Attendance:Attendance:Education’s BeachheadEducation’s Beachhead

12th Annual12th AnnualAttendance SymposiumAttendance Symposium

Orlando, FloridaOrlando, Florida

Dr. George M. BatscheDr. George M. Batsche

Co-DirectorCo-Director

Student Support Services ProjectStudent Support Services Project

University of South FloridaUniversity of South Florida

Attendance: What It Is?Attendance: What It Is?

EngagementEngagement Trust-that something good, relevant will happenTrust-that something good, relevant will happen Hope-for a futureHope-for a future Curiosity-to learn and be challengedCuriosity-to learn and be challenged Being in a safe and positive placeBeing in a safe and positive place Its all about “me”, its for “me”, “I” am importantIts all about “me”, its for “me”, “I” am important Academic Engaged TimeAcademic Engaged Time

330 Minutes Per Day330 Minutes Per Day1650 Minutes Per Week1650 Minutes Per Week58,080 Minutes Per Year58,080 Minutes Per Year696,960 Minutes of Education in a Life Time696,960 Minutes of Education in a Life Time

Attendance: What it is notAttendance: What it is not

Simply a presenceSimply a presence A requirementA requirement A place that results inA place that results in

Feeling about about myselfFeeling about about myself Feeling incompetentFeeling incompetent Feeling isolated from a valued peer groupFeeling isolated from a valued peer group RidiculeRidicule BullyingBullying FailureFailure

Attendance and theAttendance and theProblem-Solving MethodProblem-Solving Method

Helps to identify the “real” issuesHelps to identify the “real” issues Verifies “why” the student is not attending Verifies “why” the student is not attending

schoolschool Links data to evidence-based interventionsLinks data to evidence-based interventions Provides a method to validate Provides a method to validate

interventionsinterventions Gives us a consistent “direction” to followGives us a consistent “direction” to follow

““Stop asking Stop asking me if we’re me if we’re almost almost there; we’re there; we’re Nomads, for Nomads, for crying out crying out loud.”loud.”

People see change as an event: “But we just changed last year.”

Problem Solving ProcessProblem Solving Process

EvaluateWas It Effective?

EvaluateWas It Effective?

Problem AnalysisValidating ProblemIdent Variables that

Contribute to ProblemDevelop Plan

Problem AnalysisValidating ProblemIdent Variables that

Contribute to ProblemDevelop Plan

Define the ProblemDefining Problem/Directly Measuring Behavior

Define the ProblemDefining Problem/Directly Measuring Behavior

Implement PlanImplement As Intended

Progress MonitorModify as Necessary

Implement PlanImplement As Intended

Progress MonitorModify as Necessary

Defining the Problem:Defining the Problem:Is “Attendance” the Problem?Is “Attendance” the Problem? Should we set “attendance” rates as the goal?Should we set “attendance” rates as the goal? Should we identify academic productivity?Should we identify academic productivity? Should we identify appropriate peer Should we identify appropriate peer

engagement?engagement? Should we identify parent support?Should we identify parent support? Should we identify engagement with mentor?Should we identify engagement with mentor? Is attendance the “problem” or the desired Is attendance the “problem” or the desired

“outcome”“outcome”

Problem Analysis:Problem Analysis:Why is the student not….Why is the student not….

Student FactorsStudent Factors Lacks effective study, academic, social skillsLacks effective study, academic, social skills Lacks cognitive skills, e.g., attention, concentrationLacks cognitive skills, e.g., attention, concentration Lacks motivation, self-control, goal-settingLacks motivation, self-control, goal-setting Lack affective regulation/controlLack affective regulation/control

Family FactorsFamily Factors Understanding/support for value of educationUnderstanding/support for value of education MentoringMentoring Modeling/ExpectationsModeling/Expectations Emotional conflict/adversityEmotional conflict/adversity

Problem Analysis:Problem Analysis:Why is the student not….Why is the student not….

Peer FactorsPeer Factors Not engaged with positive school peersNot engaged with positive school peers Rejected by positive school peersRejected by positive school peers Engaged by peers who reject schoolEngaged by peers who reject school

School FactorsSchool Factors Punitive consequencesPunitive consequences Lack of mentorsLack of mentors ““One size fits all policies”One size fits all policies” Narrow range of academic/behavioral supportsNarrow range of academic/behavioral supports

Community FactorsCommunity Factors Lack of linkages, partnerships, resourcesLack of linkages, partnerships, resources School/community conflictsSchool/community conflicts

Interventions:Interventions:What We KnowWhat We Know

Effective attendance programs share THREE Effective attendance programs share THREE themesthemes Collaborative, multi-agency approachCollaborative, multi-agency approach Early identification by schools with comprehensive Early identification by schools with comprehensive

interventions/parent involvementinterventions/parent involvement Assume that the attendance problem is due to Assume that the attendance problem is due to

multiple factors (child, school, home) and multiple factors (child, school, home) and interventions address THOSE factorsinterventions address THOSE factors

Evaluation:Evaluation:The Grist for the MillThe Grist for the Mill

NCLB mentions evidence-based interventions NCLB mentions evidence-based interventions 181 times in the law181 times in the law

IDEIA refers consistently to “scientifically-based” IDEIA refers consistently to “scientifically-based” interventionsinterventions

Most funding focused on improving student Most funding focused on improving student performanceperformance

Programs with supportive data most likely to get Programs with supportive data most likely to get fundingfunding

Relationship between attendance and academic Relationship between attendance and academic performance is VERY STRONGperformance is VERY STRONG

What should be the “focus” of What should be the “focus” of attendance programs attendance programs

Increased student academic performanceIncreased student academic performance Increased graduation rateIncreased graduation rate Increased student engagement in school-based, Increased student engagement in school-based,

community-based activitiescommunity-based activities Increase in the number of “truant” students Increase in the number of “truant” students

becoming mentors for current students with becoming mentors for current students with attendance problemsattendance problems

Reduction in ODRs, suspension, expulsionReduction in ODRs, suspension, expulsion Simply producing more “days” in school without Simply producing more “days” in school without

increases in the factors above CANNOT be touted increases in the factors above CANNOT be touted as successfulas successful

Quality Indicators:Quality Indicators:How We Know if Attendance MattersHow We Know if Attendance Matters ““Attendance” problems given the same priority as Attendance” problems given the same priority as

academic problems for students who are attendingacademic problems for students who are attending Funding for attendance programsFunding for attendance programs Attendance problems solved through the same problem-Attendance problems solved through the same problem-

solving process that other school/home problems usesolving process that other school/home problems use Attendance problems given the same access to Attendance problems given the same access to

resources as academic problemsresources as academic problems ““At-Risk for Attendance Problems” given high priority for At-Risk for Attendance Problems” given high priority for

early intervention supportearly intervention support Academic problems, low parent involvement, social Academic problems, low parent involvement, social

difficulties/isolationdifficulties/isolation

Next StepsNext Steps

You, the people in this room, may be the most You, the people in this room, may be the most important contributors to successful education important contributors to successful education for at-risk studentsfor at-risk students

We must advocate to establish this beachhead We must advocate to establish this beachhead early, with support/resources, intensity, and early, with support/resources, intensity, and advocacyadvocacy

Who else in schools advocates for attendance?Who else in schools advocates for attendance? Who else will bring the attendance/achievement Who else will bring the attendance/achievement

relationship to the table?relationship to the table? Who else will explain that attendance is the Who else will explain that attendance is the

result of many factors, not the cause?result of many factors, not the cause?

2005 Proven Practice2005 Proven PracticeProgramProgram

YMCAYMCA

Character Development SchoolsCharacter Development Schools

Sarasota, FloridaSarasota, Florida

CDS Intervention StrategiesCDS Intervention Strategies

Attitudes toward drug, alcohol, tobacco useAttitudes toward drug, alcohol, tobacco use Problem-solving anxietiesProblem-solving anxieties Academic/learning environment bonding issuesAcademic/learning environment bonding issues Employability skillsEmployability skills Anger managementAnger management Time/Life management skillsTime/Life management skills Resiliency/internal control developmentResiliency/internal control development Character developmentCharacter development Individual student data collectionIndividual student data collection