September GATE Equity Webinar Attendance Awareness Starting with
September GATE Equity Webinar Attendance Awareness: Starting with Tier 1 Supports Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, State Superintendent
Vision: All students prepared for post-secondary pathways, careers, and civic engagement. Mission: Transform K– 12 education to a system that is centered on closing opportunity gaps and is characterized by high expectations for all students and educators. We achieve this by developing equity-based policies and supports that empower educators, families, and communities. Values:
Office of System & School Improvement Focus on schools identified for supports We believe we are more likely to see school improvement across multiple measures if we: Connect programming to specific needs Build the health of systems Provide professional learning on data inquiry and supportive resources and tools
Who Are We? Kefi Andersen Krissy Johnson Peter Anderson Tony Torres Graduation Equity Program Supervisor OSPI Attendance Program Supervisor OSPI Assistant Principal Harriet Thompson Elementary Grandview School District Graduation Specialist Grandview School District 9/4/2018| 4
Today’s Topics • Why start with Tier 1? • Best practice • What does Tier 1 look like in the field? Grandview • Resources 9/11/2018 | 5
Questions & Polling Who Works on Attendance in your building? A. Just me – I’m amazing! B. Attendance Secretary C. Part of Student Support/Intervention Team D. We have an Attendance Team 9/4/2018| 6
Setting the Stage What is chronic absence & Why are we focused on it?
What is Chronic Absenteeism? 10% of school days Excused Unexcused Chronic Absenteeism 9/4/2018| 8
Which is Different From… Truancy Daily Average Attendance Washington: 5+ unexcused days in a month or 10+ in a year Only unexcused absences. Number of students showing up to school each day*. *Chronic Elementary Absenteeism: A Problem Hidden in Plain Sight 9/4/2018| 9
How is our state reporting Chronic Absence? 88% Regularly Attending Regular Attendance 12% Chronically Absent Chronic Absence Inverted 9/4/2018| 10
Why Chronic Absenteeism? Established body of research showing impacts of all absences on school success Included in ESSA as School Quality and Student Success (SQSS) measure Federal Reporting & State Reporting Legislative changes focused on prevention and intervention, not just crisis response 9/4/2018| 11
Our Why • Attendance is a powerful signal • Opportunity for a mindset shift: from punitive to supportive; from reactive to proactive • What can we do to support you to be in school and be successful there? • There’s a role for everyone in attendance. • Increasing Attendance with a Human Approach 9/4/2018| 12
Multi-Tiered Response to Attendance Tier 1: All Students • Positive school climate & focus on relationships • Clear, consistent & widely understood attendance policies • Absence data is accurate, timely & actionable • Engaging instruction & extracurricular activities • Define and teach “good attendance” • Celebrate good and improved attendance • Awareness efforts that educate parents and students about importance of attendance • Team monitors attendance data & manages interventions • Partnering with families Tier 2: Students with At-risk Attendance • Personalized early outreach • • Action plan addresses barriers and increases engagement • Nudge letters Tier 3: Students that are Chronically Absent • Coordinated school and interagency response • Home visitors, graduation & family support specialists • Check & Connect • Community Truancy Boards 9/4/2018| 13
The Power of Universal: Tier 1 is the Foundation 9/4/2018| 14
Assessing Tier 1 Supports • Attendance Works School and District Assessment Tools • Attendance Works MTSS Tiered Resources Worksheet • OSPI Attendance System Improvement Guide 9/4/2018| 15
Questions & Polling 1 How do you think you are doing on Tier 1? A. We’re really strong here B. We’re ok for now C. Could be better D. Definitely needs work E. Don’t know 9/4/2018| 16
Attendance Conversations in Grandview Peter Anderson Assistant Principal H. T. Elementary Tony Torres Graduation Specialist • ~3, 700 Students • 3 Elementaries, 1 middle school, 1 high school • 92% Latinx • 76% Free & Reduced Lunch • 35% Transitional Bilingual 9/11/2018 | 17
Why did you start looking at chronic absence? 2015 -16 Grandview had 21. 3% chronically absent students = 881 students We realized we needed to own the problem. 9/4/2018| 18
Foundation is Relationships Kindergarten visits Building relationships Greeting students/families 9/4/2018| 19
Consistent Policies & Procedures Standardized • Reporting of absences Common Set • Practices and of procedures Expectations 9/4/2018| 20
Start With Accurate Attendance Data Friendly reminder for staff who have not yet taken attendance. Skyward email-to staff members that haven’t taken attendance by 9: 30 to VP/secretaries Attendance spot check to verify accuracy -teams bring data to attendance huddle 9/4/2018| 21
Getting Actionable Student Data: District Invested in Data System Truancy Dropout Prevention System (Raawee) Daily excused/ unexcused/ chronic dashboards for attendance secretaries and administration Proposed actions aligned to WA St. Attendance requirements Automates time intensive tasks • Attendance Letters, contracts for success 9/4/2018| 22
Critical System Support: District Trainings Secretary • Data entry and weekly entry training Prior to the start of school: Building Staff Awareness Campaign Specialist Training Daily checkins and troubleshooti ng visits Principal, Vice Principals Counselor 9/4/2018| 23
Admin Building Teams Use the Data District Reps Secretaries Attendance Team Huddles District Advocates Counselors ESD Advocate 9/4/2018| 24
Attendance Team Huddles Norms Community Truancy Boards District Focus Special Groups What is our goal for attendance? • Comparison Data from 2017 -18 to 2018 -19 • Excused • Unexcused • Tardies • • Education advocate ESD 105 Drug/alcohol counselor Special Populations WISE TEAM YVFWC-M. H. Raa. Wee (Data System) • District data-Caseload breakdown. Admin/counselor and specialist 9/4/2018| 25
Teachers are critical Parent outreach and meetings Teacher continues to monitor all student attendance and calls home each time student is absent. Teacher emails TASC (teachers, administrators, secretaries, counselors) to initiate team conversations about continuing absences. Administrators place a watch in our attendance program. Concerns are elevated after Huddle. 9/4/2018| 26
Community Partners 9/4/2018| 27
Awareness Raising 9/4/2018| 28
“Strive for 5” Attendance Awareness Banners posted Campaign throughout Grandview: Partnership with City for August National Night Out Community-wide Strive for 5 partnership with area business partners: • City • Grandview Community Center • Extra Mile Student Center • Churches • Chamber of Commerce • • Schools City Facilities Extra Mile Student Center High Traffic Intersections Parks City School Electronic Reader-boards 9/4/2018| 29
“Strive for 5” Attendance Awareness Campaign 2 Open Houses, District Parent Nights, Student Led Conferences, Chamber Meetings, Rotary Weekly campaign materials from OSPI, Attendance Works! and TDPS Sandwich displays at all schools with attendance messages for parents Positive reinforcements – Bikes, PBIS, extended lunches, off-campus privileges Public Awareness campaign through parent emails, reader-boards, Facebook, Twitter and phone call system 9/4/2018| 30
Incentives & Defining Good Attendance P. A. C. E Strive for Five Student tracker Attendance Ribbon Race Extended/extra recess 9/11/2018 | 31
Family Education & Partnership Kindergarten visits Attendance Packet Raa. Wee letters Phone calls home Conferences Monthly attendance campaign 9/4/2018| 32
Other Cool Efforts We’re Proud Of… Attendance Van picks up truant students and is used for home visits Home visits designed to remove barriers for students with significant attendance gaps 9/4/2018| 33
Our Results In two years we have had a 28% reduction in chronic absence. Our goal this next year is to be under 500 students. A 39% drop in three years. Students Chronically Absent 850 819 800 750 700 76 fewer students 10% Reduction 743 650 600 153 fewer students 21% Reduction 550 590 499 500 *GOAL for 2019 450 400 2016 2017 2018 2019 Students Chronically Absent 9/4/2018| 34
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Questions & Polling 3 • What is one major takeaway you have from today’s webinar? • Type it in the chat box – share your thought with everyone. 9/4/2018| 36
September is Attendance Awareness Month • Social Media Toolkit: Weekly Posts & Resources • Posters in multiple languages (hard copy) available for order through our website • Attendance Competition: Who can reduce their absences the most in September from the previous year? • Sign Up for Attendance Newsletter here. 9/4/2018| 37
Resources OSPI System Improvement Guide Attendance page Attendance Works Webpage Webinars 9/4/2018| 38
Survey Tell us how we’re doing: http: //bit. ly/GATEevaluation 9/11/2018 | 39
GATE Advisory September 18 9: 00 am-noon ESD 113, Tumwater Register 9/11/2018 | 40
Join ESD 105 Want to discuss GATE Equity Webinar for clock hours? Join ESD 105’s GATE PLCs! 9/11/2018 | 41
Afternoon Session Today! 1: 00 -2: 00 p. m. Register 9/11/2018 | 42
Next Month 10 a. m. – 11 a. m. Register Family Engagement & Student Discipline 1: 00 -2: 00 p. m. Register Students Who Smoke or Vape: A Red Flag for Supports 9/4/2018| 43
Creative Commons • Except where otherwise noted, this work by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction is licensed under a Creative Commons 4. 0 International License. • Many of our images come from Canva. com and The. Noun. Project. com. 9/4/2018| 44
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