September GATE Equity Webinar: Implications of Attendance and What You Can Do Exploring topics related to equity in graduation success Kefi Andersen – OSPI Graduation Equity Program Supervisor Krissy Johnson – OSPI Student Assistance Program Supervisor James Wise – Assistant Principal, Sunnyside High School

Vision Mission Every student ready for career, college, and life To provide funding, resources, tools, data and technical assistance that enable educators to ensure students succeed in our public schools, are prepared to access post-secondary training and education, and are equipped to thrive in their careers and lives. Vision Mission

Measuring Success Performance Indicators Measures of Success Increase four- and five-year high school graduation rates Increase enrollment and completion rates and decrease remediation rates in post-secondary training and education Performance Indicators We must help students: Enter kindergarten with expected skills in all six areas identified by the Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS). Meet standard on the 3rd-, 8th-, and 11th-grade statewide English language arts (ELA) and math assessments, and the 8th-grade statewide science assessment. Grow toward proficiency in ELA and math, as determined by Student Growth Percentiles, in 4th and 6th grades. Enroll in Algebra I/Integrated Math I by the end of 8th or 9th grade and earn high school credit. Enroll in college-level courses and earn dual credit. Take the SAT and ACT and earn college-ready scores. Access financial aid for post-secondary learning. We must help students avoid: 9th-grade course failure. Suspensions and expulsions. Chronic absenteeism. Measuring Success In 2014, OSPI adopted agency wide measures of success, including (pause) high school graduation and, (pause) post graduation enrollment and remediation course-taking. At that same time, OSPI implemented research-based performance indicators. These serve to guide our work across the K12 public education system.

Today’s Goals Provide broad picture of Washington’s attendance Learn from Sunnyside High School’s Attendance Journey Share OSPI’s Attendance Awareness Tools Create awareness on updated legislative and WAC changes OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 11/9/2018

Graduation is the Goal: Performance Indicators Are the Early Warning Measures Chronic Absenteeism Discipline 9th Grade Course Failure As previously mentioned, graduation is a measure of success. In addition to being an accountability measure for the K-12 school system, it is a primary indicator that a student is ready for career, college, and life, According to a 2014 analysis done by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy, we know each graduate creates benefits of more than half a million dollars in higher earnings, as well as societal savings in areas such as health care and unemployment compared to students that don’t graduate. Underpinning graduation, are key intermediate measures, including Attendance, Discipline, and 9th Grade Course Failure.

What does the data show in Washington? The state chronic absence rate has hovered around 16% since 2012-13. In 2015-16 this was 194,000 students. 1 in 5 low income students are chronically absent. 1 in 3 Native American students are chronically absent. 1 in 3 Pacific Islander students are chronically absent. OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 11/9/2018

Definitions What It Is A student is considered chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of their school days (more than 2 in a month or 18 in a year) – for any reason: excused, unexcused, and suspensions. What It Is Not Truancy – missing 5 or more full days, unexcused, within a month, or missing 10 or more full days, unexcused, within a school year. So, to begin… The definition of cohort graduation rate is the percentage of students in a cohort that graduated in either 4 or 5 years. A cohort is a group that enters 9th grade for the first time together, and is adjusted for those students that transfer in and out. 9th grade course failure is the number of English Language Arts, Math and Science credits attempted versus the number of credits earned in those subject areas. It does not include withdrawals. More detailed business rules are included in the equity analytic tool that Kefi will be highlighting later in the webinar.

Questions & Polling What role do you play in attendance? A. Counselor B. Educator C. Administrator D. Parent/Caregiver E. Community member F. Professional Association G. Other Question | CC 0 OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 11/9/2018

Sunnyside High School Your background? Tell us about yourself What is Sunnyside all about – culture? James Wise – Assistant Principal, Sunnyside High School OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 11/9/2018

Why is Attendance a focus at Sunnyside HS? SSD Vision: All Students Will Be Successful Success = Graduate College & Career Ready Many factors function as barriers to graduation School interventions cannot be successful when student fail to engage in them. 90% 99% Grad rates increased from 44 – 90% - students not graduating because of attendance OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 11/9/2018

How Did You Begin This Work? Current Reality New Ideal Leadership willing to be held accountable What was your journey? What did the first year look like? Story of student that slipped through the cracks. How that got you to year 2. OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 11/9/2018

Process For Building A System? Intervention 1 Intervention 2 Intervention 3 Intervention 4 Year 2 – process for building the system. Step 1 – what’s your standard? w/ building team, ours was by period, staff voted, Step 2 – When to intervene, who should intervene, and how Step 3 - Which students did you decide to focus on and why? No way to respond to 300 students with an attendance contract. Criteria? Why not all? Intervention 5 OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 11/9/2018

Themes found in Barriers to Absenteeism Engagement at Root of All Absenteeism Health Factors Family Issues What root causes did you find? How did you address those? What were some Themes you found for why students were absent?(team, intervention, system) OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 11/9/2018

Key Strategies And Interventions Culture of Attendance Reengagement Strategies Build Relationships Connect to School Envision their Future What did you do to respond? What do you do at certain stages to support students? Teachers role, family engagement? OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 11/9/2018

What Advice Would You Give To People Starting This Work? Do Something Together We Will: Reach Our New Ideal Outside-In Model OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 11/9/2018

Questions & Polling How would you rate your district’s attendance? A. Planning B. Beginning implementation C. Advanced implementation D. Organically ingrained in our culture We are welcoming questions for James, but while we do that, answer this question. Question | CC 0 OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 11/9/2018

September is… National Attendance Month

OSPI – DSHS Sounders print materials & PSAs Get Cards and Posters: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3710232/PosterOrderForm

OSPI Posters and Resources OSPI Posters & Resources Web resources OSPI Attendance Webpage Attendance Works OSPI Truancy Webpage

Update on Legislative and WAC Changes Absence rulemaking Emergency rule: Aligns state definition with federal definition Public comment period is open, submit comments to: Krissy.Johnson@k12.wa.us Public Hearing at OSPI on 1pm on October 31, 2017 Bulletin B066-17 Changes to attendance and truancy law (HB 1170) Conferences now required after three unexcused, not two May use other assessments other than the WARNS, only for MS and HS Each district must identify one point of contact for chronic absenteeism and truancy to OSPI. OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 11/9/2018

Next Month Rethinking Discipline: A Systems Approach to Supporting Positive Behavior October 11, 2017 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 11/9/2018

Polling What questions do you have that you want answered this year on the GATE Equity Webinar Series? What questions do you have for next month’s topic: How Discipline Impacts Attendance? How can we make GATE Webinar better? Share your ideas with us! http://www.clker.com/clipart-discussion-icon.html | CC00 OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 11/9/2018

For More Information For more info on attendance, please contact: Krissy Johnson Attendance Lead 360-725-6045 | Krissy.Johnson@k12.wa.us For truancy related questions and CTBs, please contact: Laurie Shannon Truancy, Reengagement & Graduation Specialist 360-725-4472 | Laurie.Shannon@k12.wa.us For questions regarding GATE, please contact: Kefi Anderson 360-725-0429 | Kefi.Anderson@k12.wa.us

Creative Commons Images Used Except where otherwise noted, this work by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction is licensed under a Creative Commons 4.0 International License. OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 11/9/2018