+ Attendance Tyler Davenport & Aarin Pinkstaff

+ Video Anti-Skipping School Ad from Learn for Life Video Anti-Truancy Champaign Video

+ Model Programs Include… A review of prevention programs for at-risk youth, in addition to research conducted by the Colorado Foundation for Families and Children, has shown there are several critical elements of effective prevention programs. These include the following: Parent/guardian involvement A continuum of services, including meaningful incentives, consequences and supports Collaboration with community resources, such as law enforcement, mental health, mentoring and social services School building-level administrative support and commitment to maintaining youth in the educational mainstream Ongoing evaluation, including meaningful and relevant outcome data geared toward increasing protective factors and reducing risk.

+ What are others doing? Abolish Chronic Truancy (ACT); Los Angeles County, CA ACT is a program that targets K-6th grade students and utilizes progressively intrusive steps to hold children and parents accountable for truancy. 1. Letter is sent home to parents/guardians whose children have school attendance problems 2. Parents/guardians and children are invited to a meeting with the deputy district attorney, also present are community based organizations and school personnel to provide parenting classes, counseling and other needed services 3. Parents/guardians whose children continue to have attendance problems are invited to attend a School Attendance Review Team (SART) 4. Students who continue to have attendance problems are referred to School Attendance Review Board (SARB) 5. If all of the above steps fail, a case will be filed against the parent/guardian and/or child.

+ Who Is Affected? Primary Oregon kindergarteners are chronically absent at higher rates than other elementary school students. In fact the 24 percent chronic absence rate in kindergarten is the same as that for eighth grade. These kindergarten absences are rarely about skipping school and more likely to reflect conditions in a child’s life—chronic illness with little access to health care, unreliable transportation and unstable housing, even homelessness. Secondary Nearly one third of high school students (32 percent) miss 10 percent of the school year. This ranges from 27 percent in ninth grade to 38 percent for seniors. NOTE: Children from Low-SES backgrounds are far more likely to be chronically absent – twice as likely to miss school. Native–American and African–American have higher rates of chronic absences.

+ Why It Matters! Fundamental reading skills Fundamental math skills Building a habit of good attendance that will carry them into college and careers

+ Policies/Laws All students between the ages of 7 and 18, who have not completed the 12 th grade, are required to attended school unless otherwise exempted by the law. Any parent who fails to send a student to school within three day sof notification by the District that their student is not complying with compulsory attendance requirements may be issued a citation for the student’s failure to attend school. Violation is a Class C violation of law and is punishable by a court imposed fine by ORS A District will notify parents/guardians in writing (in their native language), in accordance with law District superintendent has the authority to enforce the provisions of the compulsory attendance law; Failure to send a student to school is a class C Violation; A citation may be issued by the district in the amount to a $150 fine; A conference with the parent and student is required.

+ What We Can Do. Establishing Clear Benchmarks & Expectations Track Data Address Health Needs Fix Transportation Organize Carpools Supply Bus Passes Engage Families – Early Intervention Building Incentives into your CCP

+ Activity What, what, what would you do? Split into level groups Elementary Middle High

+ Resources content/uploads/2010/05/AW-Incentives-two-pager pdf statewide-data-analysis/ Colorado Foundation for Families and Children. (2004). Model Truancy Prevention Programs. Colorado Foundation for Families and Children, 1-3.