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COMPREHENSIVE ATTENDANCE PLANNING. June 13, 2011 Presented by Student Services Staff. THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF TRUANCY. 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.
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COMPREHENSIVE ATTENDANCE PLANNING June 13, 2011 Presented by Student Services Staff
THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF TRUANCY • 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
Poor academic performance Retention 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 absence FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO TRUANCYSCHOOL FACTORS
FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO TRUANCYHOME 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
Research shows the correlation between attendance and graduation. Grade 9 is a critical transition year. - MDCRMDCR, 2007, 2007
TRIPLE “A” SCHOOLSFRAMEWORK FOR SCHOOL SUCCESSNATIONAL 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. • 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 • 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
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
USE OF PARENT LINKFOR 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
POLICY 5.5 – ATTENDANCE POLICY AND PROCEDURAL MANUAL Attendance documents available online at: http://www.broward.k12.fl.us/studentsupport/sswad/HTML/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 monitored consistently.
PRINCIPAL’S MATRICESELEMENTARY 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 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
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.
HOME EDUCATION • Compulsory school attendance requirements may be met by attendance in a home education program • 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.
COMING TO SCHOOL, OR TO CLASS LATE, IS LIKE ARRIVING TO SEE A MOVIE AFTER THE MOVIE STARTED!
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
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.
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) • Referral to CINS/FINS for secondary students • Representation in court
INCENTIVES FOR ATTENDANCE IMPROVEMENT • ELEMENTARY LEVEL: • MORNING GLORY: Each classroom has a bowl or jar and each student that comes on time gets their name put in the bowl. Names are chosen on a daily basis to get a small reward. • SUPER ATTENDANCE BOARD: Classroom with highest percentage of attendance for the week will be posted on the SUPER ATTENDANCE BOARD in the cafeteria. • QUARTERLY AWARDS: Give attendance awards to those with good attendance at school’s quarterly awards
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.
WHAT IS BTIP? • Partnership between the School Board and Broward State Attorney’s Office to • prevent excessive absences. • Utilizes monitoring, interventions, and accountability. • Parents/Guardians are notified by ETS when their children have excessive • absences • Parents are expected to meet with school personnel, to resolve attendance concerns • Non-compliant parents are referred to the State Attorney’s Office for further • intervention • The program assists parents in complying with the compulsory attendance laws. • ETS supports the program by sending automated letters to parents, and through • electronic communication with the State Attorney’s office. • The State Attorney’s Office provides investigative support and files charges against parents when needed.
BTIP PROCEDURES • All schools will develop an internal procedure for taking, reporting, and recording daily attendance. • 2. Designated school staff will record ALL calls from parents regarding their child’s absence. • 3. Policy 5.5 will determine how each student’s absence will be recorded into the database. Changes can be made within 48 hours. Only administrator/designee can make changes after 48 hours. • 4. When a student is transferring to another Broward County School, the attending school should NOT withdraw the child prior to getting a request from the receiving school.
BTIP INTERVENTIONS • Parent link call • ETS generates 5 and 10 day letters to parent • School has 48 hours to change an unexcused absence to excused in TERMS • School may require a medical note in order to excuse an • absence if a pattern of non attendance is established • Involve school nurse if child has a chronic condition as • documented by a physician
10-DAY BTIP CONFERENCE • BTIP 10-Day meetings apply only to unexcused absences, tardy minutes, and early release minutes. • Once the student has been scheduled for a 10-day meeting, both school designee and social worker should jointly decide whether the 10 day meeting should take place. • School administrator and school social worker should come to the table prepared to discuss student’s attendance, academic progress, parent cooperation with school interventions, and any other pertinent information which would assist in developing a plan of action to improve attendance.
THE 10-DAY CONFERENCE SHOULD RESULT IN ONE OF FOUR OUTCOMES • Family requires additional resources & referrals – Monitor • Interventions seem to be working, more time required – • Monitor • C. School Personnel have exhausted options & there is no improvement - File • D. Parent refuses to cooperate with school and/ or rejects resources - File
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.
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.
ATTENDANCE PLAN • You will be working on your Attendance Plan with the team facilitator assigned to your school: Areas to cover 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
