Supervisors of Attendance: New Duties with a Focus on a Data-Driven, Three-tiered Approach to Reducing Chronic Absenteeism and Accountability Measured with the California Dashboard January 14, 2019

Objectives for Supervisors of Attendance Participants will be trained to: Identify key elements of the new role for supervisors of attendance. Identify best practices for reducing chronic absenteeism rates as measured by the California Dashboard. Incorporate positive parent messaging into existing systems of support which can help achieve Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) goals.

Original Duties of Supervisors of Attendance from 1976, California Education Code Section 48240 “The board of education of any school district and of any county shall appoint a supervisor of attendance and such supervisors of attendance as may be necessary to supervise the attendance of pupils in the district or county. The board of education shall prescribe the duties of the supervisor of attendance and assistant supervisors of attendance, not inconsistent with law, to include, among other duties that may be required by the board, those specific duties related to compulsory full-time, truancy,

Original Duties of Supervisors of Attendance from 1976,California Education Code Section 48240 (Cont.) work permits, compulsory continuation education, and opportunity schools, classes and programs, now required of such attendance supervisors by this chapter and Article 4 (commencing with Section 48450) of Chapter 3 and Article 2 (commencing with Section 48640) of Chapter 4 of this part.”

State School Attendance Review Board Recommendation The State SARB recommended an update to the duties of supervisors of attendance to reflect the shift in focus from truancy rates to chronic absenteeism rates, as well as to identify the new data-driven strategies and best practices of attendance supervision. Assembly Bill 2815 was modeled after Senate Bill 451 which updated the old duties of school counselors to reflect new data-driven strategies in school counseling.

State School Attendance Review Board Recommendation (Cont.) The bill was drafted by State SARB members in fall 2015 with an awareness on accountability for reducing subgroup chronic absenteeism rates and the future development of the California Dashboard. Sponsored by Assembly Member Patrick O’Donnell: “It is time to update the duties of attendance supervisors as facilitators of pupil attendance rather than simple enforcement officials.”

Key Supporters of Assembly Bill 2815 State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) Tom Torlakson, California Attorney General Kamala Harris, Association of California School Administrators, California Association of Supervisors Child Welfare and Attendance, and Children Now led support for updating the duties of supervisors of attendance.

Key Supporters of Assembly Bill 2815 (Cont.) SSPI Tom Torlakson wrote in his letter of support: “While current law does recognize the importance of attendance supervisors, it does not include a focus on preventing truancy by improving school climate and analyzing chronic absence data to provide early identification of high-risk students for early intervention and access to appropriate school and community services. Attendance supervisors are key personnel in our efforts to reduce truancy and chronic absenteeism, and establishing alternatives to out-of-school suspensions.”

Raising Awareness of the Effects of Chronic Absenteeism The first new duty in AB 2815 is to raise awareness of the effects of chronic absenteeism and truancy. Research suggests that a tiered approach to supervising attendance should begin with a strong communication strategy to parents that would attempt first to prevent unnecessary absences and then later intervene effectively when necessary (see the letter from the TUHSD Team).

Raising Awareness of the Effects of Chronic Absenteeism (Cont. 1) Supervision of attendance begins by raising the awareness of all stakeholders about the link between attendance and academic achievement, reading levels, and graduation rates. This could include professional development to administrators, teachers, and support staff about communication strategies. Supervisors of attendance can raise awareness by sharing school and district data with stakeholders to help set LCAP chronic absenteeism goals.

Raising Awareness of the Effects of Chronic Absenteeism (Cont. 2) Supervisors may provide professional development to all administrators, teachers, and support staff on strategies for communication with parents, guardians, and caregivers of chronic absentees and habitual truants. Attendance Works has great PowerPoints, videos, banners, and other materials available for free.

Intent of the Legislature for New Duties of Supervisors of Attendance California Education Code (EC) Section 48240: (b) It is the intent of the Legislature that in performing his or her duties, the supervisor of attendance promotes a culture of attendance and establishes a system to accurately track pupil attendance in order to achieve all of the following: (1) Raise the awareness of school personnel, parents, guardians, caregivers, community partners, and local businesses of the effects of chronic absenteeism and truancy and other challenges associated with poor attendance.

Intent of the Legislature for Supervisors of Attendance EC Section 48240(b): (2) Identify and respond to grade level or pupil subgroup patterns of chronic absenteeism or truancy. (3) Identify and address factors contributing to chronic absenteeism and habitual truancy, including suspension and expulsion. (4) Ensure that pupils with attendance problems are identified as early as possible to provide applicable support services and interventions.

Intent of the Legislature for Supervisors of Attendance (Cont.) EC Section 48240(b): (5) Evaluate the effectiveness of strategies implemented to reduce chronic absenteeism rates and truancy rates.

Equity as a Funding Principle for Supervisors of Attendance DataQuest chronic absenteeism rates show that all student racial/ethnic subgroups and program subgroups do not need the same support when it comes to reducing chronic absenteeism rates. American Indian, African American, and Pacific Islander subgroups need more support as well as foster youth, homeless youth, and students with disabilities. Making sure all student subgroups have access to school requires an increased level of support to specific groups.

Chronic Absenteeism: The New Accountability Indicator for Supervisors of Attendance and for Schools and Districts In September 2016, the State Board of Education approved a new evaluation rubric for holding schools and districts accountable for the eight state priorities identified in the Local Control Funding Formula, including chronic absenteeism rates in Priority 5. In September 2018, the State Board approved the methodology for counting chronic absentees in grades K-8 who were enrolled for at least 31 instructional days in the California Dashboard.

Accountability for Supervisors of Attendance The California Dashboard Chronic Absenteeism Indicator is based on cutoff scores for the levels of chronic absenteeism as well a measure of change from the previous year. The Chronic Absenteeism Indicator is an important new component of the California Dashboard for supervisors of attendance.

Chronic Absenteeism Grades K-8 For the Dashboard, a chronic absentee must be enrolled for a minimum of 31 instructional days and attend at least one day. Schools with less than 150 students do not have an “Increased Significantly” or “Decreased Significantly” column to reduce large swings based on few students.

California Dashboard

Chronic Absenteeism by Subgroup Some groups of students are 2 to 3 times more likely to be chronically absent in schools and in districts: Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, African Americans, Foster Children, Homeless Children, Students with Disabilities

Support Services and Interventions Used by Supervisors of Attendance EC Section 48240: (c) The supervisor of attendance may provide support services and interventions, which may include, but are not limited to, any or all of the following: (1) A Conference between school personnel, the pupil’s parent or guardian, and the pupil. (2) Promoting co-curricular and extracurricular activities that increase pupil connectedness to school, such as tutoring, mentoring, the arts, service learning, or athletics.

Support Services and Interventions Used by Supervisors of Attendance (Cont. 1) (3) Recognizing pupils who achieve excellent attendance or demonstrate significant improvement in attendance., EC Section 48240(c): (4) Referral to a school nurse, school counselor, school psychologist, school social worker, or other pupil support personnel for case management and counseling.

Support Services and Interventions Used by Supervisors of Attendance (Cont. 2) EC Section 48240(c): (5) Collaboration with child welfare services, law enforcement, courts, public health care agencies, or government agencies, or medical, mental health, and oral health providers to receive necessary services. (6) Collaborating with school study teams, guidance teams, school attendance review teams, or other intervention-related teams to assess the attendance or behavior problem in partnership with the pupil and his or her parents, guardians, or caregivers.

Support Services and Interventions Used by Supervisors of Attendance (Cont. 3) EC Section 48240(c): (7) In schools with significantly higher rates of chronic absenteeism, identify barriers to attendance that may require schoolwide strategies rather than case management.

Support Services and Interventions Used by Supervisors of Attendance (Cont. 4) EC Section 48240(c): (8) Referral for a comprehensive psychosocial or psychoeducational assessment, including for purposes of creating an individualized educational education program for an individual with exceptional needs, as that term is defined in Section 56026, or plan adopted for a qualified handicapped person, as that term is defined in regulations promulgated by the United States Department of Education pursuant to Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1073 (29 U.S.C. Sec. 794).

Support Services and Interventions Used by Supervisors of Attendance (Cont. 5) EC Section 48240(c): (9) Referral to a school attendance review board established by the county or by a school district pursuant to Section 48321 or to the probation department pursuant to Section 48263. (10) Referral to a truancy mediation program operated by the county’s district attorney or probation officer pursuant to Section 48260.6.

Three Tiers to Reduce Chronic Absence: Tier 1 Tier 1: Prevention To improve overall attendance and prevent chronic absence, school staff members: Recognize good and improved attendance of schools, classes, and individual students Educate and engage all students with an awareness of school attendance, especially during September (Attendance Awareness Month).

Three Tiers to Reduce Chronic Absence: Tier 2 Tier 2: Early Intervention For students missing 10 percent or more of days enrolled, school staff members: Notify parents of the consequences of poor school attendance Provide personalized early outreach, such as a home visit Meet with the student and family at the school to develop a plan for overcoming barriers to regular attendance Offer an attendance mentor or buddy at the school

Three Tiers to Reduce Chronic Absence: Tier 3 Tier 3: Intensive Intervention For students missing 20 percent or more of days enrolled, principals: Refer persistent cases for intensive case management that combines the expertise and resources of all School Attendance Review Board (SARB) members and the agencies they represent

CDE’s View of Three Tiers

There Are Many Reasons Why Kids Are Chronically Absent There Are Many Reasons Why Kids Are Chronically Absent. One Reason Is Parental Misunderstandings. Reasons: Parental stressors Transportation issues School/neighborhood safety (e.g., bullying) Chronic illness (e.g., asthma) Sibling effect Parental misunderstandings

These misunderstandings have consequences. There Are Many Reasons Why Kids Are Chronically Absent. One Reason Is Parental Misunderstandings. (Cont.) Examples of Misunderstandings: Early grades are not as important Students will catch up Only consecutive absences have a negative impact Absences are fine as long as they sign off Attendance is more about legal compliance These misunderstandings have consequences.

We Need to Address Misunderstandings and Reset Baselines Example of a Misunderstanding “My child can easily make up for a missed day by completing a homework packet or makeup assignment.” How We Can Address There are some things learned in school that cannot be made up at home.”

We Need to Address Misunderstandings and Reset Baselines (Cont.) Current Baseline “Most of my child’s classmates are absent at least as much as my child (10+ days).” How Can We Address “Missing just two days per month puts your child on track to having far more absences than average.”

We Need to Make Long-Term Consequences More Concrete Chronic absences is one of the strongest predictors of dropping out, even more than suspension and test scores. Seventy-three percent of students chronically absent in kindergarten and first grade are unable to meet the California standards for English Language Arts in third grade

We Need to Make Long-Term Consequences More Concrete (Cont.) Kids that do not read on-level are four times more likely to drop out of high school Students without a diploma are eight times more likely to be incarcerated

Schools Inadvertently Reinforce Some Negative Behaviors (Cont. 1) School Behaviors that reinforce absenteeism: Impersonal letters Teachers send work home in response to absences Teachers do not address absenteeism issue with the parent Parents do not feel their child is safe in school High levels of absenteeism in the class Reinforce parents’ existing attitudes and behaviors toward absences

Schools Inadvertently Reinforce Some Negative Behaviors (Cont. 2) Impersonal letters: Easy to disregard Many parents felt the school miscounted—but parents could not verify because they weren’t tracking absences Many parents felt that the school did not understand them

Schools Inadvertently Reinforce Some Negative Behaviors (Cont. 3) Sending Work Home: Parents thought that completing a makeup packet caught their child up for the missed day’s work Teachers Not Addressing Absenteeism: Most parents reported that they regularly communicate with their children’s teacher, but never about absences

Model School Attendance Review Board Recognition Program Identifies and recognizes results-based school attendance improvement programs at the district or county level. Model SARBs serve as mentors to other SARBs throughout the state.

Model School Attendance Review Board Recognition Program (Cont.) SARBs are encouraged to apply to become a Model SARB. The 2018–19 application and scoring rubric are available on the California Department of Education (CDE) Model SARB Recognition Program web page at: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ai/sb/modelrecogniti on.asp.

Certification of District Supervisors of Attendance Legislators adopted a licensing law to ensure that districts with 1,000 or more students would have to appoint qualified supervisors of attendance. EC Section 48245 states: In any district or districts with an average daily attendance of 1,000 or more school children, according to the annual report of the last preceding school year, no district supervisor of attendance shall be appointed, unless he has been lawfully certificated for the work by the county board of education. (Operative 1977)

Contact Information David Kopperud Education Programs Consultant, California Department of Education 916-323-1028 dkopperud@cde.ca.gov