Addressing Chronic Absence
Implementing an Elementary Success Mentor Strategy
October 2016
www.attendanceworks.org
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Welcome from the US Department of EducationUS
Department of Education
Eric Duncan
MBK Success Mentors
Coordinator
USDOED
• Unifying champion for expanding quality
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youth mentoring relationships in the US
for more than 25 years.
Develops and delivers evidence-based
standards, innovative research and
essential tools for youth-serving
programs, including the Elements of
Effective Practice for Mentoring™
Supports a network of 26 Mentoring
Partnerships and 50+ Technical
Assistance Providers who support
mentoring programs locally.
Manages the National Mentoring
Resource Center, which provides nocost training and technical assistance to
mentoring programs nationwide.
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@MENTORNational
www.mentoring.org
Attendance Works:
About Us
Attendance Works is a national and state initiative that promotes
awareness of the important role that school attendance plays in achieving
academic success starting with school entry. We are an implementation
partner for attendance with the Campaign for Grade Level Reading.
Our three focus areas to improve student attendance are:
 Build public awareness and political will
 Foster state campaigns
 Encourage local practice
www.attendanceworks.org
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Desired Outcomes
1. Generate excitement about launching
elementary success mentor efforts
2. Nurture peer learning and exchange
3. Ensure awareness of available resources
(especially free on-line materials)
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Agenda
I.
II.
III.
IV.
IV.
V.
Welcome
Quick Review of Key Concepts
Introductions
Panel Discussion: What does it take to
launch and support a successful Success
Mentor Strategy?
Running a successful school-based
mentoring program
Elementary Success Mentor Toolkit
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What is Chronic Absence?
Excused
absences
Unexcused
absences
Chronic absence is missing so much
school for any reason that a student is
academically at risk. Attendance Works
recommends defining it as missing 10%
or more of school for any reason.
Suspensions
Chronic
Absence
Chronic absence is different from truancy (unexcused absences only) or
average daily attendance (how many students show up to school each day).
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Chronic Absence Vs.
Truancy
Number of students missing 10%
versus 10 unexcused absences
(San Francisco Unified School District)
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
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# chronic absentees - 2010-2011
# of students with 10 unexcused absences (as of May 16th 2011)
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Chronic Absence Is Easily
Masked If We Only Monitor
Missing Consecutive days
Chronic Absence = 18 days of absence = As Few As 2 days a
month
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Multiple Years of Chronic
Absenteeism = High Risk for
low 3rd Grade Reading Skills
Note: ***Indicates that scores are significantly different from scores of students who are never chronically absent, at p<.001 level. + In the DIBELS 6th Edition Assessment and Scoring Guide (Good & Kaminksi,
2002), these are labeled as “Some Risk,” indicating the need for additional intervention and “At Risk,” indicating the need for substantial interventions.
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Chronic Early Absence
Connected to Poor LongTerm Academic Outcomes
Chronic absence in
kindergarten
Lower levels of
literacy in first grade
Lower achievement as
far out as fifth grade
A Rhode Island Data Hub analysis found that compared to kindergartners
who attend regularly, those chronically absent:
• Scored 20% lower in reading and math in later grades and gap grows
• 2X as likely to be retained in grade.
• 2X likely to be suspended by the end of 7th grade.
• Likely to continue being chronically absent
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Identifying Students Are
Chronically Absent
Throughout the Year
Chronic absence (missed 10% or more of school) in the prior year,
assuming data is available.
And/or starting in the beginning of the school year, student has:
In first 2 weeks
In first month (4 weeks)
In first 2 months (8 weeks)
2 absences
2-3 absences
4 absences
Missing 10%
any time
after
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Elementary Success Mentors
Should Be Embedded in a
Comprehensive Tiered
Approach.
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CHRONICALLY
ABSENT STUDENT
CONNECT WITH
MENTOR
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Introductions
Name
Position
Where are you in implementing an elementary
success mentor strategy?
What is one thing you hope to learn today?
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What does it take to launch and support a
successful Elementary Success Mentor Strategy?
Panel Discussion:
1. Where have you implemented an elementary
success mentor strategy? (How many schools?
How many children served?)
2. Who are your elementary success mentors?
What did you do to equip them?
3. What has been most successful about your
elementary effort?
4. What has been hardest?
Year One Implementation Results
MAKING CONNECTIONS. I MPROVING LI VES.
Year One Implementation Results
MAKING CONNECTIONS. I MPROVING LI VES.
Tracking Students, Coaches, and
Interventions
MAKING CONNECTIONS. I MPROVING LI VES.
Elements of a Successful
School-Based Mentoring
Program
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Key Roles of the
Mentoring Program
Coordinator
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Outreach to youth and
parents & orientation to
program
Recruitment & screening of
mentors
Training of mentors
Matching youth and mentors
with intentionality
Providing structured support
to mentors
Regular check-ins with youth
and parents
Identify/respond to family
needs
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How to request no-cost
help for your program
Receive customized, no-cost local support
from MENTOR’s network of TA Providers to
address challenges like:
• Developing a recruitment plan to meet
the need for mentors
• Developing a mentor training curriculum
to equip mentors with the skills for
success
• Developing a plan to support mentors in
responding to relationship challenges
and concerns.
Visit:
www.nationalmentoringresourcecenter.org
to get started
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Who can serve as a
Success Mentor?
To get to scale we need to leverage all available
resources and adults.
1. Internal Mentors – School staff including
administrative, teaching, and support staff
2. External Mentors – School based partners including
after-school program providers, tutors, and other
school based partnerships
3. Mentor – Can help with their mentor connections
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Tackling the Early Attendance Gap
A Toolkit for Launching An Elementary Success
Mentor Initiative
Draft Toolkit Available now at :
Anticipated Public Release: September 2016
What is Covered in this
Toolkit?
Contact [email protected] to
contribute resources or offer feedback.
http://www.attendanceworks.org/tools/forschool-districts/elemsuccessmentortoolkit/
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How is working with
younger students
different?
Family Engagement: Engaging
a elementary student’s family is
essential to understanding why a
student is missing school,
motivating good attendance and
addressing barriers to getting to
school.
Mentor Selection: Especially
with young children, the mentor
should be closely connected to
the school and able to help build
a positive relationship between
the family and the school
community.
http://www.attendanceworks.org/tools/for-school-districts/elemsuccessmentortoolkit/
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Upcoming Webinar
Tuesday, November 1, 2016: Attendance Awareness All Year
Long: Inspiring and Sustaining Progress, 11-12:30 pm (PT) / 23:30 pm (ET). Registration is now open!
After Attendance Awareness Month is over, how can schools and
communities reach out to families and students to encourage good
attendance all year long? Join Attendance Works and our special guests
as they share how to use attendance data to anticipate and counter
dips in daily attendance that routinely occur over the course of the
school year, ideas for leveraging the success of Attendance Awareness
Month throughout the year, strategies for engaging families and
students whose absences are adding up, and free resources for
messaging all year long about the importance of attendance.
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