Every day a student is absent is a lost opportunity for learning. Too many absences not only can affect achievement for the absent student but also can disrupt learning for the entire class. The following five basic steps help address and reduce chronic absence in schools.
Establishing School-wide Attendance Initiatives
Attendance incentives are most effective when part of a comprehensive approach that includes outreach to families with more significant challenges to attendance. Incentives should be part of creating a school-wide culture of attendance and accompanied by a deep commitment to ensuring students are engaged in the classroom once they show up.
Simple rewards—recognition from peers and the school through certificates or assemblies, extra recess time, homework passes or even dancing in the hallways—go a long way toward motivating students.
Tiers of Intervention- StrategiES
Tier One- Universal Strategies that should be available to every student in a school
Tier Two - Aimed at Early Intervention and designed to help students who need slightly more support to avoid chronic absence
Tier Three - Intensive Supports offered to students facing the greatest challenges to getting to school
Organizing an attendance Team
Create an Attendance Team.
Orient the team to research and best practices.
Create a plan to guide action that recognizes challenges, maximizes strengths and sets priorities.
Engage teachers, social workers, parents & community partners in the work.
The primary purpose of an attendance team is to organize the school’s attendance strategy and foster improved attendance for all students.
Specific Functions of the Attendance Team:
Coordinate the whole school’s multi-tiered strategy to reduce chronic absence by implementing evidence-informed prevention and early intervention.
Match strategies with root causes: Adopt strategies that address the needs of individual and groups of chronically absent students using qualitative and quantitative data.
Triage: Provide triage to ensure students receive needed supports from both the school and community.