Key factors:
In my position as Assistant Director of Pupil Providers, I’ve realized that probably the most essential think about enhancing pupil attendance isn’t about insurance policies or procedures–it’s about connections. Our district serves a various group of hardworking households, together with many newcomer households. We’ve confronted our share of challenges, particularly within the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, however we’re making strides by specializing in what issues most: our college students and their households.
In Alvord Unified, we’ve realized that operationalizing our strategic targets round attendance isn’t nearly setting targets–it’s about creating techniques that foster significant engagement. By specializing in constructing sturdy school-home connections, we’re not solely enhancing attendance charges, but in addition driving improved pupil outcomes throughout the board. Our strategy demonstrates that once we align our each day operations with our broader strategic imaginative and prescient, we are able to create a college setting the place each pupil is empowered to succeed.
Earlier than the pandemic, our district maintained a decent 95 % attendance fee, with power absenteeism hovering between 12 % and 14 %–on par with surrounding districts and nationwide averages. Nevertheless, when COVID-19 hit, we noticed our power absenteeism spike to 25 to 30 %, mirroring the struggles confronted by districts nationwide.
The pandemic created a possibility for a brand new strategy to attendance administration
As we emerged from the pandemic, it turned clear that we would have liked a brand new technique. For years, our Native Management and Accountability Plan (LCAP) had included provisions for an attendance administration program, however implementation had all the time been pushed to the again burner. The post-COVID panorama, with its distinctive challenges and shifting priorities, offered the right alternative to revisit this want.
In the course of the top of the pandemic, our faculty websites have been overwhelmed. They have been juggling COVID case monitoring, managing durations of publicity, and making an attempt to take care of some semblance of regular operations. It was throughout a dialog about decreasing the burden of attendance letter mailings that I noticed our probability. If we might automate these processes, we might unlock our employees to concentrate on what actually issues: connecting with college students and households.
After researching choices and consulting with colleagues at state conferences, we determined to implement SchoolStatus as our attendance administration system. This transfer wasn’t nearly monitoring numbers; it was about remodeling how we strategy attendance altogether.
SchoolStatus has grow to be an integral a part of our attendance technique. It handles rather more than simply systematic notifications. The system automates our attendance monitoring, producing real-time studies that permit us to determine traits and at-risk college students shortly. It manages our compliance necessities, guaranteeing we ship out legally mandated notifications, just like the essential first discover that outlines dad and mom’ obligations underneath California’s Schooling Code. This technique permits us to operationalize our strategic targets round attendance, turning our imaginative and prescient into concrete, each day actions.
However maybe most significantly, we are able to now prioritize our outreach efforts. By offering clear, actionable information, employees can focus their vitality on the scholars and households who want probably the most help. This focused strategy means we’re not simply sending out blanket communications, however initiating significant, personalised interventions.
Private connections are the cornerstone of our attendance technique
Now our groups have time to make private calls to households. These aren’t simply check-ins; they’re alternatives to grasp the obstacles households face and provide actual options. Whether or not it’s offering details about reasonably priced public transportation, providing bus passes, and even serving to with gasoline playing cards, we’re dedicated to breaking down any impediment that stands between a pupil and their training.
I all the time inform our group: “It doesn’t matter what number of packages we provide in case your baby isn’t coming to highschool. I can have social employees, group employees, and/or counselors–and serve steak and lobster day-after-day–but it surely doesn’t matter in case your child doesn’t come within the door. We will’t help you as a pupil or as a household when you’re not right here.”
The effectivity gained by means of having a complete attendance administration resolution has allowed us to shift our focus from managing paperwork to managing relationships. Our employees can now spend their time having these essential conversations with households, understanding their distinctive conditions, and dealing collectively to search out options that work for everybody.
To additional strengthen our group ties, we’ve instituted “Neighborhood Connection Days.” On as of late, our total Academic Providers group–about 20 individuals–steps out of the workplace and into the group. We knock on doorways, not as disciplinarians, however as involved educators seeking to assist. It’s about exhibiting households that the whole district, from the classroom to the executive workplace, cares about their baby’s success. These initiatives exemplify our dedication to engagement that drives improved pupil outcomes, exhibiting how private connections can translate into tangible outcomes.
Our efforts are paying off with improved attendance charges
Our efforts are paying off. Within the 2021-2022 faculty 12 months, our P2 report (which determines funding based mostly on common each day attendance) got here in at 91.5 %. The next 12 months, we hit 93.15 %–an enchancment of over 1.5 share factors. If you’re speaking a couple of district with about 16,000 college students, that improve means we’re getting extra children to highschool and extra children engaged each single day.
As we proceed to operationalize our strategic targets, we’re setting bold targets and implementing complete measures to realize them. This 12 months, we’re aiming even larger with a aim of 95 % attendance. We’re not simply dreaming huge; we’re placing within the work to make it occur:
- We’ve secured a $9.5 million Neighborhood Colleges Grant, permitting us to rent six group coordinators to construct even stronger household connections.
- We’re implementing a district-wide Multi-Tiered System of Helps (MTSS) to make sure we’re assembly the wants of all college students.
- We’ve introduced on 9 social work interns and two full-time social employees to supply further help.
- We’re investing in Optimistic Behavioral Interventions and Helps (PBIS) at each elementary and secondary ranges.
- We’re increasing our Saturday College packages, which not solely present further studying alternatives but in addition assist get well attendance days.
Creating a way of belonging is on the coronary heart of our attendance efforts
On the finish of the day, what issues most is that each pupil feels they belong in our faculty group. It’s not nearly getting children in seats; it’s about creating an setting the place they need to be. As educators, our job is to genuinely care about every pupil’s success and to be sure that care is felt by each the scholars and their households.
If there’s one piece of recommendation I can provide to different districts seeking to enhance attendance, it’s this: Get to know your group. Perceive their tales, their struggles, and their strengths. Be environment friendly in your processes, however by no means on the expense of compassion. As a result of when a dad or mum or pupil can inform that you simply genuinely care about their success, that’s when actual change begins to occur.
In Alvord Unified, we’re not simply monitoring attendance–we’re operationalizing our strategic targets to create a group the place each pupil is aware of they matter, day-after-day. By specializing in significant engagement that drives improved pupil outcomes, we’re remodeling how we strategy training. Our journey reveals that once we align our each day practices with our broader imaginative and prescient, we are able to create a college setting the place attendance isn’t only a quantity, however a mirrored image of a thriving, linked group.
As we proceed to refine our strategy, we’re not solely assembly our attendance targets but in addition setting the stage for long-term pupil success.