Attendance, Punctuality & Chronic Absence: Possible Implications for Early Childhood & Community School Linkages Coalition of Community Schools - National Forum Philadelphia, April 7, 2010 1
Annie E Casey Foundation’s Grade Level Reading Strategy Close the Gap Kids need to be Ready for school cognitively, socially, emotionally, and physically Kids need to be Present at school (They can’t learn if they aren’t there) Kids need High-Quality learning opportunities, in school and outside of school Raise the Bar Parents and systems need High Standards And Good Data for accountability, advocacy, and continuous improvement 2 2
Attendance Definitions Chronic Absence : missing 10% or more of school over the course of an entire academic year for any reason. 10% was associated with declining academic performance in our research. No standard definition currently exists. Truancy: refers only to unexcused absences Average Daily Attendance : the percent of enrolled students who attend school each day 3
Myth #1 Regular school attendance in Kindergarten does not really matter. 4
Reality: Chronic Absence in K Affects Academics Chronic K absence is associated with lower academic performance in 1 st grade for all children, especially reading for Latino children. 5 Source: National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP)
Reality: Chronic Absence in K Affects Academics Among poor children, chronic absence in kindergarten predicted lower 5 th grade achievement. 6 Source: National Center for Children In Poverty
Reality: Poor 6 th Grade Attendance Predicts Drop out 7 Source: Baltimore Education Research Consortium
Myth #2 We don’t need to worry about large numbers of students missing school until middle or high school. 8
Reality: Chronic Early Absence Can Reach High Levels Nationwide, 1 out of 10 K & 1 st graders are chronically absent. (Source: NCCP). Chronic early absence can be even higher in some localities. (Across 9 districts, ranged from 5% to 25% of K-3 graders). Chronic Early Absence Across Localiti 30.0% 26.7% 25.0% 22.7% 20.0% 17.4% 15.0% 13.79% 12.9% 12.0% 10.0% 8.6% 6.0% 5.4% 5.0% 0.0% 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 9 Locality
Chronic Absence in Baltimore MD 60.0 Rates of Chronic Absenteeism from 1999-00 to 2003-04 Both Cohorts 50.0 Sixth Grade Cohort 16.6 40.0 17.1 30.0 18.8 First Grade Cohort 18.9 17.1 20.0 39.8 30.1 13.1 20.4 10.0 11.8 11.3 10.9 17.9 10.4 16.8 5.3 4.1 4.1 4.1 3.2 0.0 99-00 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04 99-00 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04 4 th gr 5 th gr 9 th gr 10 th gr *1 st 3 rd 6 th 7 th 8 th 2 nd gr gr gr gr gr gr Severely Chronically Absent (<79% Attendance) Chronically Absent (79-88% Attendance) 10 *Grade level assumes on-time promotion. Not all were promoted each year. Source: Baltimore Education Research Consortium
Reality: Chronic Early Absence Affects All Children Education of all children can be adversely affected because teachers may divert attention to chronically absent children or re-teach lessons. In states where schools are funded based upon ADA, chronic absence reduces overall level of resources available to a school. 11
Myth #3 Most educators regularly monitor when students are chronically absent. 12
Reality: Most Do Not Monitor Chronic Absence Schools typically only track data on average daily attendance and truancy (unexcused absence). BUT both can mask high levels of chronic absence. Especially in the early grades, children are not likely to be home without the knowledge of an adult who can call in to say they will be absent. 13
Source: Baltimore Education Research Consortium : Baltimore Elementary School Data 2007-2008 14
Reality: Most Do Not Monitor Chronic Absence Even if schools ID students missing extended periods of school, data are rarely used to examine problematic patterns of chronic absence (e.g. by classroom, grade, school, neighborhood or sub-population). Educators may overlook sporadic vs consecutive absences. Absences/attendance not always built into longitudinal student data systems.(It is not required by the America Competes Act or NCLB.) 15
Myth #4 Because families are ultimately responsible for children getting to school every day, schools can’t do anything to address chronic absence. 16
Reality: Schools + Communities CAN Make A Difference Characteristics of Effective Strategies Partner with community agencies to help parents carry out their responsibility to get children to school. Make chronic absence a priority, set a target and monitor progress over time. Examine factors contributing to chronic absence, especially from parent perspective Begin early ideally in Pre-K Combine universal and targeted strategies. Offer positive supports before punitive action. 17
A Comprehensive Programmatic Response Coordinated public agency and legal crisis response Early outreach & case management to families with poor attendance Attendance Incentives Parent Education & Peer Support Roll Regularly Taken in Caring Manner Family Engagement in School High Quality Engaging Educational Program Access to Preventative Health Care Quality Early Care and Education Experiences 18
Tailored Approaches are Most Effective When chronic absence occurs in the early years, examine the extent to which schools, families and communities each might contribute to and improve poor attendance. (See Present, Engaged & Accounted For , by Chang & Romero) Key factors contributing to chronic absence can vary by community. High levels of chronic absence suggest systemic challenges affecting the school or community. 19
Specific Considerations for Younger Children Many parents may not be aware that attendance in preK & K matters. Young children’s 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. Poor health was associated with higher chronic absence for in K-3 for children from 200-300% of poverty. 20
Parents get children to school on time every day.
A preschool strength. Support and engage parents in work habit and informal education activities. Preschool experience-base an asset for elementary schools.
Collect data Take and display photos weekly Honor families at school-wide event each marking period Gold - silver - bronze
Charts for children (new) Picture-taking reinforces vocabulary, concepts, children’s pride. Picture wall source of pride for parents. Awards assembly bored everyone. School-wide family event = fun, strengthens home / school relationships
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