ATTENDANCE Perspectives and Ideas from around the County

SOURCES  The information, perspectives, and ideas presented in this presentation were collected from conversations with Administrators, Teachers, Data Managers, School Counselors, and our County Truant Officer.  Common ideas were recirculated through many of these sources and are presented here as recommendations.

WHY IS ATTENDANCE IMPORTANT? Countless reports have consistently determined attendance to be strongly correlated to success. Chronically absent students are at a much higher risk for poor academic performance and dropping out. Students with higher attendance rates have been proven more likely to make higher grades, graduate high school and pursue higher education. There are a variety of reasons students miss school, and this situation can be improved through the actions of school administrations, teachers, and communities.

LOCAL CULTURE  One local manufacturing plant schedules 110% attendance assuming 10% of their employees will call out.  McDowell County’s average overall attendance rate is 90%.  Our work force starts in our schools.

ATTENDANCE IS ADDRESSED FROM TWO ANGLES  Many students have severe hurdles between them and getting to school and the proper implementation of a combination of relevant NC General Statutes and local policies can continue to improve numbers.  Schools have made positive efforts to encourage healthy patterns of attendance amongst their students.

MCDOWELL COUNTY HEALTH COALITION  McDowell County Health Coalition piloted a program last year at WMMS to encourage good attendance. Every nine weeks, they provided incentives to students who had missed an acceptable amount of days. These incentives included a movie break and group games.

EARLY PREVENTION  Several key studies have shown early attendance numbers to strongly predict later attendance patterns by the third grade.  We have to continue to support programs, such as “truancy court,” early on to resolve issues and provide necessary intervention before students set these attendance patterns.

MRS. LYNCH, WEST MARION, ELEM.  ”The school is a warm, inviting, well decorated atmosphere with kind and good people who staff the front desk, right down to the janitors. We have support people who check up on students and even offer to help when emergency transportation is the cause for missing school. Parents are encouraged to reach out and ask for help through contacts from the teacher, to letters home from support people  offering contact numbers and addresses.”

STRONG CORRELATIONS TO CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM  Parent’s lack of education  Split families  Parents who are more friends than parents  Low socioeconomic status  Bullying  Parents had a bad school experience  Trouble fitting in, socially

UNITED ATTENDANCE POLICIES  In speaking with principals, counselors, and other staff, it has often come up that a more united attendance policy would be helpful. In the past, administrators have met about this and valuable discussions have taken place.  It appears that there may be some areas of state statute which could be “narrowed” through local policy and that some of this refinement may be beneficial.  The first step, though, is to ensure everyone involved is well educated about their role within the existing policies and statutes. From there, policy changes will become more obvious.

NC 115C-378: COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE HIGHLIGHTS  “Every parent, guardian or custodian in this state having charge or control of a child between the ages of seven and 16 years shall cause the child to attend school continuously for a period equal to the time which the public school to which the child is assigned shall be in session.”  “No person shall encourage, entice or counsel any child of compulsory school age to be unlawfully absent from school”  “The principal or the principal’s designee shall notify the parent, guardian, or custodian of his or her child’s absences after the child has accumulated three unexcused absences in a school year.”

NC 115C-378: COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE HIGHLIGHTS (CONT.)  “After not more than six unexcused absences, the principal or the principal’s designee shall notify the parent, guardian, or custodian by mail that he or she may be in violation of the Compulsory Attendance Law and may be prosecuted if the absences cannot be justified under the established attendance policies of the State and local boards of education.”  “After 10 accumulated unexcused absences in a school year, the principal or the principal’s designee shall review any report or investigation prepared under G.S. 115C-381 and shall confer with the student and the student’s parent, …” “to determine if [that person] has received notification pursuant to this section and made a good faith effort to comply with the law.”

INTERVENTION  NC General Statute 115C-378 allows us checkpoints with the students and their families at three, six, and ten absences.  As schools continue to notify parents of their possible violation of the NC Compulsory Attendance Law at these checkpoints, we have to continue to use these opportunities to intervene and provide resources and, hopefully, resolutions to their situations. These are opportunities.

ABSENCE FOR ABSENCE?  Students MAY be suspended for truancy.  Judge C. Randy Pool and others have been effective in providing positive, progress minded sentences for students in order to move them forward.  Our goal is to get them to school and, when necessary, catch them up!

MCDOWELL POLICY CODE 4400: ATTENDANCE – EXCUSE NOTES  “When a student must miss school, a written excuse signed by a parent or guardian must be presented to the student’s teacher with three (3) days of the student returning to school after an absence. An absence may be excused for any of the following reasons.  Personal illness or injury that makes the student physically unable to attend school.  Isolation ordered by the State Board of Health.  Death in the immediate family.  Medical or dental appointment.  Participation under subpoena as a witness in a court proceeding.”

MCDOWELL POLICY CODE 4400: ATTENDANCE-EXCUSE NOTES (CONT.)  “A maximum of two days each academic year for observance of an event required or suggested by the religion of the student or the student’s parent(s). The student  A maximum of two days each academic year for observance of an event required or suggested by the religion of the student or the student’s parent(s). The student will have the opportunity to make up any tests or other work missed due to the excused absence for a religious observance.  Participation in a valid educational opportunity, such as travel or service as a legislative or Governor’s page, with prior approval from the principal.  Pregnancy and related conditions or parenting, when medically necessary.”

DAILY PROCEDURES  Mr. Brian Price, our truancy officer, has a particular perspective on teacher attendance taking. He says that every click on the computer for attendance builds more of a future case toward the intervention and resolution of a student’s issues.  Schools have different methods of turning in excuse notes and the High School, in particular has an interesting procedure. They utilize a folder system which is a part of the regular routine for the teachers by which the notes are taken up and recorded centrally.

THE 10-DAY RULE  Several schools practice a rule of reviewing a student’s absences at ten days, whether they are excused or unexcused. As the student needs to be in the classroom, this provides a checkpoint into their situation.  Most Schools have a variation on a ten day rule.  This isn’t official policy in McDowell County, but has been beneficial at the school level.

UNLIMITED EXCUSES  Under our current NC General Statutes and Local Policies, students can supply an unlimited number of excuse notes. Their absences may be excused, but their academics grow exponentially irreparable.  Set a limit to the number of excused absences which can be accumulated. A sample of the recommended change could be: “After seven total absences within one academic year, excuses will not be accepted.” At this point, their next absences all work toward school interventions at three, six, and ten days where the school can provide support to the family and student.  Principals and the Superintendent retain the ability to excuse students’ absences in qualifying circumstances.

GENERAL IDEAS  Keep providing incentives to improve attendance.  Place an emphasis on attendance at the earliest levels and early programs which are already in place.  Reeducate EVERYONE, including parents and teachers, about the required processes, including the importance of accurate excuse note records and turning in notes “with three days.” This can be a brief, but effective situation.  Introduce local policy which eliminates the possibility for unlimited excused absences.  Invite positive, specialized resources, such as Officer Brian Price or attendance counselors, to attendance discussions.  Focus on positive, academic opportunities as opposed to negative consequences.

Let’s get those students to school!