- No commonly accepted definition
- Varies across states and school districts
- Truancy focuses on unexcused absences
- Chronic absence focuses on excused and unexcused absences and suspensions.
- SCSD defines chronic absence as: “Students who are absent more than 10% of the school year (more than two absences a month).” (Schenectady City School District, 2018).
- SCSD defines truancy as: “A student who is absent from school without consent of parent/guardian is considered to be truant.” (Schenectady City School District, 2018).
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Low-income students are much more likely to be chronically absent
- Outcomes (i.e., school achievement, graduation, involvement in delinquent activities) are more significantly impacted for low-income students in comparison with their peers with higher socioeconomic status
- Outcomes (i.e., school achievement, graduation, involvement in delinquent activities) are more significantly impacted for low-income students in comparison with their peers with higher socioeconomic status
- Non-english learners are 20% more likely to be chronically absent
- Kindergarten and 1st grade students who are chronically absent are less likely to read proficiently by the time they finish third grade
- By 6th grade, chronic absence becomes a pre-indication that the student may drop out of high school
- By 9th grade, chronic absence better predicts high school drop out than 8th grade test scores
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Educational disabilities
- Undiagnosed or misdiagnosed
- Undiagnosed or misdiagnosed
- Victimization/bullying
- Fear of school
- Mental health issues
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Failure of school to tell or successfully connect with parents parents regarding students’ absences
- I.e. using modes of communication such as email that are ineffective.
- I.e. using modes of communication such as email that are ineffective.
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Lack of transportation or access to school
- Weather for walkers
- Weather for walkers
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Community factors:
- Presence of gangs, guns, bullying
- Sense of safety
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Values and priorities associated with the community
- Community may value working over education
- Community may value working over education
- Presence of gangs, guns, bullying
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Family considerations:
- Earning money for family
- Abuse, neglect/ lack of supervision
- Obligations to care for parents or younger siblings
- Homelessness
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Lack of awareness of attendance laws or school policies
- Attendance policy will be updated this year at SCSD
- Attendance policy will be updated this year at SCSD
- Earning money for family
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Cultural considerations:
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Cultural and language differences
- School policy
- Lack of culturally relevant pedagogy/ curriculum
- Current political climate backlash
- School policy
- Cultural bias
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Cultural and language differences
- Understanding the function of the chronic absenteeism/truancy is essential to helping the student and family overcome barriers
- Focus on Tiers 1 and 2 for prevention
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Attendance committee
- Recognize good and improved attendance (e.g., tying into PBIS rewards, classroom rewards, etc.)
- Provide personalized, early outreach (i.e., through formalized plans/automated checks)
- Common barriers identified and addressed
- Recognize good and improved attendance (e.g., tying into PBIS rewards, classroom rewards, etc.)
- Monitor attendance data regularly in a uniform way across the district
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Engage students and parents
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School climate that encourages students to come to school
- Creating a pro-attendance culture
- Using positive messages rather than punitive (e.g., positive messages / postings around the school)
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Keeping students safe (e.g., infusing sense of safety through standardized approaches to debriefings by leaders, etc.)
- Helping students to feel safe at school (creating crisis plans and reviewing them often).
- Helping students to feel safe at school (creating crisis plans and reviewing them often).
- Creating a pro-attendance culture
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Provide activities that include family participation to discuss attendance (e.g., assemblies)
- Educating students and families on attendance policies and why it is important to attend school
- Educating families on how to report an absence
- Involving student and parents in discussion about tier 1 interventions to reduce truancy/ increase attendance
- Educating students and families on attendance policies and why it is important to attend school
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School climate that encourages students to come to school
- Partnering with community organizations, if applicable, to provide community incentives
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Community safe walking
- Having community volunteers walk students to school
- Having community volunteers walk students to school
- Check and Connect
- Mentoring programs
- Early intervention is key
- Reviewing attendance weekly
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Involving families
- Including school, parent/ guardian/ caregiver, and student
- Communication
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Holding workshops
- More focused, small group to understand possible legal consequences of truancy and steps to prevent
- Home visits
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Helping families to solve problems that may be barriers to attendance
- Child care, transportation, etc.
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Promoting attendance (instead of punishing inattendance)
- Research shows that punitive interventions aimed at reducing truancy may be effective short-term, but are not effective in the long run (Kim & Streeter, 2016).
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Attendance buddy program
- Pairing students to help them be accountable and aware of attendance
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Have a plan for welcoming students back to class
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Keep this positive and focused on caring messages.
- “I am so glad you’re back, we missed you!”
- “How can I help you get caught up?”
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Keep this positive and focused on caring messages.
- Check and Connect
- Individualized counseling services
- Recognizing improvements and success (no matter how small)
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Incentives for attending school
- Research on providing financial incentives shows increased attendance (Kim & Streeter, 2016).
- Gift cards or store donations if available
- Alternative education programs
- Daily attendance review
- Positive reinforcement worked into student plans
- Positive and regular connection with families
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Last resort (think about the idea of punishing vs. promoting attendance):
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Court-based truancy reduction programs
- PINS
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Court-based truancy reduction programs
- http://www.attendanceworks.org/resources/toolkits/
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http://www.attendanceworks.org/resources/toolkits/the-power-of-positive-connections-toolkit/
- Tips for talking with parents
- Tips for talking with parents
- http://www.attendanceworks.org/chronic-absence/addressing-chronic-absence/3-tiers-of-intervention/ (the make your own pyramid worksheet).
- http://schoolengagement.org/
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http://checkandconnect.umn.edu/resources.html
- data/monitoring resources
- data/monitoring resources
Attendance Works. (n.d.). 3 Tiers of Intervention. Retrieved February 2, 2018, from http://www.attendanceworks.org/chronic-absence/addressing-chronic-absence/3-tiers-of-intervention/
Attendance Works. (n.d.). Tiers of Intervention to Reduce Chronic Absence. Retrieved from Attendance Works Website: http://www.attendanceworks.org/chronic-absence/addressing-chronic-absence/3-tiers-of-intervention/
Kim, J.S., & Streeter, C.L. (2016). Strategies and Interventions for Improving School Attendance. Encyclopedia of Social Work. Retrieved 3 Dec. 2017, from http://socialwork.oxfordre.com/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.001.0001/acrefore-9780199975839-e-1227.
New York State Department of Education. (n.d.). Solving Chronic Absence. Retrieved February 2, 2018, from http://www.everystudentpresent.org/educator_resources/basis/why-chronic-absence-important
Schenectady City School District (n.d.). Attendance Policy. Retrieved February 2, 2018, from http://www.schenectady.k12.ny.us/cms/one.aspx?portalId=412336&pageId=628478
Schenectady City School District (n.d.). Student Success Begins with Attendance. Retrieved February 2, 2018, from http://www.schenectady.k12.ny.us/cms/one.aspx?portalId=412336&pageId=623360
Solving Chronic Absence: Information and Resources for Educators and Community Coalitions. (2017). Council on Children and Families. Retrieved December 01, 2017, from http://www.everystudentpresent.org/educator_resources/educator
U.S Department of Education. Chronic Absenteeism in the Nation's Schools. (2016). Retrieved November 27, 2017, from https://ed.gov/datastory/chronicabsenteeism.html
What Works Clearinghouse. (2015). WWC Intervention Report: Check & Connect. U.S. Department of Education.