Total

1301

6

0.46

0

0.00

06

427

4

0.94

0

0.00

07

468

7

1.50

0

0.00

08

406

8

1.97

0

0.00

Plan Type

Apollo Middle School will be employing the Every Student, Every Day National Initiative which was developed in President Obama's response and(ED), Health and Human Services (HHS), Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Justice (DOJ). Chronic absenteeism—or missing at least 10 percent of school days in a school year for any reason, excused or unexcused—is a primary cause of low academic achievement and a powerful predictor of those students who may eventually drop out of school. An estimated five to seven and a half million students miss 18 or more days of school each year, or nearly an entire month or more of school, which puts them at significant risk of falling behind academically and failing to graduate from high school. Because they miss so much school, millions of young people miss out on opportunities in post-secondary education and good careers. As part of the plan Apollo will have an 'Attendance Matters' week in January as part of crunch-time to encourage all students to attend school on a daily basis.

Purpose of Plan:

The purpose of the plan is to create a positive school culture and encourage all students to attend school on a consistent basis in order to diminishing tardies, patterns on non-attendance, excessive absences, and chronic absences in order for students to reach their highest academic potential at Apollo Middle School. The year end 2015-16 average daily attendance rate was 96.8%. Are 2016 current attendance data list 34 as having 10 exhibiting a pattern of non-attendance for the 2016-17 school year. Attendance Committee: Principal, administrators, guidance counselors, data processor, social worker, SAC chairs, team leaders, select teachers, and educational student ambassadors. Apollo Middle School Attendance Goals: Reducing the number of students arriving late for class by 20%. Decreasing the number of students who miss five or more days of school quarterly by 30%. Decreasing the number of students who miss 10 or more days during the school year by 50%. Increasing parental awareness about the importance of school attendance, arriving on-time, and the resources/supports available by 40%. Every quarter rewarding students who achieve perfect (no absences) or near perfect (less than 2 absences) each semester. Specific Attendance Strategies • Title One presentations to parents and families- through the Title One nights, the school will have ongoing parental informational sessions through presentations targeting the importance of attendance. The presentation will summarize the risk factors associated with chronic absenteeism, highlight the educational data points of poor attendance, and provide connections to the resources available at school and other websites to improve student attendance. http://www.attendanceworks.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Every-Student-Every-Day-Nov-12-2015-FINAL-rev4.pdf • Starting in November the monthly school newsletter will have a segment highlighting the importance of attendance and information on the Every Student, Every Day school-wide initiative. • Starting in November the morning announcements will share pertinent facts and data on the importance of attendance and the consequences of non-attendance using data from http://www.attendanceworks.org, http://www2.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/chronicabsenteeism/index.html, and other websites which detail the importance of attendance. • With support from a nearby fast food business, PTSA, and SAC students who have perfect attendance at the end of each semester will receive ice cream passes, certificates, gift cards, and other items. Student names will be placed in a drawing and announced on the morning announcements. 20-50 small items and gift cards will be raffled to 10-20 students that have meet perfect or close to perfect attendance criteria. • Educational ambassadors created to serve as peer leaders and promote school attendance. • Host an ‘Attendance Matters’ week January 9-13, 2014 to promote daily attendance. Students will be allowed to wear green to show their support of attending school, students will sign attendance pledge, and other activities will be held to promote attendance.

Unexcused Absences

Teachers contact parents to inform parents of unexcused absences. Teams have individual attendance chats with students on their team and document. Parent conferences scheduled. Team leaders will email guidance counselors names of students with unexcused absences in order to confer with students and place them on an attendance contract. Contact parents to discuss the importance of attendance.

Excessive Excused Absences
(5 or more in a single month)

Notification of excessive absences to parents via Parent Link or Parent letter. Encourage student participation in school before/after school organizations and activities. Mentor/counsel students who have reached 5 or more unexcused absences in a month.

Tardiness

Excessive tardies will be addressed as a case-by-case basis to determine whether they are self-inflicted or legitimate tardies. Lunch Detentions Conduct periodic hall sweeps and issue reasonable consequences to those students. Parent contact directly to address excessive tardiness by the student. Collaborative Problem Solving Team develop proactive measures as needed to decrease tardies.  

Excessive Early Sign Out

Students shall not be released/signed out the last 30 minutes of the school day, unless the principal/designee deems it is an emergency. At the end of every month the sign-out log data will be tallied monthly. For students that are identified as having excessive sign-outs a letter will be generated to give parents with their child's sign-out data and explain in a few points the importance of attendance. A general informational attendance flyer will be placed in the front office and given to parents as they are signing out their child/children. The flyer will include the sign-out policy and tips on the importance of attendance.

Pattern of Non-Attendance
(Combinaton of the 4 previews strategies)

Guidance counselors meet with students and place students on an attendance contract. Guidance contact parents and informs of their child pattern of non-attendance. A remind.com account will be established for all students to receive motivation messages, tips, and quotes which encourage them to attend school daily. A group of educational ambassadors will be created through mentor groups like Ladies of Style and Elegance, DIYM, National Honor Society, and GLOBE club. These students will serve as peer leaders who connect and check-up on students exhibiting patterns of non-attendance, excessive absences, and chronic absenteeism. They will be trained on the Every Student, Every Day school-wide initiative and how to positively encourage these to improve their attendance.

Chronic Absenteeism

Social worker referral completed by grade level guidance counselor for each student, after 10 unexcused absences. Official documentation/letter sent home to notify parents/guardians as to the chronic absenteeism. Personal phone calls will also be conducted to contact parents. A special assembly held with these students and parents to give them the specific attendance data for their child. Parents and students will be split into small groups to build relationships and for personal conversation. Parents will have the opportunity to share the circumstance/reasons for the chronic absenteeism. The guidance counselors, social worker, and other members of the attendance committee will lead the small group discussions. Parental information shared on truancy and consequences for chronic absenteeism will be the same for all groups. Provide opportunities for extra-curricular activities for these students, which encourages attendance daily. A remind.com account will be established for all students to receive motivation messages, tips, and quotes which encourage them to attend school daily.