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.

We will follow the district attendance plan which includes a tiered sequence of notification for students who are missing an increasing number of days.  A pattern of non-attendance is established by a student missing 5 days (equivalent to 30 hours) of school due to tardiness, early sign-outs, and or absences.  The tiered sequence of notification includes utilizing Parent Link calls, teacher/administrator call to parent, letter from the school, parent conference with administrator, through referral to the school social worker and even driver's license suspension.

Goal 1: In 2017/18, the grade level with the most students with chronic absence was 12th grade with 470 total students between semester 1 and 2 (328 chronic absence and 142 severe chronic absence). In 12th grade, our goal is to reduce the number of students with chronic absenteeism by 94 students (a 20% reduction) for the 2018/19 school year.
Goal 2: Overall chronic absence in 2017/18 averaged 30.02% between semesters (20.69% chronic, 13.05% severe chronic). Our goal is to reduce overall chronic absence by 10% in all grade levels (about 77 students).
Goal 3: In 2017/18, 9 th grade had the highest level of students with satisfactory attendance with an average of 36.34% 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 to 50% of students.   

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 will maintain a record of teachers that have completed the training.
• The Attendance Clerk will monitor attendance weekly.
• Teachers will monitor their students' attendance through Pinnacle and intervene via parental contact and attendance referrals is the students has a pattern of non-attendance (5 days of absences or 30 hours).  Teachers will be trained to take attendance accurately  

• School staff will reach out to parents via phone or email to remind parents about the importance of attendance as needed
• The attendance phone line will be checked and cleared daily by the attendance clerk

• The administrator responsible for attendance will ensure that students have opportunities to participate in District-wide Attendance recognition events (certificates, Miami Heat games, Florida Panthers, Miami Marlins, etc.)
• School-based attendance recognition events will occur throughout the school year. These will include quarterly certificates and school-based attendance recognition and may be combined with honor roll assemblies.

• School staff will host a transition meeting for students moving from feeder middle schools into 9th grade. Families will meet the team of teachers, tour the school, and learn about the importance of regular attendance for their child’s academic success through the end of their senior year.
• Attendance will be included on all student report cards.
• Integrate information about chronic absence into parent programs and communications throughout the school year

• This school provides free breakfast for all students, every school day.
• A bike rack enclosed in a lock gate is available for students that arrive by bicycle. The rack is locked after school begins and is unlocked and monitored by staff after school.
• A skate board rack is available in the front office to house skateboards for students that arrive this way.  this rack is monotored by school staff.

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

• Each week, the leadership team will review the non-attendance report from Opti-Spool during leadership meetings. Students will be identified, and teachers will be notified which of their students might be at-risk.
• Weekly, using BASIS, the leadership team will identify students that have enough absences to be considered chronically absent.
• Teachers will monitor attendance using Pinnacle and BASIS 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.

•  The school Social Worker, 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 or School Social Worker 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.
• Staff will help identify any family needs and connect the family with services (food pantry, clothing assistance, literacy programs, transportation).

• We will work with students and families to set attendance goals and time frames that are attainable to help improve attendance for at-risk or chronically absent students.
• Recognize these students routinely for good and improved attendance. Positive reinforcement and trusting relationships with staff improve attendance.

• 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.
• Parent-Teacher Conferences with support staff will be scheduled to discuss absences and challenges to identify the barriers we may be able to assist with.

• Involve public agencies, community partners, and resources as needed to address barriers identified through parent conferences, communications with family, or other sources.
• Involve the school nurse when necessary to follow-up on medically related absences and train staff to recognize signs of illness.
• Connect families with the School Social Worker to provide insight as to the role of a School Social Worker, establish a relationship, and provide clinical support and services.

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 will monitor the non-attendance report from OptiSpool, data from BASIS to identify students that are missing too many school days.
• Attendance data is one of the main metrics brought to discussion for Collaborative Problem-Solving Team (CPST) and Response-to-Intervention (RtI). Attendance data may help uncover bigger issues the student or family are experiencing.
• After 5 days or 30 hours a Parent Link call will be placed to the parent r guardian of the student.  This may be followed by a phone call to the parent and/or a letter from the school.  
• Teachers will monitor data through Pinnacle to dtermine when to place a phone call to parents, refer the student to guidance and/ or the school social worker.  

• Refer students to appropriate service agencies (social services, human resources, counseling, housing, the HEART team for homeless education, or health services). When appropriate, a truancy petition
• 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. 

• 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, School Counselor, and School Social Worker. Plans and goals will be shared with the child’s teachers.
• Tangible incentives may be utilized to help students and parents improve attendance.

• 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 Social Worker as a resource for helping families with attendance problems.
• When the student misses school, ensure the assigned personnel is following up on each absence.

• Implement agreed upon family intervention plan. Monitor for progress.
• Connect students with chronic physical and mental health issues to medical providers.
• For cases of suspected abuse, neglect or endangerment, contact the appropriate agencies to report.