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.

By the end of the 2018- 2019 school year, our severely chronic absenteeism will be under 3%, our chronic absenteeism will be 10% or less, and our at risk absenteeism will be 25% or less. Monthly attendance reports will be monitored monthly at our school's support staff meeting.
When comparing the averages for 2016-2017 versus 2017-2018 first and second quarters our data shows that our satisfactory attendance have gone up by 10%, our at risk absenteeism has gone down by 4%, chronic absenteeism has gone down by 3% and severely chronic absenteeism has gone down by 3% as well. 

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

Our school has identified our School Counselor, Mrs. Havens, to be our Attendance Manager. She monitors attendance in collaboration with our Social Worker, Mrs. Bradford. Attendance is promoted daily by word of mouth from staff to school families and also on some calls from our Principal to all staff and families. Stephen Foster utilizes the attendance marketing materials given to us such as the "8 is Late" sign, which is hung by our car loop. Teachers contact parents when there is an initial attendance concern at this Tier 1 level.
Perfect attendance is celebrated at the end of year awards. 

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

If a student misses 3 days the teacher contacts the parents. ​Mrs. Havens, our School Counselor, also monitors attendance data on a monthly basis and communicates with families when there is at-risk, chronic, or severely chronic absenteeism. During this communication help is offered in the form of the HEART program if necessary or information about food or clothing programs. It is communicated that a doctor’s note be required moving forward and a follow-up letter is given by our Social Worker if attendance concerns continue.  

For tardies we have an "8 is Late" policy which was first implemented in the 2016-2017 school year. Students that arrive after 8:00 are tracked in the office.  After 3 tardies, a phone call home is made, after 6, a letter is sent home, and after 9  Mrs. Havens, our School Counselor, contacts the parents and holds a phone or in-person conference. 

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

Mrs. Havens, our School Counselor, contacts the parents via phone and requires a doctor’s note for any absences. Any issues or concerns are addressed at this point and help is again offered in the form of assistance programs or tips to help get children out of the house on time. If attendance concerns continue a Social Worker referral is made for a home visit to the parents at which time they are asked to sign the Parent Responsibility Agreement.