1. Webinar: Reducing Chronic Absenteeism: The Power of Afterschool Programs to Improve School Attendance Tuesday, June 1, 2011 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. EST

2. www.nlc.org Webinar speakers: (listed in order of presentations) Moderator: Meeta Sharma-Holt, National League of Cities Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works Jeanne Y. Miller, Director, SHINE After-school Program Ellie Mitchell, Director, Maryland Out-of-School Time Network ( MOST) 2

3. www.nlc.org Introductions 3

4. www.nlc.org Introductions: Attendance Works Hedy Chang,Director, Attendance Works Attendance Works is a national and state initiative that promotes awareness of the important role that school attendance plays in achieving academic success. It aims to ensure that schools and communities not only monitor chronic absence but also intervene to ensure children are in school so they can learn. 4

5. www.nlc.org Attendance Works: Background Continued Founded in January 2010, Attendance Works seeks to: I.Build public awareness and political will about the need to address chronic absence II.Foster state campaigns to advance state and local policy III.Encourage local practice by showcasing examples of what works, offering on-line tools and increasing the availability of needed technical assistance. 5

6. www.nlc.org Introductions: SHINE Jeanne Y. Miller, Director Lehigh Carbon Community College SHINE After-School Program The SHINE 21st Century After-School Program is located in rural Northeast PA and provides educational services to children in 5 public schools and 4 parochial schools covering over 430 square miles. Almost 500 children and 1, 000 adults are served throughout the school year and during summer program. SHINE is funded through the PA Department of Education 21st Century learning Centers, PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency and various state and local funders. SHINE enacted attendance tracking measures as part of its afterschool operations because it serves students that are at high risk for chronic absenteeism. 6

7. www.nlc.org SHINE: Background Continued Demographics 100% are referred for academic reasons 86% come from low income families 35% are already in/were in Children & Youth or Foster Care 23% have IEP’s (Special Education Eligible) 74% have special/remedial needs (Title 1, ADHD, IEP) 17% are minorities 57% of SHINE students have participated in the program 2 – 4 years Logistics Centers: M-Thurs 3:30pm- 6:30pm Professional Development: 1st Friday of the Month Kindergarten: Weekly Home Visits Summer Programs: Camps & 1st – 5th grade home visits Family Education Plans Individual Plans for All Children 7

8. www.nlc.org Introductions: MOST Ellie Mitchell, Director Maryland Out-of-School Time Network (MOST) Comprised of community members and groups campaigning for expanded funding, more effective policies, and increased program quality to ensure all young people in Maryland have access to activities in the out of school hours that enable them to achieve in all stages of their development. Provides a place to exchange information, test out new ideas, share best practice information, and develop and implement a movement that successfully convinces policy makers to make the network’s goals a reality. 8

9. www.nlc.org MOST: Background Continued Participation in Attendance Works Chronic Absence TA Project for Statewide Afterschool Network: –Survey –Training Modules/Handouts –Program Self Assessment Tool Participation in Baltimore Student Attendance Initiative 9

10. www.nlc.org Why should the afterschool field care about the about chronic absence and the link to low academic success? QUESTION #1: 10

11. 11 Why Does Attendance Matter for OST? 1.Research and field experience show OST can help improve attendance in school. 2.Focusing on attendance can improve collaboration with schools 3.By ↑school day attendance, OST can improve the academic success and reduce drop-out.

12. 12 Research Shows Impact of OST 7 th and 8 th graders attending afterschool programs at a Boys & Girls Club skipped school fewer times, increased school effort and gained academic confidence. (2009) Afterschool participants attending Pathways to Progress in Minneapolis and St. Paul came to school an average 18.4 more days than their peers. (2004) School-day attendance improved for students in California’s Afterschool Learning and Safe Neighborhoods Partnerships Program. Students absent 10 % of the year came another 11 days. (2002).

13. 13 High Quality OST Programs Provide socialization and peer attention in a supervised venue Re-establish the link between effort and results—first in a non-school activity Engage students in challenging activities that help them develop persistence. Provide consistent contact with caring, stable adults. Increasing a sense of belonging at school.

14. 14 Chronic Early Absence (missing 10% of school for any reason) Can Have A Long Term Impact, Especially for Poor Children 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. 5 th Grade Math and Reading Performance By K Attendance Chronic K Absence predicted lower 5 th grade performance even if attendance had improved in 3 rd grade.

15. 15 Chronic Absence Is More Common For Low-Income Children  Poor children are 4 X more likely to be chronically absent in K than their highest income peers.  Children in poverty are more likely to face systemic barriers to school:  Unstable Housing  Poor Transportation  Inadequate Food and Clothing,  Lack of Safe Paths to School Due to Neighborhood Violence  Chaotic Schools with Poor Quality Programs, etc. * (Romero & Lee 2007 )

16. 16 Chronic Absence is Especially Challenging for Low-Income Children  Kindergarten and 1st grade can reduce the achievement gap for low-income vs. middle class students, but only if they attend school regularly. (Ready 2010)  The negative impact of absences on literacy is 75% larger for low-income children whose families often lack resources to make up lost time on task. (Ready 2010)  Only 17% of low-income children in the United States read proficiently by 4th grade. (NAEP 2009)

17. 17 Chronically Absent 6th Graders Have Lower Graduation Rates Dropout Rates by Sixth Grade Attendance (Baltimore City Public Schools, 1990-00 Sixth Grade Cohort) Severely Chronically Absent Chronically Absent Not Chronically Absent Source: Baltimore Education Research Consortium SY 2009-2010

18. 18 9th Grade Attendance Predicts Graduation for Students of All Economic Backgrounds Note: This Chicago study found attendance was a stronger graduation predictor than 8th grade test scores. Source: Allensworth & Easton, What Matters for Staying On-Track and Graduating in Chicago Public Schools, Consortium on Chicago School Research at U of C, July 2007 Need to recolor chart

19. 19 Chronic Absence Can Reach High Levels A 407 alert is issued when student misses 10 consecutive days or 20 days over a 40 day period. It misses more sporadic absence. 1 out of 5 elementary school children were chronically absent. Source: Nauer K et al, Strengthening Schools by Strengthening Families, Center for New York City Affairs New School, Oct 2008 New York City Schools

20. 20 Schools + Communities CAN Make a Difference Characteristics of Successful Attendance Initiatives  Partner with community agencies to help parents carry out their responsibility to get children to school.  Make attendance a priority, set targets and monitor progress over time.  Examine factors contributing to chronic absence, especially from parent and student perspectives.  Clearly communicate expectations to parents.  Begin early, ideally in Pre-K.  Combine universal strategies that create and engaged learning environment & build a culture of attendance with targeted interventions.  Offer positive supports before punitive action.

21. 21 Improving Attendance Takes an Integrated Approach Universal Attendance Supports  Safe and supportive school environment  Inviting and engaging classroom environment  Intentional family involvement and participation  Accurate roll taking every day in a caring manner  Rapid parent contact for unexplained absences  Recognition for good and improved attendance  Collaboration with afterschool programs and early childhood programs to build a culture of attendance  Increased access to school based health supports  A school plan and budget that reflects high attendance priorities Individual Assessments and Intervention  Refer chronically absent/ truant students for intervention  Identify and remove barriers  Provide on-going support Recovery Strategies  Interagency Staffing  Case management and wrap-around services  Referral as last resort for court -based intervention Baltimore Student Attendance Work Group adapted from Scott Perry, Attendance Audit, Oregon

22. 70-73% of the students enrolled in SHINE Program over the past 5 years improved, didn’t need to improve or maintained gains in attendance from previous years 88% of the students were regular attendees as compared to below 60% nationally for 21 st Century After-School Programs 77% of the parents surveyed over the past 5 years said the SHINE program improved school attendance 93% of the students who attended SHINE 90 days or more had exceptional or satisfactory attendance 96% of the students over the past 5 years were promoted to the next grade 78% of the SHINE students demonstrated improvement in academic performance Math Report Card Grades: Over the past 4 years, 88% of the children had passing grades, out of those children almost 60% were Above Average or Superior grades. Reading Report Card Grades: over the past 4 years, 83% had passing grades, out of those children 48% had Above Average or Superior. *Students in the SHINE Program are highly at-risk for chronic absenteeism Improved Attendance = Improved Academics 22

23. Baltimore OST Participants Less Likely to Be Chronically Absent 2009-2010 Family League of Baltimore City Funded Afterschool Programs 23

24. Baltimore OST Participants More Likely to Be High Attenders 2009-2010 Family League of Baltimore City Funded Afterschool Programs 24

25. www.nlc.org Why should the afterschool field care about the about chronic absence and the link to low academic success? QUESTION #1: 25

26. www.nlc.org Have any of you found especially effective strategies for using afterschool to improve school day attendance? QUESTION #2: 26

27. SHINE Strategies Current Strategies Parents Sign a Contract – Parent Teacher Agreement & Handbook No School / No SHINE Build a Positive Relationship with Parents Before any Attendance Problems Occur Middle of the Year Letter – Importance of Attendance – Policy Reminder Incentive Program: 90% Data Collection  Center Teachers Fax weekly – Entered into Data Base for the Month – Teachers Receive Monthly Reports  Report Includes: Average Daily Attendance and the % Each Child Attends During the Month  Teachers Receive Report Cards i.e. Attendance Every Nine Weeks From Schools  Independent Evaluator 27

28. 1.Intentional Plan to collect and & evaluate data 2.Set goals – Teachers (Centers) – Parents (Incentives) 3.Summer Home-Visiting Program- Parent Involvement 4.The more students attend SHINE the better they do in school SHINE Lessons Learned 28

29. Moving to Intentional Focus on Attendance in OST Programs Providing Training on Strategies for OST Providers to ▫ Improve program attendance practice ▫ Get and use school day attendance data ▫ Work with schools and parents to address attendance barriers Facilitating data sharing between schools and OST programs ▫ Offer OST programs guidance on FERPA ▫ Provide data sharing templates and models 29

30. www.nlc.org Have any of you found especially effective strategies for using afterschool to improve school day attendance? QUESTION #2: 30

31. www.nlc.org What barriers have you encountered in advancing your work in this area and what recommendations do you have for others to overcome the barriers? QUESTION #3: 31

32. 1.Building relationships early with school administrators 2.Why after-school is an important partner/extension to the regular school day? 3.Data collection- organized system 4.Now they will need you more than ever with funding cuts 32

33. Strengthening OST Practice on Program & School Day Attendance Strengths Weakness 83.3% believe it is Extremely Important the OST program actively encourage school-day attendance 73.3% will use program attendance data to reach out to students and parents 83.2% or respondents say that schools know which youth are enrolled in programs Only 30.8% use school day attendance to recruit students who may need extra support 67.8% don't receive attendance data from schools 60% are not sharing their program attendance with schools 2011 MOST Network Survey of OST Providers, N = 118 33

34. www.nlc.org What barriers have you encountered in advancing your work in this area and what recommendations do you have for others to overcome the barriers? QUESTION #3: 34

35. www.nlc.org What is the role of policymakers in advancing this work? QUESTION #4: 35

36. 36 1.Analyze and report on levels of chronic absence 2.Make student attendance a community priority 4.Nurture a culture of attendance via public education campaign, rewarding good & improved attendance, & leveraging investment in afterschool & early childhood education. 5.Identify and address barriers to school attendance 6.Use chronic absence to allocate relevant resources including afterschool programming What Can Cities Do? Partner with Schools to:

37. 37 Interagency task force Celebrity Wake Up Calls & PSAs 25 Pilot Schools –Principal data dashboard –Weekly attendance review teams –Success mentors (working w/15 -20 students) –Attendance Incentives & School Wide Events –Collaboration with health dept, homeless shelters and faith-based organizations Promising Example: New York City

38. 38 Reducing Chronic Absence Starting in the Early Grades: An Essential Ingredient for Promoting Success in School A Toolkit for Cities Will include: Guidance on 5 effective strategies Templates for data collection Sample power points Case studies of exemplary efforts Available in June at Attendanceworks.org

39. Additional Opportunities in OST for work around attendance: Peer to Peer Influence – Engaging youth as ambassadors for attendance, support and facilitate youth led campaigns Using a family focused events to educate parents/guardians about chronic absence, the importance of attendance Including education about common health problems, like asthma in afterschool programs/building partnerships with health service providers MOST 39

40. Wide Angle Youth Media in partnership with the Baltimore Student Attendance Campaign 40

41. www.nlc.org What is the role of policymakers in advancing this work? QUESTION #4: 41

42. www.nlc.org Speaker Contact Information Hedy Chang Executive Director, Attendance Works hedy@attendanceworks.org http://www.attendanceworks.org/about/ Jeanne Y. Miller Director, SHINE After-school Program jmiller@lccc.edu 570-669-7010 http://www.shineafterschool.com/index.html Ellie Mitchell Director, Maryland Out-of-School Time Network ( MOST) emitchell@mdoutofschooltim.org 410-332-0170 www.mdoutofschooltime.org 42

43. www.nlc.org Additional Resources Attendance Works Web site –provides extensive research on the impact of afterschool on school-day attendance as well as tools and other resources –www.attendanceworks.org The Hours of Opportunity, Volume II –Compiled by the RAND Corporation, commissioned by the Wallace Foundation. –Study of data systems used by eight major U.S. cities as part of the OST system-building efforts. –Available at: www.wallacefoundation.org or www.rand.org AfterZones, Part II –To be released this summer by Public/ Private Ventures –Study of the citywide middle grades afterschool system created in Providence, RI. –Part II includes information about the use of data systems to track school-day outcomes Collecting and Using Information to Strengthen Citywide OST Systems –To be released this summer by the National League of Cities –Report focuses on strategies cities’ can use to infuse data in decision making when creating OST systems 43

44. www.nlc.org Contact Information Bela Shah Spooner Principal Associate, Afterschool Initiatives Phone: 202/626-3057 Email: spooner@nlc.org Meeta Sharma-Holt Phone: 202/626-3008 Email: sharma-holt@nlc.org _______________________________________________ National League of Cities’ Institute for Youth, Education, and Families 1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20004-1763 Web: www.nlc.org 44