Yvette Morgan, Ph.D. Director SJU GEAR UP/NYGEARUP April 18, 2016 Combating Chronic Absenteeism

2 Understand chronic absenteeism and its impact on student achievement Learn how SJU NYGEAR UP implemented an effective Success Mentoring Program Share how to use data to help students and determine the effective of project services Purpose of the Day

3 Introductory Exercise Turn to the person the person sitting next to you: Share one thing that made it difficult for you to get to school Share one thing that kept you going to school even when it was difficult

4 True or False? Regular attendance in Kindergarten doesn’t really matter.

5 Students chronically absent in K and 1 st grade are less likely to read proficiently in 3 rd grade. Source: Applied Survey Research & Attendance Works (April 2011) FALSE!

6 A school should aim for an overall average school attendance rate of 90%. True or False?

7 With 90% attendance for a school at the end of the year: The “average” student has missed one full month of school Has missed 110 hours of instructional time FALSE!

8 Tracking Average Daily Attendance will show you if you have a chronic absences issue at your school. True or False?

9 Average daily attendance masks chronic absence levels. 2 days missed/month, for 10 months= Chronic Absenteeism FALSE!

10 Students who cannot attend school >illness, family responsibilities, housing instability, work or involvement with juvenile justice Students who will not attend school >Avoiding bullying, unsafe conditions, harassment, or embarrassment Students who do not attend school >They or their parents don’t see the value in school or student has something they’d rather be doing Three Categories of Chronic Absences

11 Why Are Students Chronically Absent? 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 care Poor transportation 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

12 Strategies for Building a Culture of Attendance & Identifying Barriers

13 Build a Success Mentor Corp to mentor chronically absent students and invite school staff to participate What can NYGEAR UP do?

14 Success mentors are caring adults (or peers) who work with chronically absent students to address the barriers keeping them from coming to school each day. What is a Success Mentor?

15 Matched with students who have history of CA or are showing signs of becoming CA (early warning) Morning Meet and Greet Phone call home every time student is absent and share a positive message Meet one-on-one and/or in small groups Track students’ attendance and improvements Recognize and celebrate event small successes Work as a team to identify appropriate supports and interventions Reach out to and engage students’ families What do Success Mentors do?

16 In an effort to meet Annual Yearly Performance for attendance, SJU in partnership with the Albert Shanker School of Visual and Performing Arts designed and implemented services for chronically absent 8 th grade scholars. In November 2015, the Shanker STARS (Students Taking Action and Responsibility for Success) project began proving targeted services to 50 chronically absent scholars. The SJU NYGEAR UP CA Project

17 Push-In (Math, Sci, SS, Eng) Chat and Chew Daily Check Ins Lunch and Learn Tutoring (4 th and 6 th period) Brother Box/Sister Circle Mentoring Maximizing Adolescent Academic eXcellence (The MAAX) Targeted Services for CA scholars

18 Module: Who Am I?Target Week 1. What do I value?1/19/ Clarifying Values Through Music2/9/ Clarifying Values Through Media2/23/ Delaying Gratification: Short-Term Sacrifce, Long Term Gain3/8/2016 Module: Keys to Academic Success 5. Monitoring Academic Performance3/15/ MAAXimizing Study Skills at School and Home3/22/ No-Nonsense Notes4/12/ Beating Test!4/19/2016 Module: Planning for the Future 9. Exploring Postsecondary Education5/3/ College Jeopardy5/10/2016 Customized Scope and Sequence

19 Descriptive Statistics What is the STARS program doing for you?Male Cohort (20) Female Cohort (22) It helps me understand the importance of getting my education 85%*77% It made me care more about school80%*31% It is helping me get better grade in school75%22% It made me more aware of my educational options after high school 80%*45% It shows me that an adult at school cares about my future85%*81%* It will help me go to college80%*36% NY GEAR UP Shanker STARS student questionnaire taken revealed (n=42): *Percentages reveal students who strongly agreed or agreed with the statements.

20 When asked which services students’ felt had the greatest positive influence on them, student responses included: “ I appreciate getting tutoring during the lunch and learn periods because I have to babysit my little brother and can’t stay after school”- Gregory W. “The college tours and test preparation was most helpful to me.”- Ivan U. “ I’m very happy GEAR UP offers tutoring. I wouldn’t know what I would do if it weren’t for Lunch and Learn, after school tutoring, and test preparation.”- Abigail M. “ I like how they care about our future.”- Alysha O. Student Comments

21 Success Mentors & Weekly Meetings Substantially Improve Student Attendance Students with prior histories of chronic absenteeism with a Success Mentor gained nearly two additional weeks of school (9 days) which is educationally significant. In the top 25% of schools. Students with Success Mentors gained one additional month of school High school students with Success Mentors (including those overage for their grade) were 52% more likely to remain in school the following year. Mentees reported they liked having a mentor and the mentor helped improve their attendance, schoolwork, motivation, and confidence. Key Findings from John’s Hopkins Study

22 90% is not good enough. Chronic Absence is equal to TWO days missed per month. Build a staff success mentor corps for chronically absent or at eh very least mentor students in transition grades (K, 6, 9) During weekly meetings, use the school’s chronic absenteeism rate as a data point to better understand student’s academic outcomes, and track progress. Principal leadership is key to the work’s success Takeaways

23 NYC Mayor’s Task Force Site Attendance Works Strengthening Schools by Strengthening Families ing_schools.aspx National Mentoring Partnership Resources