COMPREHENSIVE ATTENDANCE PLANNING

Presented by

Student Services Staff

THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF TRUANCY

• 70% of all children committed to the Florida Dept. of Juvenile Justice were suspended or expelled, doing poorly or dropped out of school at the time of the commitment.

• 40% of those children were chronically truant• As children progress through the levels in the Juvenile Justice system, the

figures worsen.• 3 out of 5 children committed to level 2 (day treatment) DJJ are not

attending school regularly at time of commitment. • Nearly 9 out of 10 children ordered to level 10 (long term lock down) are

not attending school regularly when they were committed.

WHILE NOT ALL TRUANTS BECOME DELINQUENT, MOST DELINQUENTS BEGIN AS TRUANTS

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FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO TRUANCYSCHOOL FACTORS

• Poor academic performance• Two or more retentions • Lack of personal and educational goals • Teacher variables • School and or district lack of consistency

and uniformity to attendance and attendance policy

• Parent/guardians lack of awareness of each absence

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FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO TRUANCYHOME AND COMMUNITY FACTORS

•Negative role models •Family health or financial concerns•Child is a victim of abuse, neglect and/or family management issues•Pressure from teen pregnancy or parenthood•Lack of family support and valuing of education•Safety issues

Colorado Foundation for family and children – overview of truancy 2003

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THE EFFECTS OF TRUANCY ON

GRADUATION RATES

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Research showsthe correlation between

attendance and graduation. Grade 9 is a critical

transition year. - MDCRMDCR, 2007, 2007

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FRAMEWORK FOR SCHOOL SUCCESS

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TRIPLE “A” SCHOOLSFRAMEWORK FOR SCHOOL SUCCESSNATIONAL CENTER FOR SCHOOL ENGAGEMENT – DEC. 2006

•Promoting Attendance involves the design and implementation of evidence-based strategies to reduce excused and unexcused absences and to address issues of high student mobility

•Promoting Attachment involves establishing meaningful connections with youth and their families through caring, support, and mutually-defined expectations. Developing positive school climates, family and community engagement, and student-focused programs and activities.

•Promoting Achievement involves ensuring that students have the tools and resources to complete courses and graduate from high school.

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SCHOOL CONNECTION OFTEN FOCUSES ON STUDENT COMMITMENT TO SCHOOL

• Being part of the school• Students’ sense of belonging• Whether or not students like school• Level of teacher supportiveness and

caring• Presence of a good friend in school• Fair and effective discipline• Participation in extracurricular

activities• Feeling safe

Libbey, 2004

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IMPORTANCE OF ACCURATE RECORD KEEPING

•To ensure parental notifications are accurate

•To ensure that letters of non-attendance are generated with accuracy through ETS

•To ensure interventions such as attendance agreements and referrals for CINS/FINS are made in a timely manner

•To ensure the make-up work policy is implemented appropriately

•To facilitate legal proceedings when necessary10

USE OF PARENT LINKFOR ATTENDANCE

To educate the parent on attendance policy and

proceduresTo notify parent of unexcused absence on the

day it occursTo notify parent of child having a” pattern

of non-attendance”

In order for Parent Link to be effective, schools must have current demographic information

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POLICY 5.5 – ATTENDANCE POLICY AND PROCEDURAL MANUAL

Attendance documents available online at: http://www.broward.k12.fl.us/studentsupport/sswad/HTML/ap.htm

It is important for school personnel and parents to be familiar with the Attendance Policy, the Procedural Manual and other supporting documents.

CODES 071 AND 072 – important to note that if you use 072 to excuse pattern of non-attendance, these codes will not reappear in the same quarter. Attendance must be monitored consistently.

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PRINCIPAL’S MATRICESELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY

Attendance Matrices are available online at: http://www.broward.k12.fl.us/studentsupport/sswad/HTML/ap.htm

Both suggested and mandatory interventions are outlined in these matrices, according to the severity of the attendance infraction

Interventions range from phone calls, conferences,, CPST, detentions, referral to School Social Worker and CINS/FINS referrals, to exit interviews and declaration of intent to withdraw

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PHYSICIAN’S TEMPLATE

• It is important to obtain documentation from the student’s physician when there is a history of excessive excused absences related to reported illness.

• This documentation can facilitate the implementation of an action plan that meets student’s educational needs.

• The form is first signed by the parent and then faxed or mailed to the student’s physician.

• Upon receipt of the completed form from the physician, the school should convene an educational planning meeting

• to determine further plan of action

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LEARNFARE PROGRAM

The Department of Children and Families will reduce the amount of the temporary cash assistance for a participant’s eligible dependent child if they have been identified as a habitual truant or a drop-out

Once the child’s attendance has substantially improved the temporary cash assistance will be reinstated.

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HOME EDUCATION

• Compulsory school attendance requirements may be met by attendance in a home education program

• Parent is responsible to enroll the child by filing a notice of Intent to home educate.

• When a parent withdraws a student for home-education, the school notifies the District guidance department. If the District does not receive the letter of intent within 30 days, they will notify the Student Services Department for follow-up.

• If the parent of a child who exhibits a pattern of non-attendance enrolls the child in a home education program, the school may request that a 30-60 day portfolio review be conducted to make sure the parent is accountable for the child’s education.

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COMING TO SCHOOL, OR TO CLASS LATE, IS LIKE ARRIVING TO SEE A MOVIE AFTER

THE MOVIE STARTED!

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TARDINESS/EARLY SIGN-OUTS

•ELEMENTARY LEVEL:Minutes for tardies and early release may be counted as unexcused and added into total minutes absent for purposes of BTIP at the elementary level.

•SECONDARY LEVEL:At the secondary level, tardiness to any class without documentation may be considered unexcused.

•ALL LEVELS:Procedures for admitting tardy students should be spelled out at the beginning of the school year to all parents.

Procedures should be consistent school-wide

Habitual tardiness/early sign-outs may be reviewed by the CPST to determine if a pattern of non-attendance exists

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SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER INVOLVEMENT

When should you get your School Social Worker involved?

Once the school has completed initial interventions:Parent Link calls Teacher contact with parent via phoneEmail or face-to-face conferenceLetter from school

If absences/tardiness continue, a referral should be made to the assigned School Social Worker.

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INTERVENTIONS BY SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER

These may include, but are not limited to:

•Student assessment•Family assessment•Possible home visit•Referrals to community agencies•Case management•CPST - Consultations regarding appropriateness of student placement, curriculum and program•Broward Truancy Intervention Program for elementary students (BTIP)•Referral to CINS/FINS for secondary students•Representation in court

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SECONDARY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE INCENTIVES

Secondary school level:

•The grade that has the highest % of students in full attendance for the week will get an incentive – i.e., music at lunch.

•Quarterly awards for good attendance or most improved attendance.

•Offer individual contracts with attainable goals and rewards for students with poor attendance.

•Have a bowl in each classroom and each student who is on time for the whole week gets their name in the bowl and a name is drawn for a small reward such as a homework pass. 21

SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND ATTENDANCE

• Students under 16 years of age may not be withdrawn from school for any reason unless expelled through Board action or covered by an exemption allowed by Florida Statute

• Florida Statute 322.091 requires school district to report to the Division of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles the names of students ages 14-18 who accumulate 15 unexcused absences in any consecutive 90 day calendar period. They will not be permitted to drive until they have 30 consecutive days of attendance in school.

• Letters for 5 and 10 days of unexcused absences are sent to parents of middle school students from ETS.

• Social Workers receive a list of all students with 10 days of unexcused absences.

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CINS/FINS•CINS/FINS – Child In Need of Services/Family In Need of Services – is the program to assist secondary students who have poor attendance.

•The process is initiated by a referral to the school social worker.

•The school social worker will assess the situation and implement interventions.

•If interventions are not successful, the school social worker will refer the case to a CINS/FINS provider.

•If parent is cooperative with CINS/FINS, but attendance does not improve, the case may be brought before the case staffing committee which determines whether the case may require court action.

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ATTENDANCE PLAN

As you work on your Attendance Plan with your team areas to cover should include:

Attendance DesigneePolicy 5.5 and Attendance ProceduresAttendance Goal for Academic YearThe Attendance ProcessRoles and ResponsibilitiesConsequencesIncentivesEvaluation of Plan

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DAILY BENCHMARKS

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DAILY BENCHMARKS

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