PUPIL SERVICESPROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTSeptember 2013

Meeting ObjectivesReview School Attendance Data ProfilesMonthly and Cumulative Attendance DataAttendance Performance Bands

Discuss School Site and Community Assessment strategies and activities

Plan for Absence Prevention and Early Intervention

Understand Truancy and Required Notifications

Access Additional Attendance Improvement Tools

Attendance Tools

Accessing the Pupil Services Website http://pupilservices.lausd.net

Under Tools/Guides for Counselors

Attendance Data

Assessing School and Community Data: An Essential Strategy for Pupil Services Staff

August Data Profiles!

School Purchased PSA Data ProfilesSelect your ESC

Select tab for your schoolSummary tab by ESC% of students attending at/above 96%

Period Attendance SubmittalMonthly Attendance RatesCumulative Rates

Month to Month versusCumulative Attendance RatesUnderstanding your schools data

Monthly Attendance Data (In-Seat Attendance)Monthly attendance data is an average of the attendance for all students enrolled in the school for a specific monthmay be used to look at trends and changes over months/years

Actual Attendance DaysAll Possible Attendance Days

=Monthly Attendance Rate

80%Monthly Attendance Rate79%100%(20+19+25) (25+24+25)==86.5%Class/School Attendance Rate

Month 1Student AStudent BStudent CDays Attended201925Days Enrolled252425

Practice: Monthly Attendance RateSeptember 2013Calculate the student attendance rates and class attendance rate for the month of September.Rate = 96% 1 absence with 25 days enrolledRate = 95.8% 1 absence with 24 days enrolledDays Enrolled = 218 Days Attended = 201 201/218 = 92.2%

StudentDays EnrolledDays AttendedStudent A2524Student B2424Student C2524Student D2422Student E2321Student F2520Student G2524Student H2423Student I2319

Cumulative Attendance RateCumulative Attendance Rate is:an average attendance rate over a period of time (e.g., August through June)Default in MyData under Month to Month Comparisons

Cumulative Attendance RateActual Attendance Days (month 1, month 2, month 3)All Possible Attendance Days (month 1, month 2, month 3)

Cumulative Attendance Rate

Monthly Attendance RateMonthly Attendance Rate is:

Group DiscussionWhat is the difference between monthly and cumulative attendance rates?

How can you use the monthly attendance rate to inform your practice and/or plan for the school year?

Month to Month Attendance versus Performance Meter Attendance RateUnderstanding your schools data

Attendance Bands:Attendance AchievementThe Attendance Bands:Are broken down into 5 bands: Advanced, Proficient, Basic, Below Basic, and Far Below BasicTrack the number/percent of students in each defined attendance band

The Performance Meter captures the percent/number of students with 96% attendance or better (Advanced and Proficient bands).

Attendance BandsChronic Absence2013-14 Goal: 76% of students attending at least 96% of the time

Tracking Student Attendance Achievement

Attendance Achievement by Instructional DayMeans having NO MORE THAN 1 absence per 25 DAYS OF INSTRUCTIONInstructional DayFBBLess than 87%BB87%-91%Basic92%-95%Proficient96%-99%Advanced100%254 or more3210507 or more5-63-41-207510 or more7-94-61-3010014 or more9-135-81-4012517 or more11-166-101-5015020 or more13-197-121-6017523 or more15-228-141-70

Where to access your schools Attendance BandsLog in to MyDataUnder the School dropdown menu, select AttendanceSelect the At-Risk Attendance tabUse the filters on the left side of the page to navigate to your schools dataClick the GO button for the filters you have chosen

Where to access your schools Attendance Bands.FiltersAt Risk tabDisplay as options

Group DiscussionThrough the month of August, there are 13 instructional days.What is the maximum number of absences that a student may have to achieve 96% attendance or better?What type of activities/campaigns can you plan for the 50th day of school (October 24th) using the attendance achievement data?

School Community Assessment

Assess the School Site

SupportWho is available to support attendance at the school?Teachers, support staff, or volunteers

CultureHow have attendance expectations and information been shared?Beliefs around attendancePrevention and intervention strategiesHas there been a school attendance policy?

Assess the CommunitySupportWhat supports are available in the community?Donations, partnerships, businesses

CultureWhat are the beliefs around school attendance and graduation/culmination?Do community businesses serve students during school hours?

Planning for Absence Prevention

Attendance ExpectationsCommunicate attendance expectations to students, parents/guardians, and staff:School attendance policy

Gain buy-in from stakeholder groupsCollaboration with staff, parents, and students

Advertise attendance data (gains/losses)

Identifying and Engaging StakeholdersDiscussion:

To which stakeholder groups have you already presented attendance expectations?

Who have you not yet reached out to and what is your plan to engage them?

Create an Attendance CampaignMonthly themes and communication strategies

Visit the Pupil Services website for Monthly Strategies and Themes for October

Create a Monthly Recognition ProgramEstablish criteria: What/Who will be recognized?When will recognition(s) take place?How and where will recognition(s) take place?

Identify resources to sustain program:Staff (Who at the school can help?) Reward$ (Funding availability/donations) Supplies (certificate paper, butcher paper, camera, etc.)Attendance Report(s) (ISIS/SIS)

Monthly Recognition Program ExampleRecognize students that have achieved 96% attendance by the 25th, 50th, 75th day of school

Recognize students that have achieved perfect attendance on a monthly basis

Recognize students that have improved attendance

OCTOBERELEMENTARY TIERED LEVEL SUPPORTPROFICIENT/ADVANCED ATTENDANCE:Bulletin BoardAttendance CertificatesRecognition Letter (i.e., 50th Instructional Day)

BASIC ATTENDANCE:Warning Letter (3 or more absences)Small group student conferences (Secondary)Blackboard Connect message

BELOW/FAR BELOW BASIC ATTENDANCE:Attendance Improvement Meetings (AIM) Blackboard Connect messageSmall group student conferences (Secondary)

OctoberColumbus Day and Halloween (School Days)October 24th is the 50th day of school***Only month without any days off!***

NovemberNovember 11th is Veterans DayThanksgiving Break is Nov. 25th -29th

LOOKING AHEAD

Fun Themes for OctoberComputer Learning MonthCookie MonthInternational Drum MonthNational Pizza MonthNational Popcorn Popping MonthBreast Cancer Awareness Month

5th Do Something Nice Day & World Teachers Day6th Mad Hatter Day7th World Smile Day14th National Desserts Day16th Bosses Day 26th Make a Difference Day

For ideas and tools, visit the monthly strategies section under Tools/Guides for Counselors on the Pupil Services Website

STRATEGIES FOR EARLY INTERVENTION

Prior Year AttendanceIdentify students that had excessive absences in previous year

Monitor progress in current school year

Recognize improvement

Provide intervention to students with on-going chronic absenteeism

Identification Review Case Transfer forms and/or documentation of services from prior year

Generate list utilizing ISIS/SIS in previous school year.

Generate list utilizing MyData-Early Alert-At Risk System

InterventionSend Last Years Excessive absences letter to students that did not meet the performance meter in previous year. (Appendix M-3)

Conduct student assembly reminding them of attendance policy and student support systems at school (invite support staff to present)

Develop an incentive program for students that improve by end of semester/school year.

Attendance Improvement Meetings: An Essential Strategy for Early Intervention

Attendance Improvement MeetingsA best practice for early intervention

Targeting students and/or parents of students with excessive absences from the prior year and/or so far this year

Teaching and reinforcing clear, positive expectations for student attendance

TRUANCY CLASSIFICATION

Truancy EC Section 48260 A pupilabsent without a valid excuse three full days in one school year or tardy or absent for more than a 30-minute period during the school day without a valid excuse on three occasions in one school year or any combination thereof, shall be classified as a truant

EC 48260.5 requires that upon the a pupils initial classification as a truant, the school district notify the pupils parent or guardian. LAUSD NOT (Notification of Truancy) letters are generated monthly to meet this state mandate.

TRUANCY LETTERSAutomated vs. School Generated

Truancy LettersCriteria: Students between 6 and 18 years Accumulated three or more reason codes of 3, 2, 0, UC, or blank within a school year; including unexcused tardies of 30 minutes or more coded with a reason code 3

Absence Codes that do not count towards Truancy: 1-Excused4- Suspension5-Prior principal approval

District receives $18.91 per letter generated

School Site Responsibilities:Notification of Truancy LettersPreparation and Follow-up ProceduresInitial Notification of Truancy (NOT) Letter Automation Procedures REF-Bulletin 5464.2 outlines requirements prior to and following the mailing of NOT letters.

PSA Counselor Responsibilities Assist in facilitating Notification of Truancy Letters preparation procedures at school site

Train clerical staff on (NOT) Letter preparation procedures as needed

Maintain a log of all letters sent including:Student nameStudent ID Date letter was sent

Monitor attendance of students that have received Initial Truancy Letter

Follow Attendance Intervention Protocols and guidance provided in the SARB Intervention Guide for Schools

Accessing the SARB Intervention GuideAccessing the SARB Intervention Guide!

Personnel Matters and RemindersReview mileage policy to be sure that you are claiming mileage appropriately and following policyComplete mileage forms completely

Attendance Improvement Program Important Reminders and Personnel UpdatesPage 26 of the staff resource guide

Attendance Improvement Program Important Reminders and Personnel Updates

Personnel Matters and RemindersSummary of Services forms are due each month

Upcoming..Save the Date!Next meeting will be an all-day Pupil Services Professional Development on Friday, October 18, 2013 at Lake Avenue Church

Questions?

The monthly attendance rate is a statistic that depicts the attendance rate for the specific month. It is different from cumulative attendance rate in that it does not incorporate the attendance rate from other months.

What information does this give you?Monthly trendsPredictive informationOverall view

*The monthly attendance rate is a statistic that depicts the attendance rate for the specific month. It is different from cumulative attendance rate in that it does not incorporate the attendance rate from other months.

What information does this give you?Monthly trendsPredictive informationOverall view

*The monthly attendance rate is a statistic that depicts the attendance rate for the specific month. It is different from cumulative attendance rate in that it does not incorporate the attendance rate from other months.

What information does this give you?Monthly trendsPredictive informationOverall view

*The cumulative attendance rate is a statistic that depicts the most current attendance rate, accounting for attendance from the beginning of a given school year. It is different from the monthly attendance rate in that it does not capture an individual months attendance rate. *The monthly attendance rate is the actual attendance rate for each distinct month, with the Overall attendance showing the cumulative rate to that point in the year. **Please note that these breakdowns apply to students who have been enrolled continuously since the first day of school. Students who enroll late will have fewer days of instruction, and must therefore miss fewer days of school to maintain a 96% attendance rate.

*To maintain attendance proficiency throughout the year, students cannot miss more than 1 day for every 25 instructional days (1:25 ratio)It is important to understand the breakdown of absences in order to have meaningful conversations with all stakeholder groups

Breakdown of instructional days is on the staff calendar and resource guide

When is the 25th instructional day?*School Resource Directory was one tool intended to help staff map available school site resources *The community resource directory and resource referral list are tools to support an assessment of school/community resources, strengths, and gaps.*Need to provide tools for extraction of data.*PROFICIENT/ADVANCED ATTENDANCE:Recognize students with proficient/advanced attendance through the month of September on the bulletin boardPresent attendance certificates to students with perfect attendance for the month of SeptemberSend a recognition letter home to parents on the 50th day of school

BASIC ATTENDANCE:Send a warning letter home to parents for students with 3-4 absences since AugustSend a Blackboard message to parents regarding attendance expectations

BELOW/FAR BELOW BASIC ATTENDANCE:Organize an Attendance Improvement Meetings (AIM) and invite parents of students with 5 or more absences since AugustSend a Blackboard Connect message to parents reminding them to attend ACE meeting

*Send out a reminder (letter/ConnectEd) to parents that Columbus Day is not an observed holiday.*. *The letters the district sends out is considered the automated letter. Any letters that the school site send are considered school generated**