Curbing Early Chronic Absenteeism: Why It Matters, What YOU Can Do! Tulsa Area Community Schools Initiative November 15, 2011

2 Attendance Every Day Achievement Every Year Attainment Over Time An Antidote to Drop-Out The 3 A School Success Framework Developed by Annie E Casey Foundation & America’s Promise Alliance For more info go to

3  Average Daily Attendance: The percentage of enrolled students who attend school each day.  Satisfactory Attendance: Missing 5% or less in an academic year.  Chronic Absence: Missing 10% or more of school in an academic year for any reason—excused or unexcused.  Severe Chronic Absence: Missing 20% or more days of school per year – approximately two months of school.  Truancy: Typically refers only to unexcused absences and is defined by each state. Defining Key Terms

4 Students Who Miss More Than 10% Of School Are At Grave Risk When 90% Doesn’t Earn an “A” Chronic Absence (=> 10% absence) Warning Signs ( 5% absence) Satisfactory Attendance (=<5% absence) 0-90% 91-94% 95 %+ Emergency: => 20% absence

5 Myths to Dispel MYTH 1: Attendance in Kindergarten doesn’t really matter for academic success. MYTH 2: Missing school isn’t a big problem until middle or high school. MYTH 3: Most educators monitor chronic absence. MYTH 4: Since attendance is a family responsibility, we cannot do anything to address chronic absence.

6 Students Chronically Absent in Kindergarten & 1 st Grade Much Less Likely to Read Proficiently in 3 rd Grade No riskMissed less than 5% of school in K & 1 st t Small riskMissed 5-9% of days in both K & 1 st Moderate risk 5-9% of days absent in 1 year &10 % in 1 year High riskMissed 10% or more in K & 1 st Source: Applied Survey Research & Attendance Works (April 2011)

7 No riskMissed less than 5% of school in K & 1 st t Small riskMissed 5-9% of days in both K & 1 st Moderate risk 5-9% of days absent in 1 year &10 % in 1 year High riskMissed 10% or more in K & 1 st School Readiness & Early Attendance Are Critical to Early School Success Source: Applied Survey Research & Attendance Works (April 2011) Proficient 3 rd Grade ELA Test Scores By Attendance and School Readiness Level

8 The Long-term impact of Chronic Kindergarten Absence Is Most Troubling for Poor Children Source: ECLS-K data analyzed by National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) Note: Average academic performance reflects results of direct cognitive assessments conducted for ECLS-K. 5 th Grade Math and Reading Performance By K Attendance

9 Chronic Absence is Especially Challenging for Low-Income Children  Kindergarten and 1st grade can reduce the achievement gap for low-income vs. middle class students, but only if they attend school regularly. (Ready 2010)  The negative impact of absences on literacy is 75% larger for low-income children whose families often lack resources to make up lost time on task. (Ready 2010)  Only 17% of low-income children in the United States read proficiently by 4th grade. (NAEP 2009)

10 Chronic Absence is Especially Challenging for Low-Income Children  Poor children are 4x more likely to be chronically absent in K than their highest income peers. (Romero & Lee 2007)  Children in poverty are more likely to lack basic health and safety supports that ensure a child is more likely to get to school. They often face:  Unstable Housing  Limited Access to Health Care  Poor Transportation  Inadequate Food and Clothing  Lack of Safe Paths to School Due to Neighborhood Violence  Chaotic Schools with Poor Quality Programs, etc.

11 Chronic Early Absence Can Reach High Levels Nationally, 1 out of 10 Kindergartners & 1st Graders are Chronically Absent. Levels Can be Higher Locally.

12 Children chronically tardy in K are much more likely to be chronically absent. Tardiness Can Be a Precursor to Chronic Absence Source: Mariajose Romero Unpublished review of ECLS-K data

13 Moving into Action Requires Knowing If Chronic Absence is a Problem Most Schools Only Track Average Daily Attendance and Truancy. Both Can Mask Chronic Absence. Variation in Chronic Absence for Six Schools with 95% ADA in Oakland, CA

14 Sporadic — Not Just Consecutive – Absences Matter A 407 alert is issued when student misses 10 consecutive days or 20 days over a 40 day period. It misses more sporadic absence. 1 out of 5 elementary school children were chronically absent. Source: Nauer K et al, Strengthening Schools by Strengthening Families, Center for New York City Affairs New School, Oct 2008 New York City Schools

15  Chronic absence data (as well as other attendance measures) should be examined by classroom, grade, school, neighborhood or sub-population.  If chronic absence is unusually high for a particular group of students, explore what might be common issues (unreliable transportation, community violence, asthma and other chronic diseases, poor access to health care, unnecessary suspension for non-violent offenses, lack of engaging curriculum, child care or afterschool programming, foreclosures, etc.)  If chronic absence is unusually low for a high risk population, find out what they are doing that works. 15 Data is Needed for Identifying Programmatic Solutions

16 Chronic Absence Disproportionately Affects Students of Color Ethnicity # Students with 91% Attendance or Below % Students with 91% Attendance or Below AMERICAN INDIAN % ASIAN 2,9097.6% BLACK 15, % HISPANIC 72, % WHITE 8, % PACIFIC ISLANDER % FILIPINO 588.2% Total100, % Los Angeles Unified School District

17 Elementary Absenteeism is Concentrated in W. Oakland

18 Variation Helps Identify Good Practice and Need for Intervention Chronic Absence Levels Among Oakland Public Schools

19 Schools + Communities CAN Make a Difference Characteristics of Successful Attendance Initiatives  Partner with community agencies to help families make the transition to kindergarten and get children to school.  Make attendance a priority, set targets & monitor progress.  Engage parents and students in identifying and addressing issues that contribute to chronic absence.  Help families understand why attendance matters and encourage mutual support.  Begin early.  Combine targeted interventions with universal strategies.  Offer positive supports before punitive action.

20 Increased Attendance Involves a 3-Tiered Approach that Fits with Most Reform Efforts 5-15% of a school’s students Students who are chronically absent & habitually truant 15-20% of a school’s students Students at-risk for poor attendance and/or with rising absence rates % of a school’s students All students in the school Recovery Programs Intervention Programs Universal/Preventative Initiatives and Programs High Cost Low Cost

21  Many parents are unaware that pre-K & K attendance matters.  Participation in formal child care is associated with lower chronic absence in kindergarten.  Parenting skills (e.g. establishing routines, setting limits, supporting transitions) are integrally connected to the development of on-time attendance habits  Young children’s attendance is affected by what happens to parents. Multiple maternal and family risk factors increase chronic absence.  Poor physical and dental health and lack of access to medical care can significantly affect attendance. In addition, parents are often uncertain about when to keep young children home for illness. Considerations for Young Children

22 Does this resonate? Any questions? Pair Share