1. Addressing Attendance: State Overview & Resources for Schools
Krissy johnson, attendance program supervisor
system & school Improvement, OSPI
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
11/12/2018

2. Workshop Content Introductions Why focus on attendance?
Best practice overview
Resources
Question and answer
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
11/12/2018

3. Definitions 10% of school days
A student is considered chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of their school days for any reason: excused & unexcused.
10% of school days
Chronic Absenteeism
Excused
Unexcused
What is absence? Attendance?
As I mentioned briefly, chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% of more of school days. Keep in mind different states, agencies, and OSPI arrive at that 10% in different ways.
[click] Chronic absenteeism is not the same as truancy, which is an indicator that only looks at unexcused absences.
It is not the same as truancy, which only includes unexcused absences.

4. Do you know your district or school chronic absenteeism rate?
Fist to 5 Check In
Do you know your district or school chronic absenteeism rate?
No- Not sure
Yes- Absolutely
What has been the trend?

5. Chronic Absence Inverted
How does Washington School Improvement Framework report Chronic Absenteeism?
90% Regular Attendance
Chronic Absence Inverted
Regular Attendance
Missing 10% = Chronically Absent
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
11/12/2018

6. Turn and Talk
Partner 1: What is the definition of chronic absence? Partner 2: How is it different than the state’s definition of regular attendance?
Call on people or define OSPI’s definition
2 MINUTES

7. Why is Attendance Important?
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
11/12/2018

8. Education only teaches those in attendance.
~ Arthur Truman
So why do we care??
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
11/12/2018

9. What does the research say?
When students miss out on instruction, they are much more likely to fall behind.
Chronic absence in preschool, kindergarten and first grade are much less likely to read at grade level by 3rd grade.
Students who cannot read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely than proficient readers to not graduate.
A student that is chronically absent in any two years between 8th and 12th grade has a > 50% chance of not finishing high school.
Research has demonstrated a clear link between attendance and student learning. Intuitively, we know that when students miss out on instruction, for any reason, they are much more likely to fall behind. Research bears this out.
[click] Specifically, students in preschool and early grades that are chronically absent are significantly less likely to read at grade level by the 3rd grade.
[click] Which is important, as we also know that students who cannot read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely than their proficient peers to not graduate.
[click] Additionally, students that are chronically absent are less likely to graduate. One piece of research shows that if a student is chronically absent in any two years between 8th & 12th grade, there is a greater than 50% chance they will not finish high school.
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
11/12/2018

10. The Importance of School Attendance

11. The Bottom Line
One of the most important levers for maximizing student learning.
While many of the factors that contribute to student’s absences are out of our control, there is much that we can do to influence it and provide support.
Requires 1) ownership of how we are possibly contributing and 2) support and partnership from all buildings, district, and the community – “All Hands on Deck”

12. Culture Shift Where We’ve Been
We’re used to thinking of attendance as a student and family problem
We’re used to responding reactively and punitively
Where We’re Going
To address this issue we need be proactive and supportive
We need to work with families to problem solve instead of blaming and shaming
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
11/12/2018

13. 2016-17 Washington Students Regular Attendance
American
Indian/
Alaskan Native
Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander
Students w/ Disabilities
All Students
85.1%
Regular Attendance
78.4%
74.7%
69.4%
How are we doing?
Chronic Absenteeism
30.6%
25.4%
21.6%
14.9%
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
11/12/2018

14. Questions?
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
11/12/2018

15. Turn and Talk
To what extent is monitoring or addressing attendance part of your role as a school counselor?
Call on people or define OSPI’s definition
2 MINUTES

16. COMPETING COMMITMENTS NEGATIVE SCHOOL EXPERIENCES
MISPERCEPTIONS
Absences are only a problem if they are unexcused
Ok to miss a day here or there
Attendance only matters in the older grades
BARRIERS
Chronic disease (asthma), lack of health/dental care, etc.
Unmet basic needs: transportation, housing, food, etc.
Trauma
No safe path to school
COMPETING COMMITMENTS
Cultural Expectations
Family Events or Care
Work
Extracurricular Activities
NEGATIVE SCHOOL EXPERIENCES
Academic struggles
Being teased or bullied
Poor school climate
Parents had negative school experience
LACK OF ENGAGEMENT
Lack of engaging and relevant instruction
No meaningful relationship with school adults
Why are students absent?
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. Every school and community has the opportunity to do its own root cause analysis for your youth.
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 asbent and root cause analysis to understand why.
11/12/2018

17. Multi-Tiered Response to Attendance
Tier 1: All Students
Fewer than 10 days absent
Goal: 80%
Tier 2: Some Students
Between 10 – 18 days absent
Goal: 15%
Tier 3: Few Students
18 days or more absent
Goal: 5%
If you have more than 15% of students with at-risk attendance, tier 2, then universal strategies can have a powerful impact. Because research has shown that these tier 1 universal

18. Elements of Success of MTSS for Attendance
Monitor data daily & weekly
Team structure
Tiered responses (All, Some, Few)
Family support & engagement
Community
partnerships
Themes from national research and from our conversations with Washington districts
Moving from a punitive, compliance approach to attendance, to partnering with families, and engaging students in a positive manner, that honors relationships and builds trust.
Monitor data frequently to catch kids early –
Multi tiered systems – that provide students with the services and interventions they need –
Tier 1 foundation define, teach attendance expectations and recognize improved attendance
Personalized early outreach for high –risk youth – at the beginning of the year, id students that were chronically absent the previous year and provide supports,
Building strategic community partnerships provide a robust whole community approach to attendance.

19. Multi-Tiered Response to Attendance
Tier 1: All Students
Define and teach “good attendance”
Celebrate good and improved attendance
Awareness efforts that educate parents about impact of absences
Absence data is monitored frequently
Proactive & positive messaging for absences
Address common barriers to attendance like transportation
Engaging school climate & positive relationships with students and families
Tier 2: Students with At-risk Attendance
Nudge letters
Personalized early outreach
Group skill building (attendance advisory)
Action plan addresses barriers and increases engagement
Check in Check Out
Tier 3: Students that are Chronically Absent
Coordinated school and interagency response
Home visitors, graduation & family support specialists
Check & Connect
Community Truancy Boards
The tier 1 are the universal efforts: and go a long way to address the upper left hand bucket of misperceptions.
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
11/12/2018

20. Questions?
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
11/12/2018

21. Does your school or district participate in any awareness raising activities about the important of attendance?
Yes- Absolutely
No- Not sure
OSPI and Krissy has compiled resource.

22. Absence Rules Update OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
11/12/2018

23. 2018-19 Permanent Rule Absence definition
Permanent Rule
Absence definition
Not physically present on school grounds; and
Not participating in the following activities at an approved location:
(i) Instruction;
(ii) Any instruction-related activity; or
(iii) Any other district or school approved activity that is regulated by an instructional/academic accountability system, such as participation in district-sponsored sports. 
Tardies
A school or district shall not convert or combine tardies into absences that contribute to a truancy petition.
Suspensions & Expulsions
Not absent if student receives educational services and student is enrolled in qualifying “course of study” activities as defined in WAC  
Excused absent if student does not received educational services.
Excused definition
New categories added (e.g., migrant, court-ordered activity, foster care/dependency status, counseling appointments or in-patient/out-patient, pregnancy, safety & bullying concerns)
District can create own excused categories
Definition of full day
Full-day absence is 50% or more of student’s scheduled day.
RCW, WAC and CEDARS Manual all align.
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
11/12/2018

24. Resources
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
11/12/2018

25. School Identification and Progress
Study
School Identification and Progress
Support
K-12 System Supports
Serve
School Improvement
Across the SQSS measures we are providing these self-directed tools

26. OSPI Communication & Awareness
Social Media Toolkit- easy to retweet or post social media messages – OSPI sends out weekly suggestions during the month of September, and strategic points throughout the year. Sign up for the Attendance Newsletter.
Posters in multiple languages (hard copy) available for order through our website – we will have magnets for parents, and buttons for kids!
Challenge: 200 of Washington's 295 school district Superintendents signed up for Attendance Works Superintendents Call to Action! 

27. More Resources OSPI Attendance Attendance Works
Attendance Advisory Curriculum
Scripts for Teachers
Family’s Help Bank
Attendance Works
Get Schooled Attendance Calculator
Webinars on Attendance from OSPI’s Graduation: A Team Effort (GATE) Series
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
11/12/2018

28. For More Information Sign up for the OSPI Attendance Newsletter
Krissy Johnson
Attendance Program Supervisor
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Sign up for the OSPI Attendance Newsletter
through GovDelivery!