1. Addressing Freshmen Success & Increasing Attendance: Using Multi-Tiered Supports for All Students
Intro around the room
Brief Description of Presentation:
Are you interested in making regular attendance and freshmen success a reality for all of your students? What systematic approach have some Washington districts put in place that has resulted in positive student outcomes? Learn about national research related to student success and attendance, as well as evidence-based practices being implemented in local districts for addressing freshmen course failure and chronic absenteeism. Bring your laptop or mobile device to get supported hands on experience with the OSPI Equity Analytic Tool, and the attendance and 9th grade success rubrics.
Kefi Andersen – ospi Graduation and Equity Specialist
Krissy johnson – OSPI Attendance specialist
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
9/17/2018

2. Objectives: When you leave this session, you will:
Have knowledge of best practice strategies for reducing th grade success and increasing attendance
Know where to find district data on these measures and where your district stands
A tool for assessing what your school has in place, and what you might need
Have resources that you can refer back to
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
9/17/2018

3. Making the Case
Why do we care about attendance and 9th grade course failure?
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
9/17/2018

4. 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.

5. Why are we concerned with 9th course failure?
Students who end their ninth grade year on-track, are four times more likely to graduate from high school than those who are off track.
From research out of the University of Chicago, we know students who end their 9th grade year on track, are 4X more likely to graduate from high school than those students not on track.
9th grade failure is a better predictor of graduation than race, ethnicity, level of poverty, or test scores.
9/17/2018
Based on research by University of Chicago CCSR, Preventable Failure Research Summary, April 2014.

6. Why do we care about attendance?
Students have a much better chance of learning if they’re in school.
Research shows ALL absences matter:
Excused, no matter the reason
Early grades, even preschool and kindergarten
Students that are chronically absent in kindergarten and first grade are much more likely to not read at grade level by 3rd grade
Attendance a symptom of challenges a student or their family is facing – in school or out
Chronic Absence Research Summary

7. What Can We Do About It?
Best practices for addressing 9th grade course failure and attendance
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
9/17/2018

8. Our Process for Learning
Using the OSPI Equity Analytics to explore what is working in Washington
Conversation with national partners to identify what’s working
Studying the research
Our Process for Learning
9/17/2018
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

9. Source: Brian Gaunt, University of South Florida
A system of supports
What does it look like?
Random Acts of intervention?
Be systematic.
MTSS helps organize our efforts to make sure students are getting the supports that are appropriate to their needs.
Source: Brian Gaunt, University of South Florida
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
9/17/2018

10. Multi-tiered System of Supports
9/17/2018
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

11. Using data to:
1) identify
2) monitor
3) evaluate

12. Do you use a Cycle of Inquiry?
Image used with permission from the National Implementation Research Network.
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
9/17/2018

13. How many of you are currently using a Multi-tiered System of Supports?
Questions
How many of you are currently using a Multi-tiered System of Supports?
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
9/17/2018

14. Pick one: 9th grade course failure or chronic absenteeism.
Turn and Talk
Pick one: 9th grade course failure or chronic absenteeism.
Turn to your elbow partner and discuss the following:
Who is failing or chronically absent and why?
What are your school’s rates?
Are things getting better or worse?
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
9/17/2018

15. What We Know About Preventing 9th Grade Course Failure
9th Grade Success
Build a positive school culture
Use data to monitor progress
Prepare 8th graders transitioning to high school
Build in multi-tier supports
Create a view of the future
According to the research we have done – we saw recurring themes.
Build a positive school culture with connections between staff, students, families. Use climate surveys
Use data to monitor attendance, behavior, and coursework
Prepare 8th graders coming in with an orientation, Link Crew, Summer School, early registration for appropriate classes, and open communication between middle and high schools about learning expectations (try to stay consistent)
Build in supports and get students positively involved in school with mentors, social activities, social support (counseling, homeroom staff member)
Schedules help support students. Some success has been found through freshmen academy scheduling (keeping all the freshmen separate from the rest), adding advisory periods, using a small school model, staff teaming, and block schedules.
Look to the future. Schedule college visits, keep support for students past 9th grade.
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16. Multi-Tiered Strategies to Prevent 9th Grade Course Failure:
An Example from one School District
Tier 3: Individual
Unannounced home visits with door hangers for absentees
One on One study time with class teachers whose classes they are struggling in / Check and Connect
Required Learning Lab/ study hours to make up for incomplete credit
Engaging students and families in wrap-around services
Tier 2: Group
Targeted Lunch Study Hall Hours / Flex Time
Competency Based Credits and extended grade deadline to 20 days into next semester or school year
Tier 1: Universal
Staff shares the attitude “We will not let a single student fail – our will is stronger”
Prepare for new students in January: identify Tier 2-3 and plan interventions.
Counseling staff holds interviews with parents to set up appropriate classes and teachers
before school begins, connect to services, test reading
Team up with the middle school to offer reading intervention classes so student is
ready before entering high school
Freshmen Academy: separates freshmen from the rest, reinforces study skills
Connect students to the school: Link Crew, Day Long Freshmen Camp where they
get to go to classes
“Inspect what you expect” Track data for who’s struggling with attendance,
behavior, and coursework each week and get interventions in place right away
Standards Based Grading: missed deadlines don’t mean failing the
assignment
Strong teachers who volunteer to focus on Freshmen
Start with freshmen but keep support going for 10-12th grade
Highlight districts are taking a systematic approach so that no student is invisible. This approach requires you to have timely data that is updated weekly so that you can intervene early with an intervention that is already planned and ready to go.
This isn’t meant to be a checklist. This is just one midsize district’s strategies to prevent 9th grade failure through a multi-tiered lens.
These are real world examples to give you some context for what this looks like for a real district.

17. Why are students absent?
Myths
Absences are only a problem if they are unexcused
Ok to miss a day here or there
Attendance only matters in the older grades
Pre-K and K are seen as day care not learning
Barriers
Chronic disease (asthma), lack of health/dental care, mental health
Caring for siblings or family members
Unmet basic needs: transportation, housing, food, clothing
Trauma
No safe path to school
Aversion
Academic struggles
Being teased or bullied
Poor school climate, disproportionate school discipline, or unsafe school
Parents had negative school experience
Disengage-ment
Lack of engaging and relevant instruction
No meaningful relationship with school adults
More exciting to be with peers out of school vs. in school
In order to understand how to address the problem of chronic absenteeism, we want and need to understand why an individual student or groups of students are missing school. It’s is helpful to think about the possibilities in these categories. What we know is that students can be both pushed out of school and pulled out. Causes are both in school and out of school.
There are causes of absence that affect whole groups of students , not just individuals. Texas health data example – overlaid visits to doctor and absences – launched a flu vaccination campaign. Key is to look at who is basent and root cause analysis to understand why.

18. Strategies for Addressing Chronic Absenteeism using a Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS)
Tier 3: Students that are chronically absent (18+ days or 2+ days/month)
Intensive case management with coordination with community partners as needed
Home visitors, graduation specialists, family support specialists
Community Truancy Boards
Tier 2: Students that are at risk ( days or 2 days/month)
Personalized early outreach
Attendance Advisories – skill building, sleep hygiene, extra support
Partner with family and student to develop an attendance plan
Attendance buddy or mentor
Truancy seminars for families
Tier 1: All Students (0 – 9 absences, less than 1 day/month)
Establish and teach the belief: good attendance is 171 days, why it’s important
Proactive messaging to each absence
Celebrate good and improved attendance – incentives & recognition
Establish positive and engaging school climate
Address common barriers to attendance – transportation
Positive, proactive family engagement (e.g. student conferences, We missed you!)
This is a systematic approach – not doing random acts of intervention. This system includes a data system that timely data, daily or weekly, collaborative inquiry process through teams (plan, do, study, act). Gives more detail about the specific strategies at each tier. Example from each tier. Starting with tier 1 can have a big impact. Some low hanging fruit, and can help you be more efficient in supporting tier 2 and tier 3, because you’ll see those school-wide tier 1 efforts, will grow the green, and shrink the yellow, and establish a culture of attendance.

19. How is your district doing on these measures?
OSPI Equity Analytics
How is your district doing on these measures?
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
9/17/2018

20. Using OSPI Equity Analytics
K-12 Data and Reports
OSPI Performance Indicators – Select a Tableau Link
Look at disproportionality in student groups
Find a Mentor
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
9/17/2018

21. Pick one: 9th grade course failure or Chronic Absenteeism
Quick Homework
Pick one: 9th grade course failure or Chronic Absenteeism
Open/find the OSPI data analytics
Identify your district’s overall rate for
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
9/17/2018

22. What’s next for you?
Assume that this short time will not prepare you to begin implementing, but to begin thinking about next steps, we are going to walk through:
1) Review the rubric of your choice
2) Use the MTSS Worksheet to note:
A) What you have in place
B) Potential gaps or areas for you and your teams to focus on next year
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
9/17/2018

23. Turn and Talk What’s your biggest strength?
What’s your biggest weakness?
When you think about where you are now and where you’d like to be, what are next moves you need to make?
Next week
By start of school
Where you want to be in a year
Who do you need to share this work with—who’s on the team?
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
9/17/2018

24. Helpful Resources 9th Grade Success Page
For Rubrics, Leadership Team Workbook, Extended Reflective Questions, Research
ors/9thGradeFailure/default.aspx
9th Grade Course Failure Rates - Tableau
ors/9thGrade.aspx
Walkthrough Presentation
ors/DataAnalytics.aspx
OSPI Attendance Webpage
Attendance Works
Get Schooled Attendance Calculator
California Attendance Communications Toolkit
Absences Add Up Campaign
OSPI Truancy Webpage
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
9/17/2018

25. Questions? For Graduation: For Attendance: Dixie Grunenfelder
Krissy Johnson
Director of K-12 Education/System and School Improvement 
Student Assistance Program Supervisor |
For 9th Grade:
Kefi Andersen
Graduation Equity Specialist |
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
9/17/2018