MPR Associates 1 Albert Einstein said… “Not everything that counts can be counted and not everything that can be counted counts.” Using data well depends on knowing the difference

MPR Associates 2 Overview  Consortium data collection and reporting  Some simple analysis strategies  Beyond first impressions— extending your investigation and avoiding misinterpretation  Benchmarking and goal setting  Strategies to improve attendance

MPR Associates 3 What Do You Want to Know?  Overall attendance rate  By type of school  By demographic sub-groups  Demographics within levels of school  By grade level  By month  By day of the week  Other

MPR Associates 4 Average Daily Attendance Defined  For any given time period, the total number of days students attended divided by the total number of days students were enrolled  Calculation is usually adjusted (weighted) to reflect effect of students enrolling for less than the full school year or relevant time period

MPR Associates 5 Forming a First Impression Average Number of Days Absent? Obvious differences among schools? Clear priorities for further investigation?

MPR Associates 6 Analyzing Sub-populations

MPR Associates 7 Examining Distributions

MPR Associates 8 Caveats  Small numbers  Artificial precision  Correlation versus causation

MPR Associates 9 Do You Want to Improve?  Benchmarking  Against Consortium averages  Consortium high performers  Other districts like you  Setting challenging but realistic goals for improvement  5-year targets  Targets for the coming year

MPR Associates 10 Benchmarking—Consortium Averages

MPR Associates 11 Benchmarking—Consortium High Performers

MPR Associates 12 How Will You Reach Your Goals?  Linking attendance to specific strategies for improvement  Incentives  Targeting particular schools, grades, or populations of students  Programs  Classroom  Services  Parents

MPR Associates 13 Some Simple Analytic Strategies  Develop a first impression—are the numbers credible; what do they seem to say?  Make the statistics concrete  Examine spread or distribution  Examine differences among subgroups  Assess relationship between performance and practice  Pose questions for further analysis

MPR Associates 14 Hold Yourselves Accountable: Set Performance Targets  Benchmark against  National and state norms  Other districts/schools like yours  Exemplary schools or districts  Set mid-range goals with incremental targets in between  Keep targets challenging but realistic

MPR Associates 15 Make Using Data a Routine  Schedule time for reflection and strategic planning  Make reporting visible and frequent  Encourage mid-course review and correction  Monitor progress, be honest about what is not working, and celebrate success!

MPR Associates 16 Strategies to Improve Attendance Schools and School Districts Improve Attendance by:  Making Attendance a Priority  Establishing Effective Attendance Policies  Collecting and Monitoring Attendance Data  Using Data for Program Planning Success Factors: Leadership Accountability Good Data Analysis Skills

MPR Associates 17 Make Attendance a Priority Build awareness and commitment to regular school attendance In school buildings:  Communication, rewards, and consequences  Attendance is “on the agenda”  Accountability and recognition In the home:  Targeted communication  Immediate and consistent follow-up  Sensitivity to cultural and language differences In the community:  Awareness-building  Community involvement

MPR Associates 18 Establish Effective Policies Ensure attendance policies are effective and consistently enforced  Commitment of administrative leaders ­ Absenteeism is a “red flag” issue  Consistent policy enforcement ­ Within school buildings ­ District-wide  Defined procedures and interventions  Faculty and staff involvement in policy development and implementation  Students and families are educated on policy changes and expectations

MPR Associates 19 Collect and Monitor Data Ensure intervention occurs when students begin to exhibit patterns of poor attendance  Standardized attendance data collection  Useable computer systems and analysis tools  Staff training and support  Teacher involvement in attendance monitoring and intervention  Attendance teams at the district and school building levels  Planned opportunities for data analysis and strategy development

MPR Associates 20 Use Data for Program Planning Attendance improvement strategies are based on analysis of attendance data  Quantitative data is a starting point  Qualitative analysis: “What is really going on?”  Intervene on a student-by-student basis  Focus on issue-specific programs ­ Transitions, levels of schooling  Establish attendance habits early (Kindergarten)  Create incentives that students care about  Address attendance in terms of school climate ­ Kids go to school when they want to be there