THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017

Chronic AbsenteeismPublic Data Release

2015-2016

IntroductionsKrissy Johnson, Attendance Specialist

Dixie Grunenfelder, Director of Secondary Education

Tim Stensager, Director of Performance Management

Susan Canaga, Data Governance Program Manager

Lance Sisco, Data Analyst, Student Information

Purpose of Presentation•Overview of key performance indicators

•Chronic absenteeism overview and data

•Highlight analytic tool features

•Share what we are learning from Washington districts

Vision

Mission

Every student ready for career, college, and life

To provide funding, resources, tools, data and technical assistance that enable educators to ensure students succeed in our public schools, are prepared to access post-secondary training and education, and are equipped to thrive in their careers and lives.

Measuring Success

Measures of Success• Increase four- and five-year high school graduation

rates

• Increase enrollment and completion rates and

decrease remediation rates in post-secondary

training and education

Performance Indicators We must help students:• Enter kindergarten with expected skills in all six areas identified by the

Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS).

• Meet standard on the 3rd-, 8th-, and 11th-grade statewide English

language arts (ELA) and math assessments, and the 8th-grade

statewide science assessment.

• Grow toward proficiency in ELA and math, as determined by Student

Growth Percentiles, in 4th and 6th grades.

• Enroll in Algebra I/Integrated Math I by the end of 8th or 9th grade and

earn high school credit.

• Enroll in college-level courses and earn dual credit.

• Take the SAT and ACT and earn college-ready scores.

• Access financial aid for post-secondary learning.

We must help students avoid:• 9th-grade course failure.

• Suspensions and expulsions.

• Chronic absenteeism.

Defining Chronic Absenteeism

DefinitionsWhat It Is

A student is considered chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of their school days (more than 2 in a month or 18 in a year) – for any reason: excused, unexcused, and suspensions.

What It Is Not

Daily average attendance – number of students showing up to school each day.

Truancy – missing five or more full days, unexcused, within a month, or missing 10 or more full days, unexcused, within a school year.

Data in the OSPI analyticWhat we collect

•Attendance data collected in CEDARS:• Half day, Full day (50% or more)• Excused, unexcused

What we report

• Students that miss 18 full days during the year• not 10% of their enrolled days• Excused, unexcused

Why do we care about attendance?

Policy Changes & Increased Visibility• HB 2449 (2016-17) - Changes to BECCA law shifted our focus from truancy to prevention and excused absences• Prevention: letter home to parents

• Early intervention: elementary school conferences after 5 excused and 2 unexcused

• WARNS (High school) or other strength-based assessment after 2 unexcused

• Pre-court intervention: Community Truancy Boards

• Included as an accountability measure (proxy for school climate) in draft ESSA plan

• OCR Civil Rights Data Collection: Washington in 2014 had 2nd highest chronic absenteeism rate in the country

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Why do we care about attendance?RESEARCH AND ROOT CAUSES

Graduation is the Goal: Performance Indicators Are the Early Warning Measures

• Chronic Absenteeism

• 9th Grade Course Failure

• Discipline

Why do we care about attendance?• Students have a much better chance of learning if they’re in school.

• Research shows ALL absences matter:• Excused, no matter the reason

• Early grades, even preschool and kindergarten

• Students that are chronically absent in kindergarten and first grade are much more likely to not read at grade level by 3rd grade

•Attendance a symptom of challenges a student or their family is facing – in school or out

Chronic Absence Research Summary

Why are students absent?

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Myths• Absences are only a

problem if they are unexcused

• Ok to miss a day here or there

• Attendance only matters in the older grades

• Pre-K and K are seen as day care not learning

Barriers• Chronic disease

(asthma), lack of health/dental care, mental health

• Caring for siblings or family members

• Unmet basic needs: transportation, housing, food, clothing

• Trauma• No safe path to school

Aversion• Academic struggles• Being teased or bullied• Poor school climate,

disproportionate school discipline, or unsafe school

• Parents had negative school experience

Disengage-ment• Lack of engaging and

relevant instruction• No meaningful

relationship with school adults

• More exciting to be with peers out of school vs. in school

www.attendanceworks.org

Data Overview

Data Cautions & Changes• Remember it’s 2015-16 data: does not reflect work being done this school year

• Showing all districts, no matter their size

• Minor changes in previous years data – as a result of updates from districts •For instance, the state rate for 2014-15 changed from the previously published 16% to the current 16.4%

What does the 2015-16 data show?

The state chronic absence rate has hovered around 16% since 2012-13. The rate in 2015-16 at 16.7%.

Some of the highest rates of chronic absenteeism are among these student groups:

• American Indian/Alaskan Native - 33% • Homeless - 33%• Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander – 27% (Up 1 point

from previous year)• Low Income - 22%

Disproportionality by Race: 2015-16

The largest gap between racial/ethnic groups is 23 points between Asian and American Indian/Alaskan Native students.

Disproportionality by Other Student Groups: 2015-16

The largest gap within other subgroups is a 16.5 point gap between homeless and non homeless students.

Highlights of the Chronic Absenteeism

Data Analytic Tool

Overview Tab - Business Rules

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Navigation Features

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Statewide Summary

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Line made up of dots representing every district in Washington

Filter data by:1. School Year2. ESD3. Student subgroup4. District Demographics

(to see like districts)

(New feature: Map shows shading by chronic absenteeism rate)

District Detail

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Take a deeper dive into your district’s data by using filters and comparing yourself to the state.

Filter data by:1. School Year (3 options)2. District3. Student subgroups

(“all other” or race)

The gray perpendicular line represents the state average for that subgroup.

Gap Analysis

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Analyze the opportunity gap in your district…

Filter data by:1. District 2. Student subgroups

Graph will show trend lines for different subgroups and show state average when filtered for a specific district.

Performance Gap

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The scatterplot adjusts as different criteria are selected!

Filter data by: School Year, Subgroup, & District Demographics

Use the “Highlight District” tab to pinpoint districts of interest

Use “Filter by District Demographics” to change the districts you want to see

Higher Performing refers to a chronic absenteeism rate for the selected subgroup that is lower than the state average for that subgroup. And vice versa, lower performing refers to higher chronic absence rates.

Performance Data

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This data represents what is selected in the Performance Tab. Adjust the data sets from this screen and the Performance scatterplot changes too.

Filter data by: School Yearand Student Group

Download the Workbook

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Scroll down and click on the Download button.

Choose Data

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Click on the Data option.

Data Options

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• Examine the Summary and Full data tabs to determine what level of data meet your needs.

• Click Download all rows.

Open or Save

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The .csv file can be opened in Excel.

What works to reduce chronic absenteeism

Our Equity Focus

Learning from Outlier Districts•Using analytics to identify outliers or highlight districts

•Interviewed districts that:• Had chronic absenteeism rates lower than the state rate: 16%

• Had a smaller gap between low income and non low income students than the state average: 10.9 points

• Looked at high performers among small and large district, high FRL districts and low FRL, geography (east and west)

What we’re learning•This is hard work.

•Even with the systems in place, and implementing effective strategies, attendance can be a symptom of some tough barriers.

•Attendance can affects all communities, families and students, but poverty compounds the issue.

•All hands on deck: community organizations, health care providers, state agencies, all have a role to play in helping get kids to school. It can’t be on schools alone.

What we’re learning•Even outlier districts acknowledge they have more work to do. But here’s what we’re learning from them:

•Starts with relationships, with kids and with parents/caregivers. Successful schools and districts are flipping the script on attendance –from a punitive approach to a proactive, relationship approach.

•Schools can do things to “pull” kids and families in, families and community organizations can “push” kids in.

Themes: District Support for Attendance•Provide accountability – district-wide expectation to do the work, district-wide goal, consistent policies and procedures, look at data regularly

•Provide support – data systems, professional development, peer learning

•Awareness campaigns around a shared definition of good attendance (e.g. Strive for 5)

Themes: School Support for Attendance

Better Attendance,

Lower Chronic

Absenteeism

Positive School Climate: Parents are key partners and students are

engaged

Monitor data frequently to

catch kids early

Multi-tiered framework: for programmatic

response to barriers

Define, teach and recognize

attendance expectations

Proactive, positive,

personalized outreach

Strategic Community

Partnerships

Strategies for Addressing Chronic Absenteeism using a Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS)

Tier 3: Students that are chronically absent (18+ days or 2+ days/month)•Intensive case management with coordination with community partners as needed•Home visitors, graduation specialists, family support specialists•Community Truancy Boards

Tier 2: Students that are at risk (10 - 17 days or 2 days/month)•Personalized early outreach•Attendance Advisories – skill building, sleep hygiene, extra support•Partner with family and student to develop an attendance plan•Attendance buddy or mentor•Truancy seminars for families

Tier 1: All Students (0 – 9 absences, less than 1 day/month)•Establish and teach the belief: good attendance is 171 days, why it’s important•Proactive messaging to each absence•Celebrate good and improved attendance•Establish positive and engaging school climate•Address common barriers to attendance – transportation•Positive, proactive family engagement (e.g. student conferences)

Resources• OSPI Attendance Webpage • Attendance Works• Get Schooled Attendance Calculator • California Attendance Communications Toolkit• Absences Add Up Campaign• OSPI Truancy Webpage

• OSPI Mental Health Webpages: • Mental Health and Schools• Project AWARE – Curriculum and Training Opportunities

• OSPI Substance Abuse Prevention Resources - Life Skills Curriculum Grant Opportunity – proven to reduce anxiety, prevent substance use, improve school climate, and reduce bullying

For More InformationFor Questions on Data and the Analytic Tool:

Student Information360-725-6109 | StudentInformation@k12.wa.us

For Questions on Strategies and Support: Krissy JohnsonAttendance Specialist360-725-6045 | Krissy.Johnson@k12.wa.us

Dixie GrunenfelderDirector of Secondary Education360-725-0415| Dixie.Grunenfelder@k12.wa.us

Laurie ShannonTruancy, Reengagement & Graduation Specialist 360-725-4472 | Laurie.Shannon@k12.wa.us