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.

In the 2017-2018 school year, the grade level with the most students with chronic absences was 7th grade with 153 students (133 chronic absence and 20 severe chronic). In 7th grade, our goal is to reduce the number of students with chronic absenteeism by 20 students for the 2018-2019 school year. 

Overall chronic absence in 2017-2018 was 19% (16.19% chronic and 2.81% severe chronic absence). Our goal this year is to reduce overall chronic absence by 5%.

Satisfactory attendance ranges from 52.95% to 41.48% in the grade levels. Within three years, our goal is to have all grade levels at 50-60% or higher for students attending 95% or more school days. By the end of this year, each grade level should increase atleast 2%. Baseline from 2017-2018 was: 6th grade with 52.95%, 7th grade with 41.48%, and 8th grade with 48.33%.

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 

A.Monitor Data

• ​Adminstration will be responsible for ensuring all teachers have completed the attendance Brainshark for taking classroom attendance. A record will be kept by administration and the office manager. 
• The Attendance Clerk will mointor attendance-taking per administrations request. 
• Each month administration will request the current year attendance categories from the IMT, to mointor improvement in attendance and steer the direction of attendance initatives. 

• Principal will provide updates at SAC and PTO meetings regarding Average Daily Attendance and the Attendance categories, celebrating and recognizing the students that are attending 95% or more. 
• Front office staff will adpat procedures for ensuring a welcoming environment when visitors enter the front office.
• School Facebook page and school website will post relevant messages, that are positive, about attendance to our stakeholders 
• The attendance phone line will be checked and cleared daily by the grade level secretaries. 
• Reinforce positive, welcoming experience in the front office
• Provide enrichment activities for students, such as field trips, assemblies, and dances

• The administrator responsible for attendance will ensure that students have opportunities to participate in District-wide attendance recognition events.
• School-wide attendance recognition events will occur throughout the school year (during honor roll or seperate recognition events.
• During grade-level assemblies, spotlight attendance information for the quarter and reward students for excellent attendance. Provide students with information about the importance of being in class every day (connected to academic readiness and future success).
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• School staff will host a transition meeting for students coming from the local Elementary schools. Families will tour the school, see classrooms, and learn about academics and attendance being a factor of their child(ren)'s success.
• Counselors will coordinate with high schools to work with a success transition plan for 8th graders moving up to high school.
• Attendance will be included on report cards.
• Provide Robot call each day students are absent.
• When teachers make phone calls home, include information about attendance (ex. "thank you for getting her to school on time every day"; "she was absent two days last week and we missed her"; "he is on track for perfect attendance this month.")

• School provides free breakfast for all students, everyday.​
• Enclosed bike rack that remains locked during the school day is available to all students that ride bikes to school.
• Attendance Line (phone number) easily accessible on the school website
• Before school care program 

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 and Interventions to Improve Attendance 

• Monitor data and look for qualitative data to assess underlying causes for continued absences.
• Teachers will monitor attendance using Pinnacle and BASIS and consult support staff for help in redirecting absenteeism behavior. 
• School Counselors, will mointor attendance with the leadership team to help idenity students that may have a need for more intensive services.

• Engage students and parents through positive communication that supports a good relationship between the school and family.
• Set attendance goals with the student and family
• Help parents understand and avoid legal consequences of extreme chronic absence
• Provide parents with family-family-friendly, easy-to-understand information and/or assistance in reaching out to social services or community resources that may be helpful in addressing barriers identified
• School Counselors and leadership team will reach out by phone or email to speak with parents about chronically absent students to identify any needs 

• Recognize these students routinely for good and improved attendance. Positive reinforcement and trusting relationships with staff improves attendance.
• Set attainable attendance goals with families to improve attendance for at-risk or chronically absent students. 

• Provide information about support from the Student Services Department within Broward Schools (School Social Worker, Family Counseling, HEART). http://www.Browardstudentservices.com
• Provide personalized Early Outreach (find a volunteer teacher to assign as an attendance buddy, schedule conference to discuss absence, arrange transportation)
• Provide early school year interventions for students who have history of severe and chronic absenteeism
• Nurture teacher interest and capacity in helping to reach out to chronically absent students and their families

• Utilize the school community liaison to provide for family needs (food, clothing academic programs).
• Remove Barriers to Attendance: Involve public agencies and community partners, involve the school nurse to follow-up on medical related absences, connect families with school-based resources.
• Suggest home visits and/or conference to address barriers

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 Interventions 

A. Monitor Data

• Identify students that have a history of missing 20% or more of school and are at-risk due to other challenges.

• Determine if the student should have an agency involved (CINS/FINS) if so, coordinate services.
• Refer students and families to appropriate agencies ( i.e., counseling, social services, health services).
• Ensure students are connected with positive supports (social worker, mentor, peers)
• Follow through on commitments of support to the family. Provide positive and regular contact.

• Tangible incentives may be utilized to help students and parents improve attendance

• Ensure continued positive and regular contact with the family
• Consult with the school counselors and social workers as a resource for helping families with attendanc problems.  

• Connect students with chronic physical and mental health issues to medical providers
• For cases of suspected absuse, neglect, or endangerment, contact the appropriate agencies to report.