Transcript Carol City Senior High

MIAMI CAROL CITY SENIOR HIGH
ATTENDANCE PLUS INSTRUCTION EQUALS
“ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT”
Ms. Kim W. Cox – Principal
Mr. Aaron Roberts – Assistant Principal
Ms. Kathy Alexander – Teacher Leader
Dr. Patricia Grimsley - Professional Partner
ABSTRACT
Attendance is crucial to student achievement. If
students are not in school, they cannot be taught.
During the 2007-2008 school year a program was
developed at Miami Carol City Senior High School
to recognize students for improved attendance. This
program was then monitored to discover if
incentives had a positive affect on student
attendance, thereby, increasing student
achievement in science.
INTRODUCTION
Miami Carol City Senior High School is located in northwest Miami-Dade
County in the city of Miami Gardens. There are 2,403 students in grades 912. Ninety-three percent are African Americans; seven percent are
Hispanic; less than one percent is white. Sixty-eight percent of the students
are classified as economically disadvantaged because they are receiving
free or reduced lunch. The student mobility index is reported at 45. Of the
students who entered 12th grade in 2006-07, 388 students received
standard diplomas.
Thirty-five percent of the instructional staff members have masters degrees,
seven percent of the staff members hold specialist degrees, three percent
hold doctoral degrees and the remaining staff members hold bachelor’s
degrees.
STUDENT DATA
FACULTY DATA
INTRODUCTION

In 2006-2007, Miami Carol City Senior High School ranked 29th out of 39
senior high schools in Miami-Dade County in student attendance.

At the end of 2006-2007, the school did not make Adequate Yearly Progress
(AYP) and did not meet graduation criterion based on the Florida
Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT).

In 2006-2007 only 5% of the 11th grade students tested in science received
a passing score based on FCAT results.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS

What will happen to 11th grade students’ science achievement
when school wide incentives are offered for attendance?

How will 11th grade science teachers’ use of incentives improve
student achievement in 11th grade science?
LITERATURE REVIEW

Regular attendance is an essential part of student
achievement. Furthermore, it allows students to develop
habits of punctuality, self-discipline, and responsibility
(Nemac and Wallace, 2007).

Students do not come to school for various reasons such
as: (1) unmotivated; (2) low achievement; (3) loss of
interest; (4) peer group influence (Hartnett, 2008).
LITERATURE REVIEW

A study conducted by Nemec and Watson (2007) found that
students react to positive reinforcements. The teachers in this
study offered rewards for students with good attendance.
LITERATURE REVIEW


In a study conducted by Schellenberg and others (1988) the
findings showed that absenteeism was the best predictor of
future credit loss and that dangerous patterns of absenteeism
may begin as early as elementary school. The conclusions
include the following:
Absenteeism must be addressed in schools before it leads to
credit loss; (2) teachers must expect and reward good
attendance; (3) administrative actions must include both
incentives for attendance and penalties for non-attendance
Schellenberg, Stephen J. and Others, 1988). 1988).
LITERATURE REVIEW

Sharon Hartnett, writing in The High School Journal
(2007/2008), explored questions regarding organizational
structures and cultures and their unintentional encouragement
of teenage absenteeism. Hartnett stated that organizational
structures and cultures of a school setting contribute to how
students experience the system.
LITERATURE REVIEW

Teenagers identify with their peer groups even more than they
identify with parents or teachers. Solutions recommended by
Hartnett include: (1) Limit the number of acceptable excused
absences. (2) Do not make a distinction between unexcused
and excused absences (3) Include all peer groups in school
assemblies. (4) Get feedback from students about their
emotional connection or lack of it to teachers and classes.
(5) Work with parents. (6) Convey hope to students regarding
their futures. (Hartnett, 2007).
INTERVENTION

In order to answer the questions in the project, the second nine
weeks attendance records for 11th grade students were compared to
the third nine weeks attendance records.

The second nine weeks science scores on the school developed triweekly assessments of eleventh grade students were compared to
the third nine weeks science scores.
INTERVENTION

Students were rewarded on a regular basis and a number of
incentives were used. A school barbecue, student credit cards,
bookmarks, McDonald’s coupons, ice cream certificates, pizza
and pop party, IPods, a plasma television, movie tickets,
restaurant gift cards, and a digital camera were among the
incentives that were given to students for improving school
wide attendance.
INTERVENTION

Teachers offered incentives for class attendance and
achievement such as no homework ticket, extra credit,
dropping the lowest grade on a test or class assignment.

Students received pep talks from administration and teachers
to keep them focused on the goal.
DATA COLLECTION

Surveys were distributed to eleventh grade science students. Of
the 500 surveys distributed, 318 surveys were returned.

Surveys were distributed to 25 science teachers. Eleven
surveys were returned. (See survey questions in the appendix.)

Science tri-weekly scores of students were reviewed during the
second nine weeks to check the effects of the incentives that
were being provided to students.
INTERVENTION
Action Plan

Surveys were distributed to eleventh grade science students.
Student surveys were used to find out what kind of incentives
would interest the students and encourage them to reduce
their absences and improve their grades in science.

The results of the students’ surveys were also used to learn
which types of incentives students preferred.

Eleventh grade science teachers completed a survey about the
kinds of student incentives that they used in their classrooms.
DATA ANALYSIS



Teacher Survey Responses
The survey consisted of 9 questions.
Teacher responses indicated that teachers use incentives in
their classrooms. These included extra credit and dropping the
lowest grade.
Teachers also responded that they would use incentives in their
classrooms to support a school wide effort to improve
attendance.
(See graph for all responses.)
DATA ANALYSIS
Student Surveys

Student responses to the survey indicated that incentives were
a way to increase school attendance. Most students would
prefer Ipods to an extra credit grade. (See graph)
FINDINGS/RESULTS

Attendance of 11th grade students improved during the third
nine weeks. This may not be due to school wide incentives nor
teacher incentives. A clerk was hired specifically to correct
attendance errors. This may have attributed to the increase
during the third nine weeks.

Students scores on the science tri-weekly assessments
declined during the third nine weeks when no incentives were
provided for attendance. (See graph)
FINDINGS/RESULTS
FINDINGS/RESULTS
SCIENCE SCORES ON TRI-WEEKLY
ASSESSMENTS
Percentage of Students
11th Grade Science Tri-weekly Performance
IMPLICATIONS/
RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the findings, attendance will improve when students
are given incentives that are appealing to them. If students
attend school more regularly, their scores on assessments will
improve. Therefore, incentives should be used to increase
attendance and to improve scores in science on tri-weekly
assessments.
REFERENCES

Harnett, S. (2008).Does peer group identity influence
absenteeism in high school students? The High School Journal.
91, no. 2, 35-44.

Nemec, Christopher J. & Watson, Rod A. Teacher initiatives to
reduce truancy among high school students. Online
Submission: Research Project Submitted to the Graduate
Faculty of the School of Education in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts, Saint Xavier
University (Chicago, IL. May 2007). ED496096
REFERENCES

Schellenberg, S. J., Frye, D. W. M., & Tomsic, M. L. (1988, April).
Loss of credit and its impact on high school students: A
longitudinal study. Paper presented at the annual meeting
of the American Educational Research Association, New
Orleans, LA.
APPENDIX A
1. Do you use instructional incentives in your classroom?
Yes
No
2. What are the reasons that you use instructional incentives in
your classroom?
Grades
Attendance
Other ___________________________
3. Circle the kinds of incentives that you use
Extra credit
Drop lowest grade
Other ___________________________
TEACHER SURVEY ON USE OF STUDENT
INCENTIVES
4. Would you support using incentives in your classroom to support to a
schoolwide effort to improve attendance?
Yes
No
5. Would you support using incentives in your classroom to support to a
schoolwide effort to improve student achievement?
Yes
No
6. Do you agree that incentives for achievement will motivate students to
perform better in your classroom?
Yes
No
TEACHER SURVEY ON USE OF STUDENT
INCENTIVES
7. Do you agree that incentives for attendance will motivate students to attend
school regularly?
Yes
No
8. Have you been successful when using incentives for student achievement?
Yes
No
9. Have you been successful when using incentives for improving attendance?
Yes
No
Appendix B
Student Survey on Incentives
1. Is the use of incentives a method to increase
class attendance?
Yes
No
2. Is the use of incentives a good method to
improve your grades?
Yes
No
Student Survey on Incentives
3. What kinds of things would you prefer to have
as incentives? Circle all that apply.
IPod
Drop lowest grade
Extra credit grade
A field trip
Other _____________________
Student Survey on Incentives
4. Is knowing that you did a good job and
recognition from the teacher an incentive to
improve your grades?
Yes
No
MCCSHS Big Give-A-Way
MCCSHS GRAND PRIZE ATTENDANCE
WINNER
ATTENDANCE BAR-B-QUE