Bridges to School (B2S)

www.studentadvocacycenter.org•contact@studentadvocacycenter.org(734)482-0489Headquarters•(866)793-3517fax

SAC’sBridgestoSchoolprogram(formerlyEarlyTruancyIntervenQon)provideshome-basedsupportservicestoJacksonCountyfamilieswithelementaryschool-agedchildren,gradesK-5,whohavebeenreferredbytheirelementaryschoolforabsenteeism.Toassist,staffprovidefamilieswithsupportservicesthatincludeacomprehensiveassessment,intervenQonplan,in-homeparenQngeducaQonusingevidence-basedcurriculum,casemanagement,advocacy,resourceconnecQons,andweeklyaXendancemonitoring.OurgoalistoidenQfyandovercomebarrierstoregularschoolaXendance.

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WHO Schoolscanreferstudentswhohavehad10ormoreunexcusedabsencesor15ormoreabsences

(excused,unexcused,ordisciplinary)whentheyhavenotrespondedtotheschool’sdocumentedeffortstointervene.Historically,B2ShasbeenmosteffecQvewithfamilieswhoareimpactedbypoverty;haveoneormorefamilymemberswithachronicdiseaseorillness;andhaveunmetmentalandbehavioralhealthneeds.B2SappearstobeleasteffecQveforstudentswhoarereferredfortardinessanddoesnotcurrentlyacceptreferralsforchronictardiness.B2SacceptsreferralsfromJacksonCountyschools.WearenotaccepQngcaseswhenthefamilyhasanopenChildProtecQveServicescase.WHAT

Toassist,B2Sprovidesfamilieswithsupportservicesthatincludeacomprehensivefamilyneedsassessment,thedevelopmentofanAXendanceIntervenQonPlan,themonitoringoffamilyprogresstowardsintervenQongoals,linkingreferredfamiliestoexisQngcommunityresourcesandprograms,in-homeparenQngeducaQonusingtheNurturingParenQngcurriculum,casemanagement,advocacytoensurefamilieshaveaccesstoneededsupportsandservicesandthemonitoringofstudentschoolaXendance.

B2Sisavoluntaryprogramthatrequiresatleastoneparent/guardiantoparQcipate.B2SstaffwillmakethreeaXemptstoengagethefamilyandprovideintervenQonservices.LEARN MORE

hXp://www.studentadvocacycenter.org/programs/b2s

Why Early Intervention Matters

www.studentadvocacycenter.org•contact@studentadvocacycenter.org(734)482-0489Headquarters•(866)793-3517fax

Chronicabsencesinkindergartenhaveanimmediateimpactonperformance,andthelong-termconsequencesforchildreninpovertyaremostsignificant(ChangandRomero,2008).TheNaQonalCenterforChildreninPovertyfoundthatchronicabsenceinkindergartenisassociatedwithloweracademicperformanceinfirstgrade.Amongpoorchildren,chronicabsencesinkindergartenpredictsthelowestlevelsofeducaQonalachievementattheendoffidhgrade.GoingtoschoolregularlyintheearlyyearsisespeciallycriQcalforchildrenfromfamilieslivinginpovertywhoarelesslikelytohavetheresourcestomakeupforlostQmeintheclassroom.

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It’ssoimportantforyounglearnerstodevelopgoodhabitsassoonaspossible.StudiessuggestthatchronicabsenceasearlyaskindergartenispredicQveofchronicabsenceinlatergrades(TheBalQmoreCityStudentAXendanceWorkGroup,2010).

Studieshavefoundthatexcessiveabsencesintheearlygradesarecorrelatedwithfuturerisk-takingbehaviors,suchastobacco,alcohol,anddruguse,andinvolvementwiththecriminaljusQcesystem(JohnW.GardnerCenter,2010;Gofried,2010;Sundius&Farneth,2008b;Smink&Reimer,2005).

Andwhenchronicabsenteeismiswidespread,itimpactsstudentswhoarenotabsent,asteachersarerequiredtoeitherslowdowninstrucQonfortheenQreclasstohelpabsentstudentscatchupormaintaintheirnormalpace,frustraQngachievementforthosechronicallyabsentstudents(Chang&Jordan,2010;EducaQonCommissionoftheStates,2009;Balfanzetal.,2008;Naueretal.,2008;Sundius&Farneth,2008b).History of B2S

B2S,whichbecameaSACprogramin2015,hasbeensuccessfullytacklingthissocialproblemsince2006inJackson.OriginallycalledtheEarlyTruancyIntervenQon,B2SwasdesignedinJacksonbycourt,districtandschoolstaff.Itdoeswhatawidevarietyofresearchersrecommend,includingpersonalizedearlyoutreach,engagingstudentsandparents,addressingbarrierstoaXendance,focusingoncollaboraQon,monitoringaXendance,andrecognizinggoodaXendance.Historically,75-85%ofstudentshaveimprovedaXendance.Wearethankfulforourfunders,includingtheChildren’sTrustFundandtheJacksonCommunityFoundaQon.