Attendance Matters: Addressing Chronic Absenteeism in Guilford - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Attendance Matters: Addressing Chronic Absenteeism in Guilford - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Attendance Matters: Addressing Chronic Absenteeism in Guilford County Schools Student Support Services November 29, 2018 S H A R O N L . C O N T R E R A S , P H . D . | S U P E R I N T E N D E N T 2 Mission Guilford county students

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S H A R O N L . C O N T R E R A S , P H . D . | S U P E R I N T E N D E N T

Attendance Matters: Addressing Chronic Absenteeism in Guilford County Schools

Student Support Services November 29, 2018

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Mission

Guilford county students will graduate as responsible citizens prepared to succeed in higher education,

  • r in the career of their choice.*

*This mission was adopted by the Guilford County Board of Education on December 12, 2000.

Vision

Transforming learning and life outcomes for all children

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What is Chronic Absenteeism?

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Chronic Absence Definition

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The North Carolina State Board of Education recently defined chronic absence as: “Student Chronic Absentee” is a student who is enrolled in a NC public school for at least 10 school days at a time during the school year, and whose total number of absences is equal to or greater than 10 percent of the total number of days that such student has been enrolled at such school during such school year.

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What ARE chronic absences?

Chronic Absences is missing 10% or more of the school year for any reason when student has been enrolled for at least 10 days – this includes excused, unexcused & suspensions. Excused Absences

Chronic Absences

Unexcused Absences

Suspensions

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WHY WE MAY NOT NOTICE CHRONIC ABSENCES

Absences Add Up

Chronic Absences = 18 days absent = 2 days a month WHY WE MAY NOT NOTICE CHRONIC ABSENCES

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GCS Targets Chronic Absences

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GCS Board Goals

Goals I, II, and V list student attendance as a Key Performance Indicator Goal I: By 2022, the percentage of students who will read proficiently by the end of third grade will increase to 63%. Goal II: 75% of incoming 6th grade students will pass NC Math I (Algebra I) with a C or better by the end of their 9th grade year in 2022. Goal V: By 2022, decrease the achievement gap between black and Latino students and their white peers by 7 percentage points.

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Chronic Absences Analyses

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Chronic Absence Update

  • Overall, 16% of students were

chronically absent in 2016-17

  • Chronic absenteeism decreased by

1 percentage point in 2017-18

  • Change from 2016-17 to 2017-18:
  • Black students overall did not

change

  • Hispanic students had a 1

percentage-point decrease

  • White students had a 2

percentage- point decrease

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Chronic Absence Update

  • No differences for gender overall
  • Only Black males had an increase
  • English Language Learners (EL)

have lower rates than non-English Language Learners

  • Students with Disabilities (SWD)

exhibit greater chronic absences than students without disabilities

  • SWD students had a 1

percentage-point increase

  • Non-SWD students had a 1

percentage-point decrease

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Chronic Absence Update

  • High school students have higher

percentages of chronic absenteeism, followed by middle school students and then elementary students

  • At elementary schools, highest

rates are Black students, followed by Hispanic students and then White students; all groups decreased

  • At middle schools, Black students

increased while Hispanic and White students decreased with Whites having lowest rates

  • At high schools, Hispanic students

have highest rates, followed by Black and White students; only Black students increased.

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Chronic Absences by Race/Ethnicity

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All Students Black Hispanic White All Others 2016-17 15.7 17.4 17.4 13.7 13.7 2017-18 14.8 17.3 16.4 11.8 12.7 5 10 15 20 25 30 % Chronic Absences

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Chronic Absences by Gender

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All Students Male Female 2016-17 15.7 15.8 15.6 2017-18 14.8 14.9 14.7 5 10 15 20 25 30 % Chronic Absences

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Chronic Absences By English Language Learners and Students with Disabilities

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EL Not EL SWD Not SWD 2016-17 14.3 15.9 21.3 14.9 2017-18 14.3 14.8 22.4 13.7 5 10 15 20 25 30 % Chronic Absences

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Chronic Absences by School Level

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Elementary Middle High 2016-17 12.3 15.4 20.8 2017-18 11.3 14.9 19.7 5 10 15 20 25 30 % Chronic Absences

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Stakeholders Influence School Attendance

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Teachers/Principals

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  • Create a welcoming environment that engages students and families.
  • Engage families at parent-teacher or student-led conferences.
  • Use data to ensure early intervention and secure needed supports.
  • Advocate for a school-wide approach.
  • Implement school-wide incentive programs
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Student Support Services

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  • School attendance teams monitor student attendance data weekly
  • Send letters home at 3, 6, and 10 days of accrued absences
  • Arrange robo calls (Connect Ed messages) when students are absent
  • Call parents to check on student’s when their out of school Schedule parent

and student conferences

  • Make homevisits
  • Check and Connect with students daily/weekly
  • Provide individualized incentives as a way to encourage school attendance
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Why Attendance Matters to Faith Leaders

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Faith Leaders Schools Common Goal Preparing children for the future.

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How can you make a difference:

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  • Build public awareness
  • Help students and families in your congregation make attendance a priority
  • Provide an extra shift of adult
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Next Steps

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GCS Partners with Attendance Works

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Attendance Works advances student success and closes equity gaps by reducing chronic absence. Operating at the local, state, and national level, Attendance Works:  Advances better policy  Nurtures proven and promising practice  Promotes meaningful and effective communication  Catalyzes needed research Since their launch in 2010, they have become the nation’s “go-to” resource for improving student attendance. To learn more, visit the website: www.attendanceworks.org

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Current Tasks

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Raising Awareness

  • Cross-Functional Project Team
  • District and community stakeholders

Root Cause Data Collection

  • Preparing for Student Attendance Focus Groups at 15 selected schools
  • Attendance Works facilitates 14 stakeholder interviews
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District Next Steps

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  • Share results from Root Cause analysis to Board of Education
  • Design district-wide and school-based strategies to address student

absence issues

  • Establish a peer learning community among ten schools
  • Use cross-functional project team to help expand our initiative to reduce

absenteeism

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Call to Action!

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Call to Action!

  • Please join us in our efforts to reduce chronic absences in Guilford

County!

  • Increasing school attendance takes commitment from all of us –

stakeholders inside and outside of the classroom!

  • Think about opportunities and resources at your disposal that could

promote school attendance in your communities.

  • It starts with increased conversations about this issue, connecting this

issue to its impact on life outcomes for children, and brainstorming how you see your work impacting the community at large.

  • We are in this together! Please feel free to share your ideas with us!

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