School Day Attendance & Out of School Time In Maryland

1. School Day Attendance & Out of School Time In Maryland

2. GROUP ACTIVITY:Self Assessment

3. Self-Assessment Tool

4. Defining the Terms High Attendance: Missing 5 or fewer days of school in an academic year Satisfactory Attendance: Missing 5% or less in an academic year. Chronic Absence: Missing 10% or more of school in an academic year for any reason—excused or unexcused – approximately one month of school. Research shows 10% is associated with declining academic performance. Maryland collects data on 20 or more absences. Severely Chronically Absent - Missing 20% or more days of school per year – approximately two months of school. Truancy: Missing 20 days of school unexcused and on roll for at least 90 days. Average Daily Attendance: the percentage of enrolled students who attend school each day.

5. Why should OST Programs pay attention to school day attendance? • School attendance matters for academic success. • Research and field experience show OST can help improve attendance in school. • Focusing on attendance can improve collaboration with schools.

6. Attendance Matters:The Data

7. Chronic Absence in KindergartenImpacts 5th Grade Achievement Among poor and limited English proficient students, chronic absence in kindergarten predicted lower 5th grade achievement.

8. Poor Attendance in 6th Grade Predicts Dropout Withdrawals High School Outcomes by Rates of Chronic Absenteeism in Sixth Grade (Baltimore City Public Schools, 1990-2000 Sixth Grade Cohort)

9. Attendance Rate Satisfactory Attendance Moderate Attendance Chronically Absent Severely Chronically Absent

10. Using only Average Daily Attendance to Measure Attendance Can Mask Chronic Absence and Students in Need of Attention Chronic Absence Rates, 10 Anne Arundel County Schools with Attendance Rates 94.7% - 94.9%

11. Chronic absence is a problem across the state.

12. Chronic Absence in Maryland Occurs At All Grade Levels

13. Large districts with highest numbers have 73% of state’s chronically absent students. Chronically Absent Students in 2009

14. High Rates on Eastern Shore Caroline, Cecil and Dorchester counties were close to or exceeded the state average at every level. Average Percentage of Chronically Absent Students in 2009 Elementary School Middle School High School

15. All school absences are not the same… • Suspensions and Expulsions – school-imposed student absences • Excused absence – illness, doctor’s visit, court etc. • Unexcused absence – skipping school, no note, etc. nor are the solutions…

16. Strategies for Addressing Chronic Absence 0% - 15% 15% - 25% 100% - 85%

17. Improving Attendance: Engagement and Problem Solving Universal Attendance Supports Individual Assessment and Community Supports Recovery Strategies

18. Universal Attendance Supports • Safe and supportive school environment • Inviting and engaging classroom environment • Intentional family involvement and participation • Purposeful coordination with school health using frequent excused absences as a criteria for health referrals and follow up • Community and After-School Partnerships • A school plan and budget that reflects high attendance priorities • Consistent attendance expectations, including high attendance, that are communicated regularly to all stakeholders especially parents and students • Regular, explicit teaching of attendance expectations and skills • Rewards for good attendance and consequences for truancy at a 4:1 ratio • Rapid parent contact for unexplained absences

19. Individual Assessment/Community Supports • Refer chronically absent and truant students for intervention planning i.e. SIT teams, attendance teams, attendance mediation programs • Identify and remove barriers • Provide on-going support • Provide mentoring in some cases

20. Recovery Strategies • Interagency Staffing • Case management and wrap-around services • Referral to the Office of Attendance and Truancy for court based intervention

21. Out of School Time Programs Can Make A Difference

22. Research Showing Impact of Quality OST • 7th and 8th graders attending afterschool programs at a Boys & Girls Club skipped school fewer times, increased school effort and gained academic confidence. (2009) • Afterschool participants attending Pathways to Progress in Minneapolis and St. Paul came to school an average 18.4 more days than their peers. (2004) • First graders who joined an Ohio afterschool program missed an average 3 days, compared to 8 in kindergarten. Eighth graders went from 18 to 5. (1999) 22

23. Baltimore OST Participants Less Likely to Be Chronically Absent

24. Baltimore OST Participants More Likely to Be High Attenders

25. High Quality OST programs can: • Provide socialization and peer attention in a supervised venue • Re-establish the link between effort and results—first in a non-school activity • Engage students in challenging activities that help them develop persistence. • Provide consistent contact with caring, stable adults. • Increasing a sense of belonging at school.

26. Intentional Strategies To Get Started

27. Step 1: Create a Culture of Attendance Starting in Your Afterschool Program • Why? • Your program benefits from higher attendance. • You can model the good attendance habits for your program participants that you want to see in school. • You have authority to add this to your own program.

28. Strategies for Creating Culture of Attendance in A/S • Take roll every day in a caring manner • Reach out to students/families with poor attendance • Establish and communicate clear expectations about regular attendance • Offer incentives for attendance • Analyze program attendance data to identify areas in need of improvement.

29. Step 2: Get Attendance Data on Program Participants • Seek parent/guardian’s consent to see attendance and grades, ideally as standard part of enrollment. • Regularly get data on in-school attendance for program participants through collecting student report cards or data sharing agreement with school. • Identify if you are serving any students with problematic attendance. • Talk to school partners about working together to assist poor attenders.

30. Step 3: Find Out About Attendance In Schools Served • Ask schools if they could give you names of chronically absent students to target for recruitment. • Ask for data on levels of chronic absence for schools overall, grade and ethnic population to help identify needed areas of program expansion/outreach. • Aggregate data is available for public schools in Maryland at www.mdreportcard.org

31. Step 3: Find Out About Attendance In Schools Served • Find out if schools are engaged in work to reduce chronic absence and improve attendance. If so, ask if you can assist. • Learn if your school has a team that monitors attendance data; find out if you can attend, at least occasionally.

32. Additional Considerations for OST Programs & Attendance • Peer to Peer Influence – Engage youth as ambassadors for attendance, support and facilitate youth led campaigns • Use a family focused events to educate parents/guardians about chronic absence, the importance of attendance • Consider including education about common health problems, like asthma in your afterschool program and build partnerships with health service providers

33. Data Sources

34. Acknowledgements Hedy Chang, Director, Attendance Works hnchang@earthlink.net Claudia Weisburd, Consultant Claudia.weisburd@gmail.com Sue Fothergill, Baltimore City Student Attendance Initiative Fothergill.sue@gmail.com Pennsylvania Statewide Afterschool Network Utah Afterschool Network MOST Chronic Absence Technical Assistance Project Advisory Group