Evergreen charter school attendance improvement initiatives analysis of
1. Evergreen Charter School
Attendance Improvement Initiatives
Analysis of Program Effectiveness
By Jillian Linnehan,
Director of Data and Attendance
3/10/16
2. ECS Attendance Improvement
Initiatives 2015-16
• Accurate attendance data tracking using PowerSchool
• Increased communication with parents
– Automated attendance calls made during the school day
– Informational flyers
– Attendance status letters
• Increased parent and student engagement with the
school through extra-curricular activities and Family
Fun Workshops
• Incentives for improved attendance
– Smoothie Party Perfect Attendance Classroom Competition
– No Homework Passes
– Perfect Attendance Awards
6. Occurrence of Unexcused Tardiness
2014-15
(Sept 3- Feb 28= 110 school days)
200 different students
tardy without excuse
1,305 occurrences of
unexcused tardiness
11.86= average
occurrence of tardiness
2015-16
(Sept 1- Feb 29= 112 school days)
159 different students
tardy without excuse
714 occurrences of
unexcused tardiness
6.375= average
occurrence of tardiness
7.
8. Chronic Absenteeism Reduction
2014-15
17 different children missed
10% or more school days;
this qualifies as chronic
absenteeism.
2015-16
6 different children have
missed 10% or more
school days during the
first six months; these
children are on track for
chronic absenteeism.
This signifies a 64.7% rate reduction
in chronic absenteeism.
9.
10. Occurrence of Unexcused Absence
2014-15
(Sept 3- Feb 28= 110 school days)
200 different students
absent without excuse
1,305 occurrences of
unexcused absence
11.86= average
occurrence of absence
2015-16
(Sept 1- Feb 29= 112 school days)
159 different students
absent without excuse
714 occurrences of
unexcused absence
6.375= average
occurrence of absence
11. Interviews with parents reveal that Attendance Improvement Initiatives
have helped raise awareness of the dangers of excessive absenteeism to the
child and to the school as a whole. Students report that incentives help
motivate them to come to school more regularly.
Editor's Notes
Smoothie Party Contest Winners-
The winning class is 3A!!! They had 11 days with perfect attendance in September. Congratulations and keep up the good work!
There were 21 school days in September, and there will be 21 school days in October, too. Let’s set the same perfect attendance goal: 15 Days! Whose class will be the winner??
The Attendance Improvement Initiatives undertaken for the 2015-16 school year have resulted in a 20.5% rate reduction in number of students who have been tardy without excuse [((200-159)/ 200) X 100= 20.5%], and a 45.29% rate reduction in the total number of occurrences of unexcused tardiness [((1305-714)/1305) X 100= 45.29%) during the first six months of school.
These ten students had problematic attendance (unexcused lateness) during the first six months of school in 2014-15 and made significant improvement during the same time period in 2015-16.
Interviews with parents and students revealed the following reasons for the improvement:
1. Attendance Improvement Initiatives and Incentives include: Classroom Perfect Attendance Smoothie Party Contest; No Homework Passes; Monthly Perfect Attendance Awards
2. Extra-curricular school activities include: Student Council, Family Fun Workshops, Art Club
3. Overcoming Barriers to On-time Attendance include: Acquiring bus transportation, morning wake-up telephone calls, access to affordable uniforms
4. Increased parent communication/ attendance notifications include: Daily absence robo-calls during the school day, informational flyers and pamphlets in English and Spanish related to attendance improvement initiatives, live telephone communication with the attendance monitoring team when child is absent for more than 3 days, attendance notification letters when attendance patterns become problematic, parent meetings when warranted
Ongoing attendance improvement interventions have been implemented for the 6 children who are on the trajectory for chronic absenteeism. With the exception of one student, who has already met the threshold for absence for the entire school year, the other five students may avoid the label of chronic absentees by improving their full day attendance during the remainder of the school year.
Chronic Absence is defined as missing 10% or more of the school year. In 2014-15, Evergreen Charter School had 17 students who missed 19 or more days of school and so, were considered chronically absent for that school year. Seven of those students returned to ECS for the 2015-16 school year.
Of those seven students, four decreased their rate of absence during the first six months of school enough so that they are no longer on track for chronic absence for the 2015-16 school year.
Interventions continue to be implemented for the other three students who have not had significant improvement in their full day absence patterns.
The Attendance Improvement Initiatives undertaken for the 2015-16 school year have resulted in a 20.5% rate reduction in number of students who have been tardy without excuse [((200-159)/ 200) X 100= 20.5%], and a 45.29% rate reduction in the total number of occurrences of unexcused tardiness [((1305-714)/1305) X 100= 45.29%) during the first six months of school.
These ten students had problematic attendance (unexcused absence) during the first six months of school in 2014-15 and made significant improvement during the same time period in 2015-16.
Interviews with parents and students revealed the following reasons for the improvement:
1. Attendance Improvement Initiatives and Incentives include: Classroom Perfect Attendance Smoothie Party Contest; No Homework Passes; Monthly Perfect Attendance Awards
2. Extra-curricular school activities include: Student Council, Family Fun Workshops, Art Club
3. Overcoming Barriers to On-time Attendance include: Acquiring bus transportation, morning wake-up telephone calls, access to affordable uniforms
4. Increased parent communication/ attendance notifications include: Daily absence robo-calls during the school day, informational flyers and pamphlets in English and Spanish related to attendance improvement initiatives, live telephone communication with the attendance monitoring team when child is absent for more than 3 days, attendance notification letters when attendance patterns become problematic, parent meetings when warranted
