1. 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

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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.

6. What does the data show in Washington?
The state chronic absence rate has hovered around 16% since In 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

7. 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.

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. September is… National Attendance Month

18. OSPI – DSHS Sounders print materials & PSAs
Get Cards and Posters:

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

20. Update on Legislative and WAC Changes
Absence rulemaking
Emergency rule: Aligns state definition with federal definition
Public comment period is open, submit comments to:
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

21. 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

22. 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!
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OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
11/9/2018

23. For More Information For more info on attendance, please contact:
Krissy Johnson
Attendance Lead |
For truancy related questions and CTBs, please contact:
Laurie Shannon
Truancy, Reengagement & Graduation Specialist |
For questions regarding GATE, please contact:
Kefi Anderson |

24. 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