www.attendanceworks.org

2016 All-America City Awards

October, 2015

Ensuring children are healthy and successful in school

Attendance Works

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Hedy ChangDirector

Cecelia LeongAssociate Director

Attendance is an Essential Ingredient of Success in

School

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Attainment Over Time

Achievement Every Year

Attendance Every Day

Advocacy For All

Developed by Annie E. Casey Foundation & America’s Promise Alliance For more info go to http://www.americaspromise.org/parent-engagement-toolkit

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Sch

ool Succ

ess

Fram

ew

ork

What is Chronic Absence?Excused Absences

Unexcused absences

Suspensions

Chronic

Absence

Chronic absence = missing too much school for any reason. Researchers often use missing 10% or more of school days

Chronic absence is different from truancy (unexcused absences only) or average daily attendance (how many students show up to school each day).

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Why We May Not Notice Chronic

Absence

Absences Add UpChronic Absence = 18 days of absence = 2

days a month

Why Are Students Missing School?

Myths

Absences are only a problem if they are

unexcused

Sporadic versus consecutive

absences aren’t a problem

Attendance only matters in the older

grades

Barriers

Lack of access to health or dental care

Trauma

No safe path to school

Aversion

Child struggling academically

Lack of engaging instruction

Poor school climate and ineffective

school discipline

Parents had negative school experience

Chronic disease

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AW Recommended Site Level Strategies

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High Cost

Low Cost

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• Recognize good and improved attendance• Educate & engage students and families • Monitor data on absences and attendance

• Establish positive and engaging school climate• Identify and address common barriers to

attendance

Improving Attendance Requires a Multi-Tiered Approach

TIER 1All students

• Provide personalized early outreach• Meet with student/family to develop

plan • Offer attendance Mentor/Buddy

TIER 2 Students exhibiting chronic absence (missing 10%).

• Intensive case management

with coordination of public agency

and legal response as

needed

TIER 3 Students who missed 20% or more of the prior school year (severe chronic absence) or have a history of truancy. Truancy

interventions

Students &

Families

Schools

Actionable Data

Positive Engageme

nt

Capacity Building

Shared Accountabili

ty

Is accurate, accessible, and regularly reported

Expands ability to interpret data and work together to adopt best practices

Use positive relationships to engage parents and understanding about why monitoring absence is essential to a better future.

Ensures monitoring & incentives to address chronic absence

Community District

Ingredients for System-wide Success & Sustainability

Strategic partnerships between district and community partners address specific attendance barriers and mobilize support for all ingredients

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AW Website: www.attendanceworks.orgMost Used Resources include:

What Works (from an array of communities and states)

Tools and TA (includes tools for calculating chronic absence, making the case to partners, strategies & tools for schools, superintendents, working with parents, etc.)

Research (includes evidence based practices and most recent report – mapping the early attendance gap)Webinars (recordings of all past webinars including Starting Strong, Finishing Strong, etc.) Attendance Awareness Month (helps with planning)

Leverage Our Resources

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Attendance Awareness Campaign 2015:

402 Communities in 44 States

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