General presentation of the Attendance Collaborative. It reviews the Guide to Achieving Excellent Attendance, whic is our roadmap for supporting our partner schools in improving their attendance strategies.

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2. Attendance Collaborative
A Partnership of University of Nebraska Omaha/Building Bright Futures
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3.  Involve families and communities in meaningful ways
 Develop culturally responsive programs that build on the
strengths of youth, families, and communities
 Focus on quality so every program is of the highest
caliber
 Provide professional development so that professionals
working with children – teachers, counselors, mentors,
and others – receive the training and support they need
to be successful
Building Bright Futures
Guiding Principles
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4.  Emphasize early identification of developmental
academic delays or difficulties so children can benefit
from effective early intervention
 Connect every child in the metro area with a highly
trained, caring, and competent professional (e.g.,
academic counselor or social worker) who provides
advice, support, and referrals to services as needed
 Create a robust infrastructure that emphasizes sharing
information across programs to ensure coordinated
services for children and youth
Building Bright Futures
Guiding Principles
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5.  Improve academic achievement
 Increase the number of students who graduate from high
school prepared for work or postsecondary education
 Provide postsecondary educational opportunities to
every economically disadvantaged high school graduate
in the two-county area
 Increase civic participation and community responsibility
BBF Pipeline to Success
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6. BBF is working to maximize opportunities for every child
so they will:
 Be ready to enter Kindergarten.
 Be on grade level in math and reading at 4th grade.
 Be on grade level in math and reading at 6th grade.
 Be on grade level in math and reading at 8th grade.
 Attend school 95% of the time.
 Maintain a 2.5 GPA or above.
 Earn core credits in 9th grade.
 Graduate from high school.
 Be career and college ready.
 Demonstrate civic participation and community responsibility.
BBF Pillars of Success
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7. 106,687
45,606
Total
Free & Reduced Lunch
Douglas & Sarpy County
School Districts Enrollment
BBF Target Population
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8. Directors
◦ Sharif Liwaru - Elementary Schools
◦ Sarah Moore - Middle Schools
◦ Nikole Roach - High Schools
Facilitators & Collaborators
 23 Pilot Schools
◦ (9) Elementary: Kellom, Kennedy, Fontenelle, Franklin, Indian Hill, Spring
Lake, Belvedere, Liberty, Mockingbird
◦ (8) Middle: Nathan Hale, McMillan, King Science, Monroe, Norris, Marrs,
Ralston Middle, Millard Middle Alternative
◦ (7) High: North, Northwest, South, Benson, Blackburn, Ralston High, Millard
Horizon
Attendance Collaborative
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9. Achievement & Attendance
•Exceeds the standards:
135-200
•Meets the standards: 85-
134
•Below the standards: 0-84
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10. 2009 – 2010
282,984 Students
82,241 Missed more than 10 days (29%)
40,627 Missed more than 15 days (14%)
21,965 Missed more than 20 days (8%)
NeSA-R Performance
• Grade 11 absent less than 20 days had NeSA-R Score of 102
• Grade 11 absent more than 20 days had NeSA-R Score of 72
Achievement & Attendance
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11. Achievement & Attendance
Achievement
Mentoring: Midlands Mentoring Partnership
BEST
Afterschool: Middle School Learning Center Initiative PRACTICES
Engagement: Assets & Strengths/Relationships
Service Learning: Relevancy
Academic Supports:
School- School/ Community-
tutor.com Based
Strategies
Community Based
Partnerships Strategies
Math Teacher Assistant
Nebraska Career Connections
Re-Engagement: Directions & Diploma Center
Attendance
Development of a Best Practices Framework
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12.  Enhance the positive school climate/culture
around attendance & academic achievement
 Support internal capacity in the school building to
provide efficient & effective school-based
strategies and interventions that address
individual barriers to attendance
 Advance collaborative efforts between school and
community to address barriers inhibiting school
attendance
Goals
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13. School/
School- Community-
Community
Based Based
Partnerships
Strategies Strategies
Achieving Excellent Attendance
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14.  Prioritize attendance as a part of the school improvement
process with a focus on students with 20 days or less of
absences
 Establish preventions and interventions inside school
and customize strategies at each pilot school to improve
attendance and decrease absenteeism
 Implement school-based problem-solving teams: School
Engagement and Attendance Team (SEAT)
 Review existing procedures and processes at individual
school level
 Enhance procedures and processes to ensure strength-
based approach (Climate/Culture)
School-Based Strategies
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15. School-Based Strategies
School Engagement & Attendance Team
Membership
◦ Principal/Vice Principal
◦ Dean of Students or other appropriate school staff
◦ Attendance Secretary
◦ Counselors
◦ Social Worker
◦ Teachers
◦ Community Providers
◦ Student Personnel Assistant
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16.  Functions of SEAT:
◦ Data
◦ Identify Gaps in Services
◦ Student-Staff Advocate Program
◦ Early Interventions
◦ Community Partners
◦ Parent Engagement
◦ Climate/Culture
School-Based Strategies
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17. School/Community
Partnerships
 Process:
◦ Program Inventory
◦ Provider Partners
 BBF Pipeline
 Early Childhood Services School- School/ Community-
 Healthy Futures Based Community Based
Strategies Partnerships Strategies
 Mentoring
 After School
 Academic Supports &
Re-engagement
 Youth Attendance Navigator
 Omaha Housing Authority
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18. Collaborative Partners:
 Douglas/Sarpy County Attorneys
 Collective For Youth – Completely Kids; YMCA; Urban League; Boys & Girls
Club
 Juvenile Justice Providers Forum
 Communities In Schools
 Truancy Court – Norris & Monroe
 Metropolitan Child Advocacy Coalition
 Midlands Mentoring Partnership
School- School/ Community-
Based Community Based
Strategies Partnerships Strategies
Partnerships
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19. Develop Strategies to Improve Communication:
 Schools
 Families
 Community Diversion Programs
 Court
 Probation
 Health and Human Services
Community-Based Strategies
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20.  Nikole Roach, High Schools Director
◦ nroach@unomaha.edu
 Sarah Moore, Middle Schools Director
◦ sarahmoore@unomaha.edu
Sharif Liwaru, Elementary Schools Director
◦ sliwaru@unomaha.edu
Attendance Collaborative
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