Assessing State Policy and Practice on Attendance and Chronic Absence
Use this tool to examine whether your state has important policies and practice in place to improve student attendance. If several people take the assessment at the same time, compare your answers. If you have differences in opinion about an item, take the time to explore why you may have different perceptions and what that might mean for action steps.
Assessing Chronic Absence and Attendance In Your School District
A Tool for Self Assessment
Use this tool to examine whether your school district has critical and important policies and practice in place to improve student attendance. If possible, find an opportunity for a team of key stakeholders from within the district (e.g. site level and district level staff) as well people representing other perspectives (parents, community agencies, public agency) to take the assessment. Compare your answers. If you have differences in opinion about an item, take the time to explore why you may have different perceptions and what that might mean for action steps.
A Template for Analysis
Another critical step is conducting a district-wide analysis of chronic absence levels by grade, school and, if possible, student sub-population (e.g. Ethnicity, English Language Learner Status, Special Education, and participation in Free & Reduced Price Lunch). Such an analysis will help you gain a big picture understanding of whether chronic absence is a problem for a particular school or group of children. Below are templates to help guide your analysis:
- Table 1 – District-wide By Grades – Download Data Table
- Table 2 – District-wide By Schools – Download Data Table
- Table 3 – By Student Sub Population – Download Data Table
Assessing Chronic Absence and Attendance at Your School
In the end, whether chronic absence is reduced depends upon the ability of each school to make attendance count by monitoring data, promoting a culture of regular attendance and helping chronically absent students overcome barriers to getting to school on a regular basis. Below are several tools for you to make action happen where it matters most!
A Tool for Self Assessment
Use this tool to identify if your school is engaging in the practices known to help improve overall attendance and reduce the numbers of children missing so much school that they are academically at risk. The result should help you determine a plan of action that builds upon strengths, while recognizing the biggest gaps to be addressed to adopt an effective and comprehensive approach.
A Template for Analysis
This data report template offers a way to analyze chronic absence patterns in your own school. It helps to identify whether chronic absence levels are a problem throughout the school or concentrated among particular groups of students .
A Guide for Identifying Factors Contributing to Chronic Absence
Once you know whether chronic absence is a problem in your school and for which groups of children, it is important to begin examining what factors might be affecting attendance. This guide discusses how you can use quantitative and qualitative data to inform your understanding. It includes a matrix to help you analyze factors that contribute to chronic absence, as well as what assets might help in addressing the issue.