June 26, 2013

Absenteeism in the Middle Grades:

The Prevalence, the Impact and Turning it Around

Twitter Hashtag: #MLBR13

Sponsored by… Alliance for Excellent Education Association for Middle Level Education National Association of Elementary School

Principals National Association of Secondary School

Principals National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades

Reform

A Special Thanks to our Honorary Co-Host

Rep. Raúl Grijalva (AZ-7)

Moderator: Jeff LaRoux

President, Association for Middle Level Education

Presenters: Sue Fothergill

Senior Policy Associate, Attendance Works

Vincent MasciaPrincipal Southmoreland Middle School, Scottdale, PA

Nikita HornEarly Indicator Data Manager & In-School

Communicator Masan Elementary School, Chicago, IL

Attendance Works is a national and state initiative that promotes better policy and practice around school attendance. We promote tracking chronic absence

data for each student beginning in kindergarten, or ideally earlier, and partnering with families and community agencies to intervene when poor

attendance is a problem for students or schools.

www.attendanceworks.org

1. Unpacking Attendance Terms

2. The Impact of Chronic Absence on Youth Outcomes

3. Baltimore Leading the Way with Increased Attendance in the Middle Grades

6

Overview

Average

Daily

Attendance

• The % of enrolled students who attend school each day. It is used in some states for allocating funding.

Truancy

• Typically refers only to unexcused absences and is defined by each state under No Child Left Behind. It signals the potential need for legal intervention under state compulsory education laws.

Chronic Absence

• Missing 10% or more of school for any reason – excused, unexcused, etc. It is an indication that a student is academically at risk due to missing too much school starting in Kindergarten.

Unpacking Attendance Terms

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Most schools only track average daily attendance and truancy. Both can mask chronic absence.

Moving into Action Requires Knowing if Chronic Absence is

a Problem

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98% ADA = little chronic absence 95% ADA = don’t know

93% ADA = significant chronic absence

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

5

13 1418

25

34 35

Chronic Absence 7 Baltimore Middle Schools

 Average Daily Attendance

1 97

2 95

3 95

4 94

5 92

6 90

7 90

Chronic Absence Versus Truancy

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Nationwide, as many as 10-15% of students (7.5 million) miss nearly a month of school every year. That’s 135 million days of lost time in the classroom.

In some cities, as many as one in four students are missing that much school.

Chronic absenteeism is a red alert that students are headed for academic trouble and eventually for dropping out of high school. 

Poor attendance isn’t just a secondary school problem. It can start as early as kindergarten and pre-kindergarten.

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Chronic Absence:A Hidden National Crisis

Students with more years of chronic absenteeism have lower 2nd grade scores

* Indicates that scores are significantly different from scores of students who are never chronically absent, at p<.05 level; **p<.01; ***p<.001

Some risk

At risk

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Why Interrupting Chronic Early

Absence Matters

Oakland Unified School District SY 2006-2012, Analysis By Attendance Works

Each year of chronic absence in elementary school is associated with a substantially higher probability of chronic

absence in 6th grade

Chronic absence in 1st grade is also associated with:

• Lower 6th grade test scores

• Higher levels of suspension

Years of Chronic Absence in Grades 1-5

Increase in probability

of 6th grade

chronic absence 5.9

x

7.8x

18.0x

13

0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0% 56.3%

41.6%

25.7%

withdrew from school - likely dropped out

Poor Attendance in 6th Grade Predicts Withdrawals

High School Outcomes by Rates of Chronic Absenteeism in Sixth Grade

(Baltimore City Public Schools, 1990-00 Sixth Grade Cohort)

Stu

dent

Att

end

ance

Source: Baltimore Education Resource Consortium

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Solutions Only Work if Grounded in Understanding of What Leads to

Chronic Absence

MythsAbsences are only a problem if they

are unexcused

Sporadic versus consecutive

absences aren’t a problem

Attendance only matters in the older grades

Barriers

Lack of access to health care

Poor transportation

No safe path to school

AversionChild struggling

academically

Lack of engaging instruction

Poor school climate and

ineffective school discipline

Parents had negative school

experience

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Universal Strategies for Building a Habit of Attendance While

Identifying Systemic Barriers

What has worked in Baltimore• Fewer unnecessary suspensions,

• Reduced middle school transitions through the creation of Prek – 8 and 6 – 12 grade configured schools,

• Changed the middle school model at the remaining middle schools to reflect District education priorities including smaller more personal learning environments, thematic learning opportunities, and a focus on STEM education.

• Expanded monitoring of attendance data, and

• Formed a multi-organizational workgroup to identify and implement recommendations to improve attendance.

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For additional examples: http://www.attendanceworks.org/what-works/

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Baltimore City Attendance Data

Roswell B. MasonElementary School

Principal: Tonya Tolbert

Assistant Principal: Lee McLaurin

Presenter: Nikita Horn

1830 South Keeler AveChicago, Illinois 60623773-534-1530

“We are Mason Achievers Powerful, Strong and

Determined. Striving daily to do our very best…”

Indicators for Students Success: Interventions and Supports to Help Middle Grades Students (ISIS)

As early as sixth grade schools are able to identify, with high predictability, whether students are on-track for high school

graduation.

Attendance Behavior English grades Math grades

Using these success indicators, the ISIS framework guides schools through a five-part process that includes:

ISIS FrameworkFive-part process

1. Implementing school structures necessary for addressing individual student needs

2. Analyzing ISIS data to identify students in need of supports and interventions

3. Designing tiered supports and interventions in each of the four indicator areas

4. Matching “off-track” students with appropriate supports and interventions

5. Continually tracking data to be sure students are moving back on track

How we identify at risk students?

Middle School Attendance Interventions & Incentives at Mason School

Make parental contact (teacher) 5-10 day certified letter Attendance incentives

Jamboree Concert Lunch with the principal Yearly and quarterly perfect attendance trophies Special field trips and out of uniform days

Conference with student during advisory Middle School attendance bulletin board

How early indicators data improved our school’s middle school attendance…

2011-2012 Middle School Attendance Data

1ST quarter middle school attendance – 89.25%

2nd quarter middle school attendance – 89.86%

3rd quarter middle school attendance – 90.54%

4th quarter middle school attendance – 91.76%

2012-2013 Middle School Attendance Data

1ST quarter middle school attendance – 88.75%

2nd quarter middle school attendance – 89.86%

3rd quarter middle school attendance – 92.02%

4th quarter middle school attendance – 93.67%

2013-2014 Attendance Goals1st quarter – 90% 2nd quarter – 92%3rd quarter – 94%4th quarter – 96%

Southmoreland Middle School

Vincent Mascia Principal

Scottdale, PA

Grades: 6-8

Enrollment: 445

Free/Reduced: 52%

:

Individualized Interventions to Meet Student Needs

Intentional Non-Learner vs. the Academically Struggling Student

Tiered Intervention Schedule to Meet Diverse Student Needs

School-wide Belief That Everyone is Responsible to Assist Students – Shared Responsibility for the Learning and Success of All Students

Individual Student Learning Plans Communication is Vital

Celebrate and Recognize Student Successes

Students and Adults Must Believe in the Crucial Message

Student of the Month Group Effort for Maximum Success

(GEMS)

Recognizing the Lead Sponsors ofSuccess in the Middle Bills

H.R. 2316: Success in the Middle Act of 2013Congressman Raúl Grijalva (D) Arizona

S.708 - Success in the Middle Act of 2013Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D) Rhode Island

Questions from Audience