Monfredo: Taking Action On Chronic Absenteeism…

Sunday, February 14, 2016

John Monfredo, GoLocalWorcester MINDSETTER™

“School Attendance = Student Success… Research is increasingly showing that attendance at all ages is essential and is directly correlated to student success and graduation rates.” Once again, the School Committee’s standing committee on” Teaching, Learning and Student Support” chaired by Brian O’Connell and made up of our newest School Committee member Molly Mc McCullough, and me discussed my agenda item on chronic absenteeism at last week’s meeting.

If you are a weekly reader to GoLocal Worcester this topic has been discussed before but not resolved. I will continue to advocate for an effective solution until this problem is eradicated. Again, let me remind our readers that chronic absenteeism is when a student is absent over 18 days during the school year.

Common sense and research suggest that attending school regularly is important to ensuring children develop a strong foundation for subsequent learning. If schools want to improve learning and have our children not feel frustrated about school we need to get them to show up! Hedy Chang, director of Attendance Works, a policy group focused on chronic absence stated, “You can innovate all you want, but if the kid’s not there, the benefit from the innovation is going to have limited impact.”

Research shows that children regardless of gender, socioeconomic status or ethnicity, lose out when they are chronically absent. This problem shows up even in kindergarten for children lacking the needed readiness skills show low levels of achievement in reading and math during the first grade. I would like our legislators to consider making kindergarten mandatory for this is where children learn the necessary readiness skills.

The Worcester Public Schools, as with all of our urban centers, does have an issue with chronic absenteeism. Last year our chronic absenteeism rate was 12.7% and this year from August to January 1st we are on a course to have a rate of 14.9% labeled chronic. The students who are chronically absent the most in the Worcester Public Schools are our Comprehensive High School students with figures over 20% and over half of our elementary schools with figures over 12%.

As a principal I know that this is an area that must be prioritized and resolved within the district. Poor attendance plays a role in the achievement gap for students struggling in poverty have the highest percentage of absenteeism. Here are some past figures on those students with chronic absenteeism and how it affected their test scores let alone their self-esteem.

    •   In grade three ELA testing… 70% of those absent were either failing or needs improvement.
   •   Grade four ELA testing… the figure was higher …82% failing or needs improvement.
   •    In MATH one day of missed instruction means a loss of additional skills, grade three math was 83% failing or needs improvement
   •   In grade four math the figure was up to 92% failing or needs improvement.
   •    Another RED FLAG in Worcester on data showed that Latino students in the kindergarten had a 22.8% of being chronically absent.

As I have been pleading for years… we need to make this issue a priority in our school system for at the present time it is not a priority. I am looking for an action plan with benchmarks for this issue need to be addressed throughout the school year. We need to be pro-active if we are to make any progress.
At a standing committee meeting last spring I requested a public media campaign as we did several years ago and to be attentive with the campaign throughout the year. This did not happen this September! The new administration does have a committee reviewing this issue and promised to have (finally) an action plan come this April and implement it for the start of the new school year.

I would like to suggest the following to administration as they move forward.

    •   Have an attendance committee that includes not only educators but the community with members from United Way, the Chamber of Commerce, Health groups, inter-faith, Higher education and social agencies.   From that group divide it into a small working group to report back to the larger body.
   •   Have a public media campaign at the start of the new school year about the importance of attending school and reach out to the inter-faith groups and all P.T. O.’S for support.   Let’s use the data to explain the urgency of this campaign.
   •   Be sure that ALL schools understand the purpose of the campaign and have them be pro-active in addressing the issue. All schools need to watch the data on a week basis.
   •   Have administration develop a diagnostic tool to track absenteeism and work on ways of addressing the issues such as a lack of clothing, food, etc.
   •   Let’s be sure that those students that have been chronically absent are flagged and let’s develop an instrument similar to an individual education plan (IEP) with an action plan.
   •   Let’s have schools establish an action plan and bench marks to improve chronic absenteeism. The plan should be part of the school’s Accountability Plan that was not accepted by the last superintendent. The Plan should have what the present data reads and how the schools are going to improve the data with an action plan.
   •   All schools should have incentives for those that show improved attendance or have good attendance.
   •   Work with homeless shelters and have them as part of the solution.
   •   Collaborate with social workers, school psychologist, and adjustment counselors to address the students’ mental and emotional health.
Let’s also reach out to parents who have children with chronic absenteeism and give them suggestions for assistance.   Meet with them as a group early in the year as part of the attendance campaign. Here are some suggestions for the parents:
   •   Set a regular bed time and morning routine
   •   Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before
   •   If their child seems anxious about going back to school have them talk to the teacher, school counselor for advice on how to make their child feel comfortable and excite about learning.
   •   Develop back-up plans for getting to school if something comes up.   Have them call on a family member, neighbor, or another parent.
   •   Avoid medical appointments and extended trips when school is in session.
   •   If your child misses school, have them work with the teacher to make up the work the child has missed.

It’s been over three years since I called attention to this serious problem. It’s time that we stop the rhetoric and the once a year meetings on this issue and move forward with an action plan with reasonable benchmarks. Let’s own the issue and make it clear to the community that improving student attendance is one of our top priorities. Let’s create a culture of attendance across our city now!

Monfredo: Taking Action On Chronic Absenteeism…

Related Slideshow: See the List: 25 Central MA Schools with Worst Chronic Absentee Problem

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