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:
2017-2018 school year our attendance was satisfactory at 95%.  Our goal for 2018-2019 is to maintain a high level of satisfactory attendance at 95%.

Narrative:
Our school only serves 11th and 12th grade students.  Students who apply and are selected to attend to the College Academy cannot have more than 10 absences in a single school year in 9th and 10th grade.  Broward College's attendance policy does not permit chronic absentism.  Our families and students are counseled on the strict Broward College attendance policy before choosing to enroll their student.  We have at times had to excuse a student for a death of family member or critical illness and work with the college to excuse these absences.

 

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

A. Monitor Data-
• The administrator responsible for school attendance will ensure that all teachers have completed the Brainshark training for taking classroom attendance at the high school level (9-12). The administrator should maintain a record of teachers that have completed the training.
• Monitoring attendance-taking procedures will take place weekly by the Attendance Clerk and as requested by administration.
• Twice each quarter, School Counselors will monitor BASIS and Data Warehouse to set goals for students in school-wide recognitions. This monitoring works as a back-up to assist in identifying students that may need Tier 2 interventions.
• At the beginning of each month, the administrative team will request from the IMT to provide a report for current year attendance categories to monitor improvement and steer the direction of attendance initiatives. 

B. Engage students & families-
         • Principal will provide monthly updates via ParentLink and PTSA meetings regarding the important of attendance
         • School staff will be encouraged to reiterate the importance of attendance to students 

• After 5 absences, a letter is sent home to parents/guardians.  Students are referred to guidance for support.

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

A. Monitor Data
• Bi-monthly the attendance designee will pull & review the attendance report from DWH for students with 5 or more absences.  Students will be identified and
  met with for a rationale. Attendance letter sent home to parents.
• Teachers will monitor attendance and consult with support staff for help in redirecting absenteeism behavior.
• School Counselors, will monitor attendance with the leadership team to help identify students that may have a need for more wrap-around services.

B. Engage Students and Families-
• School Counselors, as part of the leadership team and support, will reach out by phone to speak with parents of chronically absent students to identify if any
  support is needed for the family.
• If needed, parents and student will work with the School Counselor to develop a personalized “Student Success Plan for Attendance” to make sure the child      doesn’t miss too many days and get back on track with good attendance. There is a correlation between good attendance and good academic performance.
• School Counselor will help identify any family needs and connect the family with services (food pantry, clothing assistance, literacy programs, transportation).

C. Recognize Good and Improved Attendance
• Recognize these students routinely for good and improved attendance. Positive reinforcement and trusting relationships with staff improve attendance. 

D. Provide Personalized Outreach
    • Our school has mentor/mentee program where Seniors are matched with Juniors  as "Accountability Buddies". Its to help foster positive relationships and   
       help with the transition into the College setting attendance is reinforced by the mentors. 
     • Social/Emotional Learning (SEL) in our school will include teaching the value of each member of our community, supporting an expression of care when     
       we interact with others.
       • School Counselor will meet with students to probe if attendance issues results in a pattern.

E. Remove Barriers
       • Involve public agencies, community partners, and resources as needed to address barriers identified through parent conferences, communications with
          family, or other sources.
       • Connect family with School Counselor if needed to address any concerns that may effect attendance.

• Due to the nature of our program, students with chronic absentism are withdrawn from their courses per Broward College policy.  The College Academy then meets with student and family to develop a plan to return to their home high school.

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

A. Monitor Data
• Identify students with a history of severe chronic absenteeism (missing more than 20% of a school year).
• Leadership team & support staff will monitor students with poor attendance. 
• Attendance data is one of the main metrics brought to discussion to Response-to-Intervention (RtI). Attendance data may help uncover bigger issues the
  student or family are experiencing.

B. Engage Students and Families
• Refer students to appropriate service agencies when appropriate.
• Share data with appropriate agencies and ensure that agencies are using chronic absence as an indicator for assisting families.
• Utilize best practices from schools within the District that have been able to decrease chronic absences and increase satisfactory attendance.
• Work with students and parents that have been flagged by the Division of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to resolve suspended licenses with a plan to
  meet attendance goals and restore driver’s license or permit.
• Involve parents and agencies prior to initiating severe consequences related to truancy. 

C. Recognize Good and Improved Attendance
• For the students at Tier 3, appropriate positive reinforcements will be included in their “Attendance Success Plan” to support continued improved attendance.
  This plan will be developed with the parents and School Counselor. Plans and goals will be shared with the child’s teachers.

D. Provide Personalized Outreach
• Ensure continued positive and regular contact with the family.
• Check-in on “Attendance Success Plans” and communicate with parents at regular intervals. If the plan is not referenced regularly with positive reinforcement, the plan is not being supported.
       • Consult with the School Counselor and Brace Advisor as resources for helping families with attendance problems and provide information on services.
       • When the student misses school, ensure the assigned personnel is following up on each absence.

E. Remove Barriers 
        • Leadership team & support staff will monitor students with poor attendance. 
        • Refer & connect families to the appropriate agency when necessary.

• Due to the nature of our program, students with chronic absentism are withdrawn from their courses per Broward College policy.  The College Academy then meets with student and family to develop a plan to return to their home high school.