Count Me In

1. Count Me In Helping Students and Schools by Increasing Student Attendance

2. Why? • More students in school means better grades, better education, better programs • LAUSD’s attendance rate is lower than other urban school Districts • High school students below 90% • More money for both the District and individual schools

3. Who? • Short answer = all of us • Local District Supt.’s responsible for implementation • Emphasis on secondary schools • Success will require participation by students AND teachers AND parents AND administrators

4. What? • Students will receive awards in two categories: • Most Improved Attendance • Highest Attendance • They will also receive incentive-based rewards • Increased attendance means more money – 50% will go to the District, 50% will go directly to schools.

5. How? • Students will receive awards for various attendance goals. • Movie tix, tchotchkes (cell phone carriers, keychains, etc.), amusement park tix, more • Corporate partnerships very important to this effort • Higher goals = better prizes

6. How? • Schools will receive a direct financial incentive – they keep half of whatever increased attendance revenue they generate • Potential for significant incentive to most improved school such as a concert by a major recording artist

7. How? • Teachers will receive adult-oriented incentives such as spa days or grocery coupons for highest/most improved attendance. • Participating teachers will enter into a drawing for larger prizes.

8. Is there help? • Schools will receive a myriad of materials • Banners, Brochures, Flyers, Posters, Book Covers, etc. • Accompanying media materials will support teacher efforts • Instructional videos, resource guides, longer videos for assemblies/meetings. • Bilingual, produced specifically for LAUSD

9. Community Involvement • Parents, elected officials, business leaders, and others will be actively engaged • Entertainment companies and sports teams already involved • Existing adopt a school partners will be engaged • Speakers’ Bureau of electeds, community leaders and others will be formed

10. Media • Innovative partnership with KABC • ½ hour special to air in December • Phone bank will answer parent questions • Television, radio, and newspaper ads will also support this effort.

11. Other Media Outreach • Extensive media outreach • Radio partnerships already on the air and in development • Newspaper coverage already occurring and more in development with special emphasis on local community papers • Telemundo (existing partnership) providing special reports

12. What Has Happened So Far? • Campaign kicked off at Dodger Stadium in July • Extensive internal focus groups with students, teachers, and others have helped shape the campaign • Developed website: www.countmein.lausd.net • Brochures, banners, and other materials distributed to schools. More arriving in ensuing months.

13. More coming: • Incentive awards to be given to students with both good and improved attendance • Contact with musical groups and entertainers who would appear on campus with outstanding results • Unique marketing concepts in development by Creative Artists Agency

14. More coming: • Working with studios to develop special opportunities for students such as behind the scenes visits • Developing corporate partnerships to underwrite some of costs of materials • Grand finale that will award outstanding prizes in April for student with best attendance and one with most improvement at each school level. Names will be picked in raffle at an event being planned.

15. Success! • This campaign is win-win-win-win for students, teachers, parents, and schools. • Simple concept requires coordinated, well-executed approach to work. • WE NEED YOUR HELP!