Myth: Attending Elementary School Regularly Doesn’t Matter
Reality: Elementary school is the period when children gain basic social and academic skills that are the foundation for their education. Nationally, one in 10 kindergarten and first grade students miss nearly a month of school every year which can be described as a chronic absence. Chronic absences affect the entire classroom, requiring teachers to use valuable time to review lessons with the students that miss them and is an early indicator that a student may be going off-track. By 6th grade chronic absence is a clear predictor of drop-out. Chronic absence can also be an indicator of underlying family, health, economic and social situations. (Adapted from Attendance Works.)
As Bellevue works to achieve the goal of having all 3rd graders reading at grade-level by 2016, absenteeism is one of the areas we are working to improve. Joining other educators across the country, Dr. Mills, Bellevue School District Superintendent, has endorsed the effort led nationally by Attendance Works to promote awareness of the effect chronic absenteeism has on academic achievement and to address the problem.
By standardizing and analyzing attendance data, identifying barriers to attendance, and working with students and families, Bellevue School District is making progress. Here is the story of Stevenson Elementary and the efforts and impact they have made.
Interview with Scott Hetherington, Dean of Students, Stevenson Elementary
What was Stevenson’s attendance rate before you implemented changes?
Stevenson had the most unexcused tardies per student and ranked near the middle of elementary schools in Bellevue for unexcused absences. We had 4,005 unexcused tardies and 210 unexcused absences. We set a goal to decrease these numbers by 50% – an audacious goal, but we believe in go big or go home at Stevenson. We strongly believed that improved attendance would lead to improved reading, another key goal at Stevenson.
What were some of the biggest challenges Stevenson faced?
A key challenge was changing the culture or mindset that students being just a few minutes late for school was no big deal. There was a misunderstanding in our parent community as to how significant those first 10 minutes of school are for preparing children to learn. We had to improve our communication with families, educate on the importance of good attendance, and create a more consistent system of sharing attendance information.
What were the changes you made and programs Stevenson introduced?
We made being at school on time a school-wide focus from the beginning of the year. We shared in assemblies, at Parent Night and during lunches that “School Starts at 8 o’clock!” We chant this at every assembly and often at lunches. We created a system to more closely monitor unexcused tardies and absences. Finally, we created a 3 tier approach to how we would educate, encourage and empower families to decrease unexcused absences and tardies. One main component was the Parent Attendance Class we created. Families with 3 or more unexcused tardies and 2 or more unexcused absences were called and sent a letter home requesting their attendance. In the class we shared our school’s attendance data; our goals for the year; research on how attendance impacts reading and overall learning; and most importantly we shared some practical strategies for getting children to school on time. We gave them a toolkit of strategies to implement in their own homes.
How were these developed?
We looked at several national programs but most significantly the Attendance Matters program. After researching what were the most common best practices we implemented and created what we believe best suited the culture of Stevenson.
How were these changes communicated to the families and staff?
We shared our attendance goals and “on-time” focus at the Parent Night in September and then again in a letter home to families. All this was revisited during our Attendance Classes. Staff was shown the plan at a staff meeting.
What was the feedback you have received from parents, staff, and administration?
Feedback on the program has been positive. Staff is grateful for the emphasis on arriving at school on time. Parents have responded with praise and while some were hesitant at first, once they heard the presentation they were on board and thankful for the information and tools.
What has been the impact?
Well most significant is that unexcused tardies and absences have decreased by 30%. Communication with families has improved and they are calling our Family Connection Center to report absences or find out more information about the program. We are also starting to see a cultural change around arriving to school on time and missing fewer days of school.
Are there additional changes planned?
We are just beginning phase 2 which involves sending our thank you letters to families who have improved their attendance over the last 2 months. Students are going to be recognized for their efforts as well with certificates and prize drawings. There is another round of Parent Attendance Classes for families to attend. Finally, we are scheduling more home visits to encourage families still struggling with attendance.
What advice would you have for other schools?
The key is to build a team because one person cannot do this alone. Too often attendance issues are linked to larger concerns in homes and we need to be prepared to carefully address those situations and assist families in need of help. Our Family Connections Team has been critical in supporting our efforts and other concerns in our community as well. It will take a team to make gains.
Don’t’ be afraid to adopt/implement a strict policy on attendance, but get know your community and build trust through relationship. While we implemented some strict policies, we were purposeful to present the program in a manner that families felt empowered not attacked. For example, by offering a “toolkit’ of how to be on time, we showed parents we cared and understood the real-life issues of getting children out the door for school. After that, we could share the research of chronic absenteeism and families were receptive and grateful. I always try to remember that people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.