required by GA law to be enrolled in and regularly attend school. This law requires parents or guardians to see that their children attend school, and it provides penalties for failure to do so.... http://public.doe.k12.ga.us/...57D8D23CD6B9341CB 10138&Type=D

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DID YOU KNOW?

• Fine $25-$100; 30 days of prison, community

service, combination

• Non-Emancipated minors (16-17 years) must get

parent permission to withdraw

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What is CHINS?

• Juvenile Justice Reform Legislation: House Bill 242, Article 5-

Children In Need of Services

• Children In Need of Services include children who skip school,

run away from home, violate curfew and are habitually

• disobedient. These behaviors occur in the home or school.
• The local school must exhaust all district and community

resources as applicable to resolve the student’s attendance concerns prior to petitioning the court to intervene in addressing attendance.

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What is Truancy?

• Truancy is when a student does not have a legal

reason for arriving late, skipping a class, missing a whole day or many days of school.

• Truancy also includes a child who willfully and

repeatedly is absent from school or other learning programs intended to meet the child's educational needs.

• Truancy cases are heard in Fulton County Juvenile

Court.

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What Is Educational Neglect/Dependency?

• Educational Neglect/Dependency focuses on parents
• r guardians who fail to enroll and/or send their child
• r children to school or an alternative education
• program. Parents or legal guardians are responsible

for ensuring that their child or children attend school. Parents and guardians who fail to do so face criminal prosecution.

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Education Recovery Program

• When children ages of 5-11 have attendance issues,

the ERP process will focus on the parent.

• If a parent is non-compliant with the ERP process

the Juvenile Court may recommend that a social worker file a warrant for the parent to appear in Magistrate Court.

• The court may conduct a background check for other

violations and a parent may be subject to arrest.

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Excused Absences

According to FCBOE District Policy Section J – Students, a student's absence from school or class will be considered excused when it is due to any of the following circumstances:

• 1. Student illness.
• 2. Attendance would be unhealthy for the student or others.
• 3. A serious illness or death in the student's immediate family.
• 4. Due to a court order or an order issued by a governmental agency.
• 5. Observance of religious holidays.
• 6. Conditions rendering attendance impossible or hazardous to the student's

health or safety.

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Excused Absences

• 7. Absences not exceeding a total of six (6) days per school year for the

following reasons, but only if the absence has been pre-approved by the principal or designee:

• a. scholarship interviews/college visitations,
• b. travel opportunity with educational benefits,
• c. graduation or wedding of an immediate family member,
• d. specialized, supplemental or extracurricular experience
• e. other circumstances that are mutually agreeable to the parent and

principal,

• f. up to 5 of these days can be used to visit with a parent or guardian who is
• n leave from, or is being deployed to, military service overseas.

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Excused Absences

• 8. Up to ten (10) instructional days for field trips.
• 9. Absences as a result of an out-of-school suspension.
• 10. An absence not to exceed one-half day for registering to vote. Students

may register to vote at their high school.

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Unexcused Absences

A student's absence from school or class for any reason other than those previous listed above will be considered an unexcused absence.

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What are unlawful excuses for missing school? Are these legitimate reasons for being absent?

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Unexcused

• Parent did not know school schedule
• Parent or sibling was seriously ill

Excused

• Child stayed at home to baby-sit
• Car trouble
• Child overslept or was sleepy
• Child did not want to go to school
• Child missed the bus

Unexcused Unexcused Unexcused Unexcused Unexcused Comments? Questions? Concerns?

Extended Absences

Parents must inform the administration of their child’s school when their child will be absent for extended periods of time.

Fulton County Schools’ principals or designees are authorized to withdraw without parent permission a student who is not receiving hospital homebound instruction and who has accumulated ten (10) or more consecutive days of unexcused absences; (The Principal or designee will use his/her best efforts to notify the parent/guardian or other person who has charge of a student if the School System plans to withdraw the student. The School Social Worker may still pursue truancy interventions with the family.)

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Excessive Absences

Students who have missed ten (10) days of school or more in a school year will be required to provide additional verification including doctors' statements.

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Written Excuse for an Absence

Any student who has been absent from school shall present a satisfactory written excuse to the principal or designee(s) within five(5) days of returning to school. The excuse must state the reason for the absence and be signed by the student's parent or

• guardian. Excuses will be kept on file at the school at least until

the beginning of the next school year.

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Tardiness

A student is tardy when he/she arrives to school after the beginning of the official school day or is not in the assigned class at the official beginning of the class period.

• 1. Excused Tardy: Late arrival to school or class as a result of events described in this

document which are a basis for an excused absence or for events which are physically

• ut of one’s control such as inclement weather, documented transportation delays, or

power outages.

• 2. Unexcused Tardy: Arriving late to school or class with or without the knowledge of

parent/guardian, as a result of oversleeping, parent errands, or other reasons not defined as excused.

• 3. Fifteen (15) unexcused tardies result in a referral to the school social worker.

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Did you also know missing school…

• weakens your child’s confidence in his or her ability

to do schoolwork

• Reduces the chances that he or she will reach his or

her goals, and successfully move to the next grade,

• r graduate
• Lags in Performance (tests/assignments)
• Misses Class Instructions
• Shapes Negative Attitudes About School
• Impacts Academic Success

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Do student absences affect student achievement?

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Students Who Miss School

• Are more likely to use drugs and to be involved in

unlawful activity.

• Are often involved in daytime crimes such as auto

theft, burglary, vandalism, shoplifting, graffiti, and serious assault.

• Often become victims of crimes themselves.

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Myths About Student Attendance

1. Missing a few days of school each year is normal and doesn’t matter that much. 2. We don’t need to worry about attendance until middle or high school. 3. Most schools already monitor student absences. 4. Because families are ultimately responsible for children getting to school, there’s not much schools can do to improve attendance.

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Myths About Student Attendance

2. We don’t need to worry about attendance until middle or high school.

• While absenteeism is more widespread in middle and high school, it

still affects vast numbers of younger students.

• Data shows that standardized test scores are significantly affected by

elementary students’ attendance patterns, to the point that the number of absences is related to the student’s chances of “passing” the CRCT (Meets or Exceeds).

• Elementary students’ school attendance habits often carry over into

middle and high school.

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Myths About Student Attendance

2. We don’t need to worry about attendance until middle or high school.

• While absenteeism is more widespread in middle and high school, it

still affects vast numbers of younger students.

• Data shows that standardized test scores are significantly affected by

elementary students’ attendance patterns, to the point that the number of absences is related to the student’s chances of “passing” the CRCT (Meets or Exceeds).

• Elementary students’ school attendance habits often carry over into

middle and high school.

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Myths About Student Attendance

• 3. Most schools already closely monitor student

absences.

• Even when teachers take roll daily, the data they collect is not typically

analyzed to reveal absence patterns.

• Most schools measure school-wide attendance or they track truancy,

which does not capture excused absences.

• When schools and school districts analyze all absences (unexcused,

excused, and suspensions) they are often surprised at how many students are missing 10 days or more each school year.  Georgia is ranked 10th in the nation for out-of-school suspensions

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Myths About Student Attendance

• 4. Because families are ultimately responsible for

children getting to school, there’s not much schools can do to improve attendance.

• Schools and school districts that have made a concentrated, systemic

review of student absences have developed effective strategies.

• A review of student absences has been used to identify which

students are absent (excused and unexcused), to look for patterns and locations and possible related causes (such as school climate factors, environmental factors, health factors, transportation, etc.)

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Schools and school districts that conducted close reviews of student absences found that health issues accounted for many absences.

• 27% of Georgia’s children between the ages of 10 and 13

are obese.

• 10% of Georgia’s children suffer from asthma (75,000

students missed over 470,000 school days).

• Dental health issues are the leading cause of health-related

school absences.

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What Can You Do?

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Comments? Questions? Concerns?

SET BOUNDARIES

• Talk to your children about the role education plays in

future/life success.

• Let them know that you do not approve of them missing

school.

• Refuse to write an excuse for unacceptable reasons
• Work with School Personnel (Teacher /SSW) to develop an

Attendance Plan.

Parent’s Role in Preventing and Reducing Absences and Truancy

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ASK QUESTIONS

• Take an active interest in your child’s schoolwork.
• Ask them to demonstrate what they learned in school.
• Know the children your child associates with.

BE PRO-ACTIVE

• Regularly contact the school office to make sure your child is attending school.
• Check in with his/her teachers and visit the school when appropriate.
• Look for early signs and changes, both positive and negative.

COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR CHILD

• Ask your child how you can help.
• Talk about ways to handle difficulties, conflicts or stress before they occur.

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BE SUPPORTIVE

• Encourage your child to take an active role in the school by joining clubs or

participating in sports.

• Teach them when and how to ask for help.

HAVE CONSISTENT EXPECTATIONS

• Relaxing the rules for even one assignment or day can give a mixed message.
• Help your child understand the significance of being consistent.

TALK ABOUT CONSEQUENCES

• Let your child know that there will be consequences for missing school (such as

losing privileges).

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PROVIDE INCENTIVES

• Reward good attendance. However, keeping your child out of school for his/her

birthday should be avoided.

CELEBRATE YOUR CHILD

• Always be on the lookout for reasons to praise and honor your child. Children need

constant assurance that you love and support them.

• Celebrate even small changes!

WHEN PLANNING VACATIONS

• Always talk with the school before you plan your holiday or vacation, if it is during

the school year.

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SEEK ADVICE/SUPPORT

• Speak to other parents or guardians who have experienced similar problems.
• Speak with school supports such as teacher, counselor, social worker, and

administrators.

STAY INFORMED

• Know the school’s attendance policy, the time the school starts, the difference

between an excused and unexcused absence, and share the information with your child.

EDUCATE YOURSELF

• Understand what your child is expected to learn.
• Frequently check and review Home Access with your child.

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Home Access Center

Your connection to your student’s information through Fulton County Schools www.fultonschools.org

• Click Parents
• Click Home Access Center
• Enter Login ID and Password (obtained from your

child’s school)

• Alerts can be set up for you to monitor your child’s

grades, attendance and discipline

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Attendance Tips

• Make sure your child understands how important it

is to attend school regularly

• Take an active interest in your child’s schoolwork.

Ask them about their day and praise their achievements at school

• Listen for underlying problems when your child

makes excuses to avoid going to school

• Seek permission for your child to miss school for a

special occasion

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Let’s Review

• All absences require a written excuse provided to

school within 5 days of returning to school.

• School attendance is GA State Law.
• School absences do negatively impact your child’s

academics and their future.

• Communication between home and school is a key to

success – School Social Workers are here to help!

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Who Can Parents Call for Help?

• Teacher
• Counselor
• School Social Worker
• Administration
• Community Supports (family/friends, mentor,

doctor, therapist, clergy, court)

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Questions and Answers?

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What is the first thing I can do?

Communicate

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ATTENDANCE CONTRACT

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Credits

• Quentin Fretwell, Ed.S., DeKalb County School District,

“STUDENT ATTENDANCE: PRACTICE MADE PRACTICAL”.

• Garry W. McGiboney, Ph.D., Georgia Department of

Education, “Changing the Conversation”.

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Department of School Social Work Services

Executive Director: Candace Ford Coordinator of Social Work Services: Jackie Cathey Professional Assistant: Chimere Bryant Administrative Center 6201 Powers Ferry Road NW Atlanta, GA 30339 Office:470-254-0445/Fax:470-254-1244

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