PRACTICAL STRATEGIESFOR ADDRESSING
CHRONIC ABSENTEEISMAmber Brundage
Iris WilliamsDavid Chamberlin
Lisa Kern
Jonathan HinkePamela BrownDonna Sicilian
Beth Duda
Kristi JarvisKarie Capiello
Mike Henriquez
@flpsrti, #ESSEI17
Advance Organizer
• Introductions• Orientation to Padlet• Chronic Absenteeism Overview• Panel Discussion & Audience Questions
Introduction of Panel Members
Padlet Instructions
• To submit questions to the panel members:– Go to this URL to add Postings.
double-click anywhere on the wall to add your question or comment.
• https://padlet.com/gmpearcy/ESSEI2017
CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM
Chronic Absenteeism (CA)
• No standard definition– Often based on total
number of days missed• Does not differentiate
reasons for absences– Includes: excused,
unexcused and suspensions
• Frequently defined as:– Missing 10% or more of
instructional days• HB7069 K-8 EWS• FL reports students missing
21 or more days per year– Missing 15 or more days of
school per year
• Important Differences -• Truancy = unexcused
absences (s. 1003.26(b), F.S.)
• Average Daily Attendance = how many students show up each day
• Chronic Absence = missing so much school for any reason that a student is academically at-risk - missing 10% or more of school
Prevalence of CA in FL
• According to data reported to FL DOE during the 2015/2016 school year, 10.10% of K-12 students were absent 21+ days
318,787 students- an increase from
304,060 students in 14/15
2015-16 District 21+ Absence Rates
Source: Education Information and Accountability Services, Florida Department of Education
0 – 9.9%
10% – 14.9%
15% – 19.9%
20% – 30+%
Statewide Average 10.10%
Chronic Absenteeism by Demographics
Balfanz & Byrnes, 2012
Chronic Absenteeism OCR Data
12.910.1 11.8
18.118.915.6
17.9
24.6
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Overall Elementary Middle High
Perc
enta
ge o
f Stu
dent
s
Non-DisabledSWD
2015-16SWDChronicAbsenteeismRates
Source: Education Information and Accountability Services, Florida Department of Education
0 – 9.9%
10% – 14.9%
15% – 19.9%
20% – 30+%
Statewide Average 15.05%
Padlet Test
• What do you think are contributors to chronic absenteeism rates?
• Why do you think chronic absenteeism rates among SWD are higher?
• Submit answers via padlet:– https://padlet.com/gmpearcy/ESSEI2017
StudentReportedReasonsforCA
ReasonOverall
PercentageSWD
PercentageHealth Related 92.6 91.4Transportation 53.0 57.7Personal Stress 41.8 42.6Preferred Activity Outside of School 41.0 49.1Value of School 38.8 46.4School Stress 34.8 44.7School Climate 32.2 40.8Safety/Conflict 21.2 30.4Adult Responsibility 17.0 25.3Legal System Involvement 15.6 26.2Housing/Material Instability 13.6 18.8Suspension 10.5 15.0
AccuratelyRecalled/ReportedAbsences
43 43.1
0102030405060708090
100
Overall SWD
Perc
enta
ge o
f Res
pons
es
Column1
MESSAGING
Perceptions of Absences: Compared to Peers
23.9 25.831.3 29.1
44.8 45.2
0102030405060708090
100
Overall SWD
Perc
enta
ge o
f Res
pons
es
FewerSameMore
PANEL DISCUSSION
Panel Questions- Background
• Why has chronic absenteeism (CA) been on your radar?
• How did you identify key areas related to CA?• What are the components that you think are
necessary for a comprehensive plan to address CA?– Who are the key players?– Does this differ for SWD?
Audience Questions
• Please submit questions related to Section 1-Background via padlet:– https://padlet.com/gmpearcy/ESSEI2017
Panel Questions- Strategies
• What some things you’ve tried that weren’t as effective?
• Summarize some things (interventions, structures, policies, practices) that have worked.
• What are you trying right now that you think will work (but don’t yet have data)?
• How do we move from a reactive approach to a more proactive mindset?
Monroe County
Pinellas County Absences Codes
Pinellas Nudge Letter
Sarasota County Data Dashboard
• https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiMjBlZjkxMGUtMTE1Zi00ZGUyLWEwYmMtMGMxNDBmNjcxODFiIiwidCI6ImI3NzFkYTEzLWQzMWQtNDc0NS05ZGE2LTNhMWNjODc0NTJkMSIsImMiOjF9
Pasco County Schools
PercentageofschoolsthatidentifiedattendanceontheirSchoolSuccessPlan
22%
6%
39%
0102030405060708090
100
Elementary Middle High
Perc
enta
ge o
f Sch
ools
District School Board Pasco County
District Attendance Committee
• Membership across all divisions• Examine policies and procedures that impact or
are impacted by attendance– Student Code of Conduct– Grading policies– Attendance codes
• Recognize schools efforts to improve attendance
• Look at ways to engage the community in the effort to improve student attendance and engagement
Some data to consider…
Drilling Down to Student Level
Goal: Increase Access to Services
• Contract with 7 mental health providers• Co-locate mental health services on 11 school
sites• Community school initiative underway at one
Title I location –– Partner w/local FQHC for dental services – Planning expansion to include physical and mental
health services
Our Model for Health Services
• Registered professional School Nurse (RN/BSN preferred) assigned to 2 – 3 schools
• Unlicensed assistive personnel (Clinic Assistant) located in each school clinic (may be LPN, CNA, etc.)
• SN delegates to CA and is responsible to monitor practice regularly (supervise and direct LPNs)
• LPNs assigned to campuses for daily care of medically fragile students
• Current allocations: SN – 39; CA – 85; LPN – 16 (does not include 10 charter schools)
Goal: Improve Student HealthAddressing health related causes of CA thru partnerships:• Health Department
– Free ARNP services at select high schools twice/month– Free mobile dental health (sealants) at all Title I locations– Fully operational (daily) dental health clinic at Title I
elementary school – expansion planned (medicaid)• USF Pediatric NP services available any location (free)• Flu vaccination clinics annually (no cost)• Vision Quest – mobile vision services• Medical Mobile Unit – onsite health services near schools
Example of Recognition
Health Outreach Services
Other Supportive Health Services
Keeping students in school, improving academic performance & grad rates, fostering engagement & positive health outcomes:• School nurses prevent/treat health and behavioral
issues; lead as health expert informing school teams; if in a school, all day every day can assess and intervene to keep kids in class (5% vs. 18%)
• School breakfast programs (food insecurity)• Later start times (wish we had that!!); PE and
recess• Trauma sensitive schools; SEL; staff self-care
(working on this!)
The facts…
• Groups disproportionately affected by high rates of illness – low income, children of color, disabled
• Outreach services including intensive school health supports should be focused here since access to care is often the reason for the disparity
• Typical illnesses causing absences: asthma, influenza, diabetes, obesity and related illness, seizure disorders, mental health and anxiety and vision problems
• Estimates 27% of students have a health condition
Florida Students with Chronic Health Conditions
Health Condition 2008 2015 Percent Increase
ADHD 59,023 102,156 73%
Allergies 155,335 254,170 63%
Asthma 150,963 203,017 34%
Cardiac 12,902 14,125 9%
Seizures 13,559 20,713 52%
Psychiatric 9,582 18,039 88%
Total Number 485,254 728,335 50%
Per Florida School Health Program Services data summary reports
Final Thoughts…
• Given opportunity, time and access, Florida school nurses are uniquely positioned to help decrease chronic absenteeism
• School nurses in Pasco will continue to identify and develop creative partnerships within their school communities that are designed to improving student health and access to care
Audience Questions
• Please submit questions related to Section 1-Background or 2- Strategies via padlet:– https://padlet.com/gmpearcy/ESSEI2017
Panel Questions- Outcomes
• What outcome data or changes in practice and/or policy can you share?
Example of RecognitionIncrease in On-Track for Attendance
Q1 Q2 CHANGE
TEWMS 79.44% 82.32% 2.88%
PVMS 70.11% 72.28% 2.17%
JMMES 72.99% 73.40% 0.41%
Audience Questions & Reflections
• Please submit questions related to Section:– 1-Background, – 2- Strategies – or 3- Outcomes via padlet:
• What resonated with you?• What are next steps?
Contact Information
Amber [email protected]
@flpsrti
Iris [email protected] Henriquez (Monroe)[email protected]
Donna Sicilian (Pinellas)[email protected]
Karie Cappiello (Volusia)[email protected]
Pamela Brown (Putnam)[email protected]
Jonathan Hinke (Putnam)[email protected]
Kristi Jarvis (Sarasota)[email protected]
Beth Duda (Sarasota)[email protected]
Additional ReadingsAllensworth, E. M., & Easton, J. Q. (2005). The on-track indicator as a predictor of high
school graduation. Consortium on Chicago School Research, University of Chicago. Retrieved from http://ccsr.uchicago.edu/publications/p78.pdf
Allensworth, E. M., & Easton, J. Q. (2007). What matters for staying on track and graduating in Chicago public high schools. Consortium on Chicago School Research, University of Chicago. Retrieved from http://ccsr.uchicago.edu/publications/07%20What%20Matters%20Final.pdf
Allesnworth, E. M., Gwynne, J. A., Moore, P., & de la Torre, M. (2014). Looking forward to high school and college Middle grades indicators of readiness in Chicago public schools. Consortium on Chicago School Research, University of Chicago. Retrieved from https://ccsr.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/publications/Middle%20Grades%20Report.pdf
Balfanz, R., & Byrnes, V. (2012). Chronic Absenteeism: Summarizing What We Know From Nationally Available Data. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Center for Social Organization of Schools.
Balfanz, R., Herzog, L., MacIver, D., (2007). Preventing student disengagement and keeping students on the graduation path in urban middle-grades schools: Early identification and effective interventions. Educational Psychologist, 42(4), 223-235.
Additional Readings ContinuedChang, Hedy N. & Romero, Mariajosé 2008. Present, engaged and accounted for the
critical importance of addressing chronic absence in the early grades. National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP): The Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.
Connolly, F. & Olson, L. S. 2012. Early elementary performance and attendance in Baltimore City Schools’ pre-kindergarten and kindergarten. Baltimore Education Research Consortium, Baltimore, MD.
Henderson, T., Hill, C. & Norton, K. 2014. The connection between missing school and health: A review of chronic absenteeism and student health in Oregon. Upstream Public Health.
Olson, L. S., 2014. Why September matters: Improving student attendance. Baltimore Education Research Consortium, Baltimore, MD. Retrieved from : http://baltimore-berc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/SeptemberAttendanceBriefJuly2014.pdf
Chang, H., & Balfanz, R., (2016). Preventing missed opportunity: Taking collective action to confront chronic absence. Attendance Works and Everyone Graduates Center.
