John Monfredo: Left Behind: Chronic Absenteeism and Negative Educational Outcomes

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Saturday, October 18, 2014

John Monfredo, GoLocalWorcester MINDSETTER™

Chronic absenteeism is a major factor in the achievement gap and now that September is over school systems need to take a close look at absenteeism for according to research it starts in September.  I have been beating the drums on this issue for several years because of the devastating effect it has on our students.   In Worcester, through community partnerships, the issue is at the forefront and administration has alerted all staff members to have this issue as a priority. 

 Remember, if they are not in school they are not learning the needed skills to move forward.  Keep in mind this issue must be a priority throughout the year, not just in September.   Data needs to be looked at every month and parents should be alerted about their child’s attendance.   Each year that a child is chronically absent their odds of dropping out doubles and we should all find that troubling.  

As superintendents deliver their state of education message they need to call attention to attendance issues as they lay out their vision, challenges and priorities for the school year.   Attendance Works, an organization led by Hedy Chang (considered an expert in this field) is recommending that superintendents make clear that improved student attendance is one of their priorities and work on engaging the public to be a partner in this endeavor.    Attendance Works recommends using data to raise public awareness, establish targets and goals, and track progress to ensure accountability.

Whether absences are excused or not, the resulting loss of instructional time is significant for so many students and results in academic loss.  Research by Attendance Works points out those children who are chronically absent (18 or more days) in the kindergarten and first grade are much less likely to read proficiently by the end of the third grade and are more likely to have poor attendance in later grades.   By the middle and high school, chronic absence is a proven early warning sign that a student will drop out.  This is especially true for those students living in poverty that need school the most and are sometimes getting the least.  

Schools need to put together an attendance team throughout the year to address this issue.  They need to develop strategies that address the many challenges of different student groups and work with community partners to support attendance strategies.  They need to build a culture of attendance in their school.

 Other ideas include:

• Recognizing good and improved attendance with rewards to students and families for improved attendance, for we all know students love rewards or love being recognized.
• Next, engage students and parents on two levels.  If the school environment is warm and welcoming and offers enriching learning opportunities, students will want to attend.  Secondly, it is critical to engage parents in the discussion so that they really understand the implications of attendance on the hopes and dreams that they have for their children.
• Monitor attendance data and practice… In order to identify where a problem exists and to track progress, schools need to make it a regular practice to track student level data and develop early warning systems to catch problems and intervene.
• Provide personalized early outreach… When problems are identified, outreach to families and students who are missing school can be essential for identifying barriers to attendance such as hunger, illness, shelter, transportation or other challenges and the supports or resources that would help to improve attendance.  In Worcester, outreach can be accomplished by our wrap around coordinators or our guidance counselors.   The outreach has to be someone who has or developed a strong relationship with the family.
• Develop programmatic response to barriers… Identifying the barriers to attendance can indicate the appropriate solutions, whether that involves improving access to healthcare, providing tutoring, offering mentoring, developing morning or after school care or other approaches.

These ideas could be a starting point for all schools but sustainability must prevail if we are to be successful.

As for parents, consider the following: 

• Let’s be sure that your child receives a strong message from you that attendance matters and be sure to avoid extended vacations during school time.
• Parents also need to set bedtime and morning routines.  Before your child goes to bed be sure that the backpack is placed at the door or on the table with everything that he/she needs for school.  Also, lay out the clothes that your child will be wearing for these suggestions will save lots of time in the morning.
• If there are problems that interfere with attendance and need attention turn to the school for help.  Talk to the school if there are health needs such as asthma or dental concerns.  
• If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselors, or other parents for advice on how to make him/her feel comfortable and excited about learning.

This issue can be solved if the community and the schools work together to create a culture of attendance and assist families in overcoming hurdles to getting their children to school.  Let’s set a bench mark of reducing chronic absenteeism by three percent.   I believe we can do it if everyone works and addresses this issue throughout the school year.

More on this subject in the coming months for everyone needs to keep this issue burning in our community.   Also, if any of our readers have additional suggestions write and let me know your ideas.  Let’s do it for the children!

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