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 2017/18, the grade level with the most students with chronic absence was 1st grade with 13 total students (12 chronic absence and 1 severe chronic absence). In 1st grade, our goal is to reduce the number of students with chronic absenteeism by 5 students (about 5%) for the 2018/19 school year.

Goal 2: Overall chronic absence in 2017/18 was 11.3% (29% at-risk). Our goal is to reduce overall chronic absence by 5% (about 40 students).

 Goal 3: In 2017/18, 5th grade had the highest level of students with satisfactory attendance with 66.92% of students attending 95% or more school days. The goal for satisfactory attendance is to increase the percentage of students attending 95% or more in every grade level by the end of 2018/19.

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

Tier 1 strategies for attendance
*Provide a positive welcoming experience in the front office, greeting students and families in the morning
*Morning announcements with why it is important of being in class every day. (connected to academic readiness and future success)
*Reminder to parents and students of when school starting time is.
*Reminder to parents of the Free Breakfast Program beginning at 7:30
*School wide initiative attendance counts all day, every day
*Ensure that all teachers are trained to take attendance accurately.  (Attendance Brainshark) *Encourage all to take attendance in a timely and accurate manner (Teacher Attendance Codes: P, PN, AU, TU)
*Parents reminded of attendance policy and school start times on website and Parent Links. *Remind parents of attendance/tardy policies and how to report an absence are in Student handbook and reviewed at Open House
*Periodically post school start time on marque
*Keep the school clean and clear of health hazards that contribute to illness,  especially when repeated illnesses occur in classrooms
*Provide engaging curriculum that draws students to school
*Providing a safe and happy environment to learn in
*Offer before and after school programs to engage students and provide for parent schedules
*Provide enrichment activities for students, such as field trips and special events
*Attendance Line (phone number) easily accessible on the school website
*Identify the staff member utilized as the Attendance Manager
*Meet with new families to set expectations about attendance and its effects on academics
*Rewarding students who arrive on time with Rocky Rewards incentives.
*Attendance Awards for Perfect Attendance
*Teacher contact with parent after three days absent from school. Phone, email. Dojo etc.
*Welcome back absent students and identify any academic support needed
 
 
 

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

Tier 2 strategies for attendance
*Schedule conferences with parent, include support staff and administration as needed to discuss absences and set goals with rewards for improvement
*Teacher in contact with School Counselor about absences/tardiness
*Determine if the student has make-up work that is needed and ensure the student and their family understand what make up work is due
*Work with families and students to set attendance goals and time frames
*Send letter/ interim report home indicating academic concern and explore what help may be needed, suggest a conference to address barriers.
*Identify and provide for family needs such as food pantry, clothing, literacy program, transportation.  If needed look at Empty Seat on bus
*Provide parents with family friendly information and/or assistance in reaching out to social services or community resources that may be helpful in addressing barriers identified
*Use a Student Attendance Success Plan to help develop family strategies to support improved attendance with a signed contract.
*BTIP meeting with parents of 5 unexcused absences, School Counselor will discuss interventions.
*School Counselor will meet with parents of students exhibiting patterns of non-attendance and have parent sign attendance agreement if appropriate
*Help parents to understand and avoid legal consequences of extreme chronic absences
*Recognize good and improving attendance each semester.
*Bring student to CPST/RTI Case manager attention.
*Notify School Counselor/SW of concern
*Involve school nurse with follow up on medical absences
 

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

Tier 3 Strategies for attendance
*School Counselor will create a School Social Work Referral if not done already
*School Social worker will contact parents and complete BTIP assessment providing any resources not yet provided
*Implement agreed upon family intervention plan and monitor for progress
*Discuss needs in CPST/RTI meeting and implement strategies
*Work to ensure student is connected to positive supports, for example mentoring, social worker, positive peer interactions etc.
*Check in on agreements at appropriate intervals and reward progress
*Incorporate appropriate positive reinforcements into plans for supporting the students improved attendance
*Follow through on commitments of support to family
*When the student misses school ensure assigned personnel is following up on each absence
*School Counselor and School Social Worker will consult with Administration on cases and determine if a 10 day meeting is needed