Marshall Public Schools Student Attendance Presentation ~Interventions~

Why it’s important… Absenteeism in the first month of school can predict poor attendance throughout the school year. Half the students who miss 2-4 days in September go on to miss nearly a month of school. An estimated 5 million to 7.5 million U.S. students miss nearly a month of school each year.  Absenteeism and its ill effects start early. One in 10 kindergarten and first grade students are chronically absent.  By 6th grade, chronic absence becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.  Research shows that missing 10 percent of the school, or about 18 days in most school districts, negatively affects a student’s academic performance. That’s just two days a month and that’s known as chronic absence.  The academic impact of missing that much school is the same whether the absences are excused or unexcused. Suspensions also add to lost time in the classroom. Low-income students are four times more likely to be chronically absent than others often for reasons beyond their control, such as unstable housing, unreliable transportation and a lack of access to health care.  When students improve their attendance rates, they improve their academic prospects and chances for graduating.  www.attendanceworks.org

Park Side and West Side Interventions Monitor Attendance Data Provide Personalized Early Outreach Engage Parents Identify Barriers and Assist with Solutions Monitor Attendance Data: As the research reads… early intervention is key. Early Outreach: As soon as we see a pattern we contact parents – set up meeting, offer resources, identify barrier Engage Parents: Parents may not realize that even excused absences can, if they accumulate, cause their children to fall behind and that building the habit of attendance in the early grades can influence their children’s chances of graduating from high school. Cannot replicate learning experiences and social interaction.

Park Side Elementary: Number of Students Absent Excused Per Span Chronically Absent = 15+ days

What we want parents to know… We are partners in your child’s education: Good attendance habits start early and are developed for a life time… The effects of excused/unexcused absences are the same… Don’t let your child stay home unless he/she is truly sick. Keep in mind complaints of a stomach ache or headache can be a sign of anxiety or other issues… If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to your child’s teacher, school social worker, or other parents for advice on how to make him/her feel comfortable and excited about learning… It is very difficult to replicate the learning activities and social interaction they miss when not in school...

Middle School Interventions PBIS program to educate the importance of attendance to be proactive rather than reactive Parent communication of expectation if we see absences increase by a student Meeting with student, parent, counselor, and administration Utilization of Parent Student Connectors to reach out to families School Resource Officer for home visits Student meetings with Counselors and Administration

High School Interventions Changes for 16-17 Appointment verification Restorative components 

MATEC Interventions After 3 absences meet with student to discuss absences and offer support (letter sent home to parents) After 5 absences meet with student, call parents to discuss absences and offer support (letter sent home to parents) After 7 absences send letter home, follow truancy procedures On individual basis (based on circumstances of students) we provide alarm clocks, arrange rides, and in some instances collect students