Transcript Slide 1

COMPREHENSIVE
ATTENDANCE
PLANNING
Presented by
Student Services Staff
THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF
TRUANCY
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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
TRUANCY
SCHOOL FACTORS
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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
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absence
FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO TRUANCY
HOME 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 shows
the 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” SCHOOLS
FRAMEWORK FOR SCHOOL SUCCESS
NATIONAL 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.
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•Promoting Achievement involves ensuring that students
have the tools and resources to complete courses and
graduate from high school.
SCHOOL CONNECTION OFTEN FOCUSES
ON STUDENT COMMITMENT TO SCHOOL
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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 necessary
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USE OF PARENT LINK
FOR ATTENDANCE
To educate the parent on attendance policy and
procedures
To notify parent of unexcused absence on the
day it occurs
To 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/HTM
L/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 12
monitored consistently.
PRINCIPAL’S MATRICES
ELEMENTARY 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
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declaration of intent to withdraw
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
attendance in a home education program
may
be
met
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• 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 phone
Email or face-to-face conference
Letter 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)
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•Referral to CINS/FINS for secondary students
•Representation in court
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.
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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 Designee
Policy 5.5 and Attendance Procedures
Attendance Goal for Academic Year
The Attendance Process
Roles and Responsibilities
Consequences
Incentives
Evaluation of Plan
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DAILY BENCHMARKS
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DAILY BENCHMARKS
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