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 2016-17,  6.15% of the students in K- 5 had chronic absenteeism.
• In 2017-18,  5.23% of the students in K-5 had chronic absenteeism.  This represents a decrease of 0.92%

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

• Immediate parent contact and student positive attendance recognition will aid in meeting these goals. The use of immediate parent contact and student positive attendance recognition will be used to asssit in this effort. Location, demographic, and average attendance rates will be reviewed each quarter and interevetions will be put into place as needed.
• Monitor Data- All teachers will view the Brainshark training for taking attendance in the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year. Teachers will sign in that they have viewed and completed the training.
  • Nilda Vasquez will manage daily attendance. Anayra Barreras will be the backup attendance manager for the 2018-2019 school year.
  • An attendance report is printed each day and a copy is kept in the front office.
  • Each week, the BTIP report is printed ,viewed and stored. 
• Engage Students and Families
  • The Attendance Phone Line will be checked and cleared daily by the Attendance Clerk.
  • During Morning Announcements, students are reminded that attendance is important each and every day. 
  • All Staff at Gator Run Elementary create a warm and welcoming environment that encourages students to come to school each day.
• Recognize Good and Improved Attendance
  • School-based attendance will be recognized throughout the school year.
  • 5th grade students who have perfect attendance at the end of the year "Moving Up" ceremony will stand to be recognized by their peers and families. 
• Provide Personalized Outreach
  • The importance of attendance will be addressed at each parent-teacher conference throughout the year. Any attendance concerns will be also be discussed with parents.
  • Attendance will be included in all student report cards. 
  • ESOL parent nights provide parents with Broward County Policies and Procedures. The parent nights also address attendance issues and how it effects their students. For instance when students go back to their countries for long periods of time for visits. 
  • Our annual Kindergarten Roundup provides parents with valuable school information. Tours of the campus, classrooms and cafeteria are conducted. Future parents also learn about the importance of attendance and how chronic absenteeism can drastically affect student performance.
• Remove Barriers
  • Free breakfast is offered to all students and helps encourage them to arrive early to school.
  • Staff is placed at all drop off locations to ensure safe arrival to campus. Students are greeted with a smile and caring adult to facilitate the warm culture at Gator Run Elementary.
  • Two bike racks are provided for all students who arrive to school on their bikes. 

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
  • All teachers will monitor student absences through Pinnacle. If teachers have an attendance concern, they can consult with support staff and/or administration for further support.
  • The School Social Worker will monitor attendance patters and provide interventions for students who are at risk. 
  • Weekly BTIP meetings will be monitored by the IMT. Meetings with parents and School Social Worker will be conducted. Administration may be present at meeting if there is a pattern of non-attendance. 
  • Through the RTI process, attendance patterns of students who are struggling academically will be monitored by the RTI team and School Social Worker.
• Engage Students and Families
  • Teachers will contact parents when students have reached 3 unexcused absences or more than 5 excused absences, 1-3 tardies or 1-3 early sign outs. Teachers will explain to parents the importance of attendance.
  • Teachers will contact the School Social Worker, School Counselor, or administration if they are unable to get into contact with parents. 
  • BTIP meetings will be held for parent’s whose student has reached 5 unexcused absences. An Attendance Agreement will also be signed with parents. 
• Recognize Good and Improved Attendance
  • Students whose attendance has improved will be shown praise. The School Social Worker will also praise families who have shown improvement in their child’s attendance.
• Provide Personalized Outreach
  • Parent-Teacher conferences may include the School Counselor, School Social Worker or ESOL contact to discuss the importance of daily attendance. 
  • BTIP meetings will be held for parents where attendance polices and procedures will be discussed.
• Remove Barriers
  • The ESOL contact will make every effort to provide translation of school attendance policies to parents in their native language. The ESOL contact will also be present at meetings and will help translate for teachers. If the parents/families speak another language where translation at the school is not possible, the ESOL contact will put in for a translator to the districts ESOL department. 
  • Through the ESOL contact, bi-monthly ESOL parent nights will be held at Gator Run. Parents and families will be given the opportunity to express concerns or clarification in attendance procedures.
  • The School Social Worker will follow up with parents and provide support to remove 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

• Monitor Data
  • Identify students who have a history of chronic absenteeism (missing more than 20% of the school year). The School Social Worker will begin contacting families in the beginning of the year in order to be proactive. 
  • Attendance data is reviewed by the RTI team when a student is struggling academically.
• Engage Students and Families
  • The School Social Worker will provide families with agencies or outreach services in order to help improve attendance.
  • BTIP meetings will be conducted and the attendance policies and procedures will be discussed.
• Recognize Good and Improved Attendance
  • Create and enforce personalized positive reinforcements for students who have chronic absenteeism.
  • The School Social Worker will also provide positive encouragement to families who are showing improvement in attendance.
• Provide Personalized Outreach
  • Maintain positive interactions and communication with families.
  • Utilize the School Social Worker as a valuable resource for support.
  • Make immediate contact with parents when student misses school, is tardy or has early release. 
• Remove Barriers
  • Connect students with a mentor, peer mentor or other Big Brother/Big Sister program at school.