1. Reducing the Achievement Gap in California: The Imperative for Reducing Chronic Absence Starting with School Entry
August 2011
Hedy Chang
Director, Attendance Works (

2. Achievement Every Year
An Antidote to Drop-Out
Attendance Every Day
Achievement Every Year
Attainment Over Time
The 3 A School Success Framework
This overall framework for school success that clarifies the role of attendance in academic achievement., Attendance every Day… is the first of the 3 As because if you don’t have Attendance Every Day… you don’t get to Achievement Every Year. Students fall behind because they miss out on classroom instruction. Attendance is also about Attainment because learning to attend every day is about developing the skill of persistence and the ability to stick it out in a class even when a teacher is not terribly interesting. Although we need to work on ensuring classroom are engaging, the truth is that this won’t always be true - -certainly wasn’t the case for most of us. Students need to learn to persist to attain their goals.
Developed by Annie E. Casey Foundation & America’s Promise Alliance For more info go to

3. Defining Key Terms
Average Daily Attendance: The percentage of enrolled students who attend school each day.
Satisfactory Attendance: Missing 5% or less of school in an academic year.
Chronic Absence: Missing 10% or more of school in an academic year for any reason—excused or unexcused.
Severe Chronic Absence: Missing 20% or more days of school per year – approximately two months of school.
Truancy: Typically refers only to unexcused absences and is defined by each state. In CA, it is missing 3 days of school without a valid excuse, or being late to class 3 times without a valid excuse. In MD, it is unlawfully absent 20% of days if enrolled 90 days.
A major challenge is the lack of a common understanding of the term attendance. I’ve found that most people think the word “attendance” refers to average daily attendance – the percent of enrolled students who show up each day.
Increasingly research suggests we need to begin using some key additional metrics.:
Chronic absence – missing 10% or more of school for any reason including excused absences. This is the equivalent of missing 18 days or nearly a month of school from an 180 day school year. 10% is based upon research. It is the level associated with declining academic performance .
Severe chronic absence – missing 20% or more of school for any reason. Johns Hopkins and the University of Chicago have found this level to be a strong predictor of drop-out.
Satisfactory attendance – missing 5% or less of school. This measure helps educators and parents understand when a child isn’t in trouble.
It is important to note the chronic absence is different from truancy. NCLB began requiring states to report on chronic absence in and gave state the authority to each come up with their own truancy definition – most calculate it based upon unexcused absence. The truancy definition in CA was created before NCLB and was intended to make sure that parents knew when there child was skipping school.

4. When 90% Doesn’t Earn an “A”
Students Who Miss More Than 10% Of School Are At Grave Risk
Chronic Absence
(=>10% absence)
0-90%
Warning Signs
(<10% but >5% absence)
91-94%
This is one of the very few times where 90% ≠ A. Unfortunately, knowing when poor attendance is problematic is not widespread knowledge. Before I started working on this project– I had no idea either as a researcher and activist or as a mother of two school-aged kids.
Satisfactory Attendance
(=<5% absence)
95 %+
Emergency: =>20% absence

5. Students Chronically Absent in Kindergarten & 1st Grade Much Less Likely to Read Proficiently in 3rd Grade
New Research conducted on a cohort of students in San Mateo and Santa Clara even further confirmed our understanding that chronic early absence can profoundly affect early school success.
No risk
Missed less than 5% of school in K & 1st t
Small risk
Missed 5-9% of days in both K & 1st
Moderate risk
5-9% of days absent in 1 year &10 % in 1 year
High risk
Missed 10% or more in K & 1st
Source: Applied Survey Research & Attendance Works (April 2011)

6. School Readiness & Early Attendance Are Critical to Early School Success
3rd Grade ELA Test Scores By Attendance and School Readiness Level
Proficient
An additional analysis of this same data – suggests unless we pay attention to chronic absence – we risk losing the gains made from school readiness programming. We know, for example, from evaluation conducted throughout California by Applied Survey Research that participation in high quality pre-school is associated with improved school readiness. This data suggests that subsequent absences has significant impact on whether those gains are lasting.
No risk
Missed less than 5% of school in K & 1st t
Small risk
Missed 5-9% of days in both K & 1st
Moderate risk
5-9% of days absent in 1 year &10 % in 1 year
High risk
Missed 10% or more in K & 1st
Source: Applied Survey Research & Attendance Works (April 2011)

7. 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)
So where do you think young children learn to read? Yes– that’s right – school. Parents working multiple shifts to make ends meet – or who can’t find a decent job because they themselves are challenged by low literacy – have a hard time ensuring their child is surrounded by words, books and a literacy rich environment when they aren’t in school. And, when they aren’t there – it shows.
Chronic absence isn’t the only reason low-income children aren’t learning to read by 3rd grade – but it is certainly a factor among many of them!! And, we know that if students aren’t in class, they aren’t benefiting from improvements in classroom instruction.

8. Chronic Absence is Especially Challenging for Low-Income Children
Poor children are 4x more likely to be chronically absent in K than their highest income peers. Chronic absence in K predicts poor 5th grade outcomes for poor children.
Children in poverty are more likely to lack basic health and safety supports that ensure a child is more likely to get to school. They often face:
Unstable Housing
Limited Access to Health Care
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)

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

10. 9th Grade Attendance Predicts Graduation for Students of All Economic Backgrounds
Need to recolor chart
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

11. Moving into Action Requires Knowing If Chronic Absence is a Problem
Most Schools Only Track Average Daily Attendance and Truancy. Both Can Mask Chronic Absence.
Variation in Chronic Absence for Schools with 95% ADA in Oakland, CA
Likewise, it is important to recognize the limitation of monitoring average daily attendance. Let’s say for example, you have a school with 200 students. If 190 show up to school – that is 95% attendance. But the 10 students who missed school that day are not the same 10 kids throughout the year % attendance could be masking the fact that there are 60 students -- each of whom is missing about a month of school. . It all depends whether absences are due to most students missing a few days or excessive absences among a small but still significant minority of students. This slide shows variations in chronic absence across elementary schools in Oakland – all of whom had 95 – 95.5% Average Daily Attendance .

12. Emerging Data Shows High Levels
An analysis of Oakland data shows that nearly 1 out of 7 students are chronically absent. These absences are costing the district lost state funding.
Also, important to see the patterns– shows that transitions matter– High in early grades – dips – then escalates in the transition to middle school and then the transition to high school. Often there is a hook downward at the end of high school –which usually isn’t good news.. Just shows that the worst attending students have often dropped out by then.
If the 5,421 students chronically absent in 09/10 had each attended 6 more days, OUSD would have received more than $1,147,000 in additional ADA.

13. Data Usually Exists But Is Not Being Used Effectively
In most schools, teachers take roll every day.
In most districts, attendance for each student is recorded electronically.
Chronic absence is, however, typically not calculated and monitored even though the data exists.
CA is one of only 5 states that does not already have attendance in its longitudinal student database. SB 1357, which would add attendance to CALPADS and encourage voluntary submission of attendance data, has yet to be implemented.

14. Data is Needed for Identifying Programmatic Solutions
Chronic absence data (as well as other attendance measures) should be examined by classroom, grade, school, neighborhood or sub-population.
If chronic absence is unusually high for a particular group of students, explore what might be common issues (unreliable transportation, community violence, asthma and other chronic diseases, poor access to health care, unnecessary suspension for non-violent offenses, lack of engaging curriculum, child care or afterschool programming, foreclosures, etc.)
If chronic absence is unusually low for a high risk population, find out what they are doing that works.
Data is not just helpful for identifying students but figuring out what are likely issues leading to chronic absences. 14

15. Chronic Absence Levels Among Oakland Public Schools (2009-10)
Variation Helps Identify Good Practice and Need for Intervention
Chronic Absence Levels Among Oakland Public Schools ( )
Looking at data district wide is essential because it shows where we need to intervene because levels are extremely high. Consider the 9 elementary, 4 middle schools and 9 high schools with over 20% of their students who are chronically absent!! Something needs to happen differently in the schools.
At the same time, it also helps reveal – something that the next speakers will also focus on– preventing and reducing chronic absence isn’t rocket science. It is something absolutely doable. Over the last month – I have had the absolute privilege of interviewing principals who are leading schools that have low levels of chronic absence despite having a large population of students who typically have poor attendance. One for example, had reduced its chronic absence rate from by more than

16. Characteristics of Successful Attendance Initiatives
Schools + Communities CAN Make a Difference
Characteristics of Successful Attendance Initiatives
Partner with community agencies to help families carry out their responsibility to get children to school.
Make attendance a priority, set targets and monitor progress over time.
Engage parents and students in identifying and addressing school, family, and community issues that contribute to chronic absence.
Clearly communicate expectations for attendance to students and families.
Begin early, ideally in Pre-K.
Combine targeted interventions with universal strategies that nurture an engaged learning environment, build a culture of attendance and ensure physical health and safety at school.
Offer positive supports before punitive action.

17. Universal/Preventative Initiatives and Programs
Increased Attendance Involves a 3-Tiered Approach that Fits with Most Reform Efforts
High Cost
Recovery
Programs
Intervention
Universal/Preventative
Initiatives and Programs
5-15%
of a school’s
students
Students who are chronically
absent & habitually truant
15-20%
Students at-risk for
poor attendance
and/or with rising
absence rates
65-100% of
a school’s
All students
in the school
Low Cost

18. Improving Attendance Takes an Cross-Disciplinary Approach
Universal Attendance Supports
Safe and supportive school environment
Inviting and engaging classroom environment
Intentional family involvement and participation
On-going attention to attendance data
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
Note:: please make sure to emphasize the importance of the Student Attendance Review Team (where schools are supposed to address poor attendance at the site level) and SARBS (where students are referred to a district level attendance review board because intervention at the site level did not succeed.
Individual Assessments and Intervention
Refer chronically absent/ truant students for intervention including SART &SARB
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

19. Considerations for Younger Children
Many parents may not be aware that attendance in pre-K & K matters.
Young children’s attendance is affected by what happens to parents. Multiple maternal and family risk factors increase chronic absence.
Participation in formal child care is associated with lower chronic absence in kindergarten.
Developing good on-time attendance habits begin in pre- K.
Poor health was associated with higher chronic absence for in K-3 for children from % of poverty.
While attendance is more affected by family conditions, children’s attitudes are a factor too.

20. Considerations for Older Youth
Attendance is more heavily influenced by the youth although family still matters.
Older youth may miss school due to family responsibilities ( e.g. caring for siblings or ill parent, holding a job).
Mental health, teen pregnancy, chronic conditions, and dental disease are top health concerns that affect attendance
Safety issues (In-school and community) play even greater role.
Students miss school due to suspensions for non-violent behaviors.
Students become discouraged as they fall behind in credits and graduation feels increasingly unattainable.
Direct and meaningful engagement of youth in the classroom and activities on campus even more essential.

21. Districts Can Provide:
Leadership. Set attendance goals and district policy. (Note: CSBA has sample attendance policy)
Data. Ensure attendance data is accurately entered and reports on attendance including chronic absence are widely available & regularly reviewed. (Note: State SARB now encourages addition of chronic absence in reports).
Attendance Incentives. Promote effective school wide approaches to recognizing good and improved attendance.
Parent Education & Mutual Support. Invest in educating parents about the importance of attendance.

22. Districts Can Provide:
Individual and Programmatic Intervention. Ensure individual intervention & outreach combined with systemic problem solving.
Community Partnerships. Help schools identify & forge partnerships with community agencies that can help address barriers to attendance.
Peer Learning & Professional Development: Create opportunities for school staff to learn about the importance of attendance and share effective strategies for improving student attendance.