www.attendanceworks.org

School Attendance: What’s

Working and What’s NextThe Campaign for Grade-Level Reading

Funder to Funder Huddle

April 24, 2015

• Welcome – Ron Fairchild

• Presentation – Attendance Works

• What’s Working and WhyEric Dregne, Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque

Aimee Eng, Thomas J. Long Foundation

2014 Attendance Pacesetters

• Discussion

• Expanded Focus on Health - Teledentistry

• Conclusions and Key Take-aways

Agenda

2

Chronic Early Absence Connected to

Grade-Level Reading Goal

Chronic absence in kindergarten

Lower levels of literacy in first grade

Lower achievement as far out as fifth grade

A Rhode Island Data Hub analysis found that compared to

kindergartners who attend regularly, those chronically absent

• Scored 20% lower in reading and math in later grades and gap grows

• 2X as likely to be retained in grade.

• 2X likely to be suspended by the end of 7th grade.• Likely to continue being chronically absent

Chronic Absence Definition:

Missing 10% or more of school

year (18+ days)

Use Chronic Absence to Map The

Attendance Gap

Excused Absences

Unexcused absences

Suspensions

Chronic Absence

Attendance Works recommends defining chronic absence

as missing 10% or more of school for any reason.

Chronic absence is different from truancy (unexcused absences only) or average daily attendance (how many students show up to school each day).

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90% and even 95% ≠ A

High Levels of Average Daily Attendance

(ADA) Can Mask Chronic Absence

7%

12% 13% 13%15% 16%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

A B C D E F

Chronic Absence For 6 Elementary Schools

in Oakland, CA with 95% ADA in 2012

% Chronic Absence

98% ADA = little chronic absence

95% ADA = don’t know

93% ADA = significant chronic absence

20% 20% 20% 21%23%

26%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

A B C D E F

Chronic Absence for 6 Schools in New

York City with 90% ADA in 2011-12

% Chronic Absence

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Looking at Chronic Absence Helps

Identify an Early Attendance Gap

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0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Number of Chronically Absent Versus Chronically Truant Students San Francisco Unified School District

# chronic absentees - 2010-2011

# students missing 10 days unexcused (as of May 16th 2011)

Chronic Absence, Starting in the Early Grades,

Contributes to the Achievement Gap

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Source: Office of the Attorney General, State of California,

In School + On Track 2014

Find Out Why Students Are

Chronically Absent

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 or dental care

Poor Transportation

Trauma

No safe path to school

AversionChild struggling

academically

Lack of engaging instruction

Poor school climate and ineffective school

discipline

Parents had negative school experience

Chronic disease

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AW Recommended Site Level Strategies for

Debunking Myths and Identifying Barriers

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High

Cost

Low

Cost

10

• Recognize good and improved attendance

• Educate & engage students and families

• Monitor attendance data

• Clarify attendance expectations and goals

• Establish positive and engaging school climate

Improving attendance requires adoption of a

tiered approach that begins with prevention

TIER 1All students

• Provide personalized early outreach

• Meet with student/family to develop plan

• Offer attendance Mentor/Buddy or Walk to

School Companion

TIER 2Students exhibiting chronic

absence (missing 10%)

• Intensive case

management with

coordination of public

agency and legal

response as needed

TIER 3Students who missed 20% or more of the

prior school year (severe chronic absence)

Pilot Survey by Todd Rogers At Harvard

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Bottom 20%(~18 days)

20%-40%(~10 days)

% of parents who think their child's attendance is...

…better than classmates

…same as classmates

...don't know

Vast Majority of Parents, Even Students Those With Excessive

Absences, Believe Their Child’s Attendance is same as

classmates, better than classmates, or just don’t know

Harvard research study found comparison reduced absence by 5-10% for all students,

regardless of severity of absenteeism

Chronic absence (missed 10% or more of school) in

the prior year, assuming data is available.

And/or starting in the beginning of the school year,

student has:

Criteria for Identifying Priority

Students for Tier 2 Supports

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In first 2 weeks

In first month

(4 weeks)

In first 2 months

(8 weeks)

2 absences

2-3 absences

4 absences

Missing

10% any

time after

Possible Tier 2 Interventions

(See Power of Positive Connections Toolkit)

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Assign

Attendance

Buddies

Partner with

families/students

to develop

Student

Attendance

Success Plan

Recruit for

engaging Before-

or After-School

ActivitiesConnect to

Walk- to-School

Companion

Offer plan or

contacts for

Health Support

Priority Early

Outreach for

Positive Linkages

and Engagement

Students

& Families

Schools

Actionable

Data

Positive

Messaging

Capacity

Building

Shared

Accountability

Is accurate, accessible,

and regularly reported

Expands ability to

interpret data and work

together to adopt best

practices

Conveys why building a

habit of attendance is

important and what

chronic absence is

Ensures monitoring &

incentives to address

chronic absence

Community District

Ingredients for System-wide

Success & Sustainability

Strategic partnerships between

district and community partners

address specific attendance

barriers and mobilize support for

all ingredients 15

Peer opportunities to compare

data, share & learn about best

practices, and identify and

problem-solve common

challenges

Locality

B

Locality

DEducation Associations

Unions (teachers, adm,

etc.)

Advocacy Organizations

Parent Organizations

State Dept of Education

State Policy Makers Communities/

Districts Across

State Join In

Ongoing peer learning,

TA, administrative guidance,

regulations, and legislation promote

best practices & systemic change

Advance Peer Learning Networks as part

of a broader change strategy

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Others

ECE/HS Association

Locality

A

Locality C:

Early Innovator

Advance local practice

through peer learning

Inform state organizations

with insights from local

practice

Spread work state-wide

through TA and policy

Encourage Release of State and Local Briefs To Catalyze Action

Encourage Participation in Webinar Series:

Ready, Set, Go: Launching Attendance Awareness Month 2015 ~ April 15, 2015 (Recording Available)

Start Strong: Address the Attendance Gap in the Early Grades ~ May 13, 2015

Finish Strong: Close the Attendance Gap in High School ~ August 12, 2015

Map the Attendance Gap: Use Data to Target Action ~ September 9, 2015

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Use Attendance Awareness

Month to Cultivate Interest

• Forthcoming policy statement by American

Association of Pediatrics

• Strong interest from the National

Collaborative on Health and Education

which is cultivating interest from Surgeon

General

• Identification of new health resources and

models including dental health

Expanded Focus on Health

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What is Working to Reduce

Chronic Absence?

Perspectives from Funders in Pacesetter Communities

1. Tell us about the community of focus for

your foundation and why your foundation

got involved in addressing chronic

absence?

2. Share briefly how you’ve been investing in

improved attendance and what are the

results?

3. What are your plans for the coming year?

Key Questions

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Attention to Attendance

in Contra Costa County

13.5%

8.1%7.3%

6.4%

8.8%7.7%

5.6%4.7%

K 1st grade 2nd grade 3rd grade

Chronic Absence Rate

2013-14 2014-15*

One Contra Costa District’s Improvement

* 2014-15 is partial year data for the period 8/25/2014 – 12/2/2014

• Reflecting on the presentations, where are

the leverage points to move our

communities and states?

• As we look over the horizon, what are the

emerging opportunities to improve student

attendance?

Discussion

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Impacting Students Attendance: Onsite Dental Services

Pacific Center for Special Care

Maureen Harrington, MPHmharrington@pacific.edu

www.virtualdentalhome.org

Dental Disease in Children

• Most common childhood illness in US: almost 5 X as common as asthma & 7 X as common as hay fever

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [DHHS]. Oral Health in America. A Report of the Surgeon General; 2000, p. 63.

• Cause of 1/3 of elementary school absences of children from economically vulnerable families.

• Children reporting recent toothaches were 4 x more likely to have a lower GPAs than peers reporting no dental pain.

Seirawan, H., Faust, S. & Mulligan, R., (2012). The Impact of Oral Health on the Academic Performance of Disadvantaged Children, American Journal of Public Health,(102) 9, 1729-1734.

• Pain and infection

• Nutrition and speech development

• Social engagement

Pacific Center for Special Care

Source: Schools Struggle to Provide Dental Health Safety Net. The California Report. April 3, 2013.

http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/04/03/schools-struggle-to-provide-dental-health-safety-net/

Challenges with Access

• Insurance status

• Access to providers

• Transportation

• Hours of practice

• Dental literacy

• Cultural differences

• Dental fear

Pacific Center for Special Care

Virtual Dental Home• Innovative system of care

• Practiced in California elementary and preschools

• Onsite care using portable equipment

Pacific Center for Special Care

What happens at school?

• Dental hygienist provides: – clinical services to students

– education to students, parents, school administration, faculty, and staff

– referral support for those who need specialized care

• Telehealth tech. facilitates communication with dentist

Pacific Center for Special Care

State and National Implications

• The VDH is a disruptive innovation that will transform the creation of oral health

• Each state requires review/reform of:– Regulations: Scope of practice laws

– Payment: Telehealth

– Policies: school districts, dental boards, and public health departments

• Pacific can help analyze the state environment and develop plans

Pacific Center for Special Care

Questions?

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