Goals for the Attendance Plan

1. A school's response for this section should be in SMART format for improving attendance for each category reported in the data tables.
• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Realistic/Rewarding
• Timely
2. Address early grades at your school level (K & 1, 6th Grade, 9th Grade). Analyze school-wide data to determine needs at grade levels and times of year when challenges occur more often.

School attendance data are provided reporting percent of students with satisfactory attendance, at-risk attendance, chronic absenteeism, and severe chronic absenteeism. The two-year trend allows for comparison of attendance over time and an indication of how strategies implemented to improve attendance are working.

GOAL 1: In the 2017-2018 school year, Kindergarten and 1st grade had the highest percentege of chronic absences. One goal of Riverland Elementary's Attendance plan is to decrease this percentage by 5 students (about 5%) in both grade levels.

GOAL 2: As a school, our percentage of chronic absences in 2017-2018 was about 10% (15.49% chronic absences, 3.61% severe absences). Another goal for our Attendance plan is to  reduce our overall absenteeism by 3% each semester, paying close attention to primary grades. After reviewing the data from 2017-2018, we plan to act proactively by intervening in early grades so that we can implement good attendanc) practices that will sustain in later grades.

GOAL 3: Riverland's overall satisfactory attendance was 52.15%. The goal for the 2018-2019 school year is to increase this percentage by at least 5%.

Tier 1 Strategies for Attendance

Tier 1 Strategies for Attendance - Address all five core ingredients. Tier 1 is aimed at 100% of students, parents, school staff, and community stakeholders. This is where you cast a wide net. Strategies are general to reach the largest audiences and include all employees and stakeholders.

Tiered plans will include strategies and interventions for the 5 core ingredients.

• Monitor Data
• Engage Students and Families
• Recognize Good and Improved Attendance
• Provide Personalized Outreach
• Remove Barriers

Monitor Data

•  The Assistant Principal will ensure all teachers have completed the Brainshark training for taking classroom attendance at the elementary level (K-5).
• The Assistant Principal reviews the process and procedures for taking attendance.
• Teachers will monitor attendance through Pinnacle daily.
• Throughout the school year the Attendance Clerk will monitor attendance-taking procedures weekly and when requested by administration.

• Attendance policies and procedures will be addressed and reviewed during Title I Annual Parent Meetings, parent/teacher conferences, SAC/SAF Meetings, Open House, and other parent night functions held throughout the year.
• Parents may also review our attendance policies on the school’s website.
• Parents are always encouraged to call ahead of a child’s absence in order to reduce the number of unexcused absences.
• Staff members will greet all students at their doors in the morning reinforcing the importance of arriving to school on time.

• School based recognitions will occur throughout the year in class.
• Quarterly certificates will be awarded to students during the quarterly honor roll assemblies.
• Administration will provide rewards and incentives for good and improved attendance.
• Teachers will provide positive feedback to students when they show good and improved attendance.

• Attendance will be included on all report cards
• Teachers will communicate with parents on a consistent basis to encourage attendance.
• Positive letters in students’ agendas to encourage attendance.

• Riverland Elementary School provides free breakfast for all students, every school day.
• The bike rack is a secure place and easily accessible for all students who arrive by bicycle. The rack is locked after school begins and unlocked and monitored by staff after school.
• The Assistant Principal along with staff, administration, District Transportation, and Fleet Services will work to provide solutions for parents who may be experiencing difficulties with transportation.

Tier 2 Strategies and Interventions to Improve Attendance

Tier 2 Strategies and Interventions to Improve Attendance - Address all five core ingredients. Tier 2 identifies students using early warning indicators to make connections with students and families at the onset of the school year or emergence of patterns of non-attendance. Early warning indicators include prior year chronic absenteeism, 3 or more absences in the first 4 weeks of enrollment, more than 10% of school days absent in any time period from the beginning of enrollment.

- Tier 2 represents between 10-20% of students at all schools in Broward County. This is true at individual schools and across the District.

- Chronic Absenteeism: Absent for 10% or more school days. These absences include excused, unexcused, and suspensions as days of instruction missed.

Tiered plans will include strategies and interventions for the 5 core ingredients.

• Monitor Data
• Engage Students and Families
• Recognize Good and Improved Attendance
• Provide Personalized Outreach
• Remove Barriers

Monitor Data

• The Broward Truancy Intervention Program (BTIP) procedural guide will be followed to reduce/eliminate the number of students who are flagged for a pattern of non-attendance. 
• The school's attendance committee will review all cases of students who establish a pattern of non-attendance. Students who are habitually tardy, five or more in a marking period, will receive a parent letter, in the parent's native language, outlining the attendance policy as well as the school's official start time and breakfast hours to encourage on-time arrival.
• Teachers will monitor attendance using Pinnacle and BASIS and consult with School Counselor for help in redirecting absenteeism behavior.

• The parents of students with attendance issues are contacted by the school counselor in order to discuss any possible barriers and provide support to increase school attendance. 
• If needed, parents and student will work with the School Counselor and/or Social Worker to develop a personalized "Student Success Plan for Attendance" to make sure the improves attendance and gets back on track with good attendance and good academic performance.

• Students will continue to receive recognition for perfect attendance on a quarterly basis at school assemblies.
• Students with improved attendance will be monitored and recognized by the School Counselor.

• As part of Tier 2 strategies, students who show a pattern of chronic absenteeism are monitored by School Counselor.
• Parent-Teacher conferences will be scheduled to discuss absences, to identify barriers, and solutions to improve attendance.

• Families will be referred to the School Social Worker to provide insight as to the role of a School Social Worker, establish a relationship, and provide clinical support and services.
• The School Social Worker will involve public agencies, community partners, and resources as needed to address barriers identified through parent conferences, communications with family, provide bus transportation, if needed, and other resources.

Tier 3 Interventions

Tier 3 Interventions - Address all five core ingredients. Tier 3 is the highest level of intervention and support for students that are absent 20% or more school days during the year.

- At most schools, Tier 3 interventions are utilized for about 5% (or less) of the student population.

Tiered plans will include strategies and interventions for the 5 core ingredients.

• Monitor Data
• Engage Students and Families
• Recognize Good and Improved Attendance
• Provide Personalized Outreach
• Remove Barriers

Monitor Data

• Students who have excessive excused absences will continue to be monitored by School Counselor and will be handled on a case by case basis.
• The Assistant Principal will review all cases of students who establish a pattern of non-attendance.

• The School Counselor will refer students to appropriate service agencies (social services, human resources, counseling, housing, the HEART team for homeless education, or health services).
• The Broward Truancy Intervention Program (BTIP) procedural guide will be followed to curb the number of students who are flagged for a pattern of non-attendance.
• The Broward Truancy Intervention Program (BTIP) may initiate truancy letters to hold 5-day or 10-day meetings with parents, principal (or designee), District representative, and State Attorney's Office for the 17th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida.

• Students will continue to receive recognition for perfect attendance on a quarterly basis.
• Students will receive academic-based incentives for improved attendance.

• As part of Riverland's Tier 3 interventions, for excessive excused absences, the school's attendance committee will provide a parent medical verification letter, on school letterhead, for the doctor to excuse the absences. If the absence is unverifiable, future absences may be unexcused.   
• The School will continue to communicate improvements with the family in order to support improved attendance.

• The school will continue to implement agreed upon family intervention plan and monitor progress.
• The School Counselor will connect students with chronic physical and mental health issues to medical providers.
• The school will continue to monitor the attendance intervention plan with the family.