1. How does Chronic Absenteeism impact my child? Windham Public Schools
Presenters:
William Chaffin Suzanne Krach
Asst. Superintendent Asst. Dir. of Pupil Services
Windham Public Schools

2. What is Chronic Absenteeism?
What is Chronic Absence? It’s missing 10% or more of the school year for any reason. Unlike truancy, which is when student has unexcused absences, chronic absence looks at excused absences too.

3. New Legislation Regarding Chronic Absenteeism P.A. 15-224, Eff. 7/1/15
The new Act Concerning Chronic Absenteeism defines a chronically absent child as one whose total number of absences at any time during the school year is equal or greater than 10% of the total number of days such student has been enrolled in school during that school year.

4. Chronic Absenteeism: A Hidden National Crisis
Nationwide, as many as 7.5 million students miss nearly a month of school every year. That’s 135 million days of lost time in the classroom.
As many as one in four students are missing that much school.
Chronic absenteeism is a red alert that students are headed for academic trouble and eventually dropping out of high school.
Poor attendance isn’t just a problem in high school. It can start as early as pre-school.
Last year in Windham, one out of ____ students was chronically absent.

5. Bringing Attendance Home Video
It’s easy not to notice when your child may be missing too much school. 10% of a school year is 18 days of absence. That sounds like a lot but when you break it down, that’s just two days a month. Most parents don’t get too stressed out if their child misses tow days of class in a month. But when it happens month after month, it becomes a problem.

6. Reactions to the Video
What do you think of the video’s statement about the consequences of chronic absence?
ABSENCES ADD UP
Chronic Absenteeism
18 days of absence a year =
2 days each month

7. Activity
Split into pairs and reflect on what it takes to get a child or children to school every day.
What makes it hard for you as a parent to get your child or children to school everyday?
If your not the parent of a school-age child, what have you observed to be challenges for their neighbors?
What motivates and helps you to get your child to school despite these challenges?
If your not the parent of a school-age child, what motivates and helps your neighbor to get their child to school despite these morning challenges?

8. Why Are Students Missing So Much School?

9. What does Research Say?

10. Students Chronically Absent in Kindergarten and 1st Grade are Much Less Likely to Read Proficiently in 3rd Grade
Do you agree with the statement: Good attendance is critical in high school – it matters less in elementary school.
A lot of times we think it’s okay to msis a lot of days in elementary school. But here’s what we’ve learned from research: Missing 18 days in kindergarten or first grade makes it much harder for children to read well. The bar graph on the left are students who had satisfactory attendace. 64% were reading proficiently by 3rd grade. On the right, students who were chronically absent – only 17% were reading proficiently by 3rd grade.
This research conducted on a cohort of 640 students in San Mateo and Santa Clara offers evidence that chronic early absence can profoundly affect early school success. The bar on the far right shows only 17% of students chronically absent in both kindergarten and 1st read proficiently at the end of 3rd grade as compared to 64% of students who missed 5% or less of school in both K and 1.
No risk
Missed less than 5% of school in K & 1st
Small risk
Missed 5-9% of days in both K & 1st
Moderate risk
Missed 5-9% of days in 1 year &10 % in 1 year
High risk
Missed 10% or more in K & 1st
Source: Applied Survey Research & Attendance Works (April 2011)

11. The Long-Term Impact of Chronic Kindergarten Absence is Most Troubling for Poor Children
5th Grade Math and Reading performance by K attendance for children living In poverty. Academic performance was lower even if attendance had improved in 3rd grade.
In any case, what we know is that that when children are young – it is children in poverty, who don’t have the resources to make up for time lost on task, who are affected most profoundly. In addition, children in poverty are more likely to face the kind of barriers– poor transportation, unstable housing or homelessness, lack of access to health care, etc. that cause children to be chronically absent for more than 1 year. This data suggests that we are losing some children as early as kindergarten. And, if they missed so much school that they aren’t reading by the end of 3rd grade, then even though attendance improves– they still fall behind or can’t catch up because they can’t read to learn. These children are likely to be the hardest to reach and help.
Source: ECLS-K data analyzed by National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP)
Note: Average academic performance reflects results of direct cognitive assessments conducted for ECLS-K.

12. Multiple Years of Elementary Chronic Absence
= Worse Middle School Outcomes
Each year of chronic absence in elementary school is associated with a substantially higher probability of chronic absence in 6th grade
18.0x
Chronic absence in 1st grade is also associated with:
Lower 6th grade test scores
Higher levels of suspension
Increase in probability of 6th grade chronic absence
7.8x
5.9x
Years of Chronic Absence in Grades 1-5
Oakland Unified School District SY , Analysis By Attendance Works

13. The Effects of Chronic Absence on Dropout Rates Are Cumulative
With every year of chronic absenteeism, a higher percentage of students dropped out of school.

14. Absenteeism In 9th Grade

15. Chronic absence in high school predicts lower college persistence
In Rhode Island, only 11% of chronically absent high school students persisted into a 2nd year of college vs 51% of those with low absences.
Rhode Island Data Hub: May 2014

16. Lots of Kids Are Living The Same Story
It’s easy not to notice when your child may be missing too much school. 10% of a school year is 18 days of absence. That sounds like a lot but when you break it down, that’s just two days a month. Most parents don’t get too stressed out if their child misses tow days of class in a month. But when it happens month after month, it becomes a problem.

17. What Does It Take To Get a Child To School Every Day?
1. Family Practices
Families nurture a habit of attendance at home
2. Social Capital
Helpers who are relatives, friends, neighbors
4. Community Services
Availability of services like transportation, health services, affordable stable housing, etc.
3. Schools
Teachers, nurses, counselors, administrators, etc.

18. 1. Family Practices
What are some things you already do to help get your child to school every day?
What are some reasons children might miss school and steps you can take to support your child’s attendance?
Some possible ideas…
Set a regular bedtime and morning routine to make sure children get enough sleep and wake up ready for school
Make medical appointments when school is not in session
Avoid taking vacation when school is in session
Send your child to school every day unless they are truly sick
Develop backup plans for getting your child to school if something comes up

19. 2. Social Capital
What are some ways you can think of to call on friends or other families to help you get your children to school? Who can you call on to consistently help? To occasionally help?
How can you help other families?

20. 3. Schools
What are some ways our schools can help families with attendance?
How can we hold our schools accountable for attendance?

21. 4. Community Services
Lack of reliable transportation or housing and health concerns are barriers that families cannot easily tackle alone. Do families in your school face these barriers to good attendance?  
What are some other barriers that families in our school face?
What organizations offer services that can help address these barriers?

22. Video – What it takes?

23. How is Windham Handling This?
Attendance review teams may include administrators, guidance counselors, school social workers, teachers and representatives from community-based programs who address truancy and attendance issues.
Teams must review cases of truant and chronically absent children, discuss school interventions and community referrals, and make recommendations for such students and parents/guardians.
Teams must meet at least weekly.

24. Informing Parents

25. Review Student Attendance Success Plan
Develop Your Child’s Attendance Goal
Develop Strategies To Reach The Attendance Goal
Identify Your Family’s Help Bank
Discuss The Value

26. What is one key idea that you will take away with you and share with another parent?

27. State Guidelines For Unexcused / Excused Absences
A student is considered to be “in attendance” if present at his/her assigned school, or an activity sponsored by the school (e.g., field trip), for at least half of the regular school day.
According to this policy, a student who is not “in attendance” is considered absent. The State Board definitions of excused and unexcused absences apply only to those absences that meet the standards of the above policy

28. The State BOE definitions establish two levels of criteria for an absence to be considered an excused absence (see table below).

29. ATTENDANCE Student/Parent Responsibilities:
It is the responsibility of all parents/guardians to monitor the attendance of their child. School assistance is available as needed.
Report all absences and tardies to the attendance office in writing. The note must include the date and reason. Per the State BOE, only the first 9 absences can be excused via parent’s notes. If you are attending a medical or legal appointment, please bring a note from the medical official or legal representative. Absences must be reported within 5 days.
If a student must leave the building for an appointment, a dated note from a parent should be submitted to the Attendance office the morning of the appointment. The note must include the date and a phone number that may be used for verification. Upon verification, the student will receive a pass from the attendance coordinator.

30. WHAT IS TRUANCY?
Any unexcused absence from school is considered truancy, but states enact their own school attendance laws.
State law determines:
The age at which a child is required to begin attending school.
The age at which a child may legally drop out of school.
The number of unexcused absences at which a student is considered legally truant.

31. Truancy Policy:
Windham Public Schools recognizes the importance of early intervention for students exhibiting truant behavior. By the statute (section a) a student is “truant” if he or she has four (4) unexcused absences in one month, or ten (10) in a year. A “habitual truant” means any student, aged 5-18, who has twenty (20) unexcused absences within a school year.