All-America City Awards October, 2015 Ensuring children are healthy and successful in school

Attendance Works 2 Hedy Chang Director Cecelia Leong Associate Director

Attendance is an Essential Ingredient of Success in School 3 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 4 A School Success Framework

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). 4

5 Why We May Not Notice Chronic Absence Absences Add Up Chronic 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 Poor Transportation 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 6

AW Recommended Site Level Strategies 7

High Cost Low Cost 8 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 1 All 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 Engagement Capacity Building Shared Accountability 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 9

AW Website: Most 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 10

Attendance Awareness Campaign 2015: 402 Communities in 44 States 11