Attendance
Attendance
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Use this page to learn more about attendance, absenteeism, and truancy. Find out more about how students, schools and families can work together to improve attendance. Use the tabs below to navigate through our Attendance guide.
Attendance at DNUSD
There is a significant link between student attendance and academic performance. Research indicates that students who attend school daily have much higher pass rates on state tests in reading and math compared to those who attend less than 85% of the time. Increased attendance leads to better achievement for all students.
State law mandates school attendance. According to the California Education Code section 48200, every child aged 6 to 18 must attend school every day and be on time unless there is a valid reason for the absence. Acceptable excuses for absences include illness, medical appointments, and family funerals. Attendance at religious retreats is limited to four (4) hours per school semester. Absences for reasons such as babysitting, accompanying parents on errands, and attending sporting events or concerts are considered unexcused. Parents or guardians are responsible for ensuring their child attends school and must inform the school of the reason for any absence.
Attendance Guide
Attendance Matters
As COVID-19 disrupted in-person school attendance, it is important for everyone to understand their role in establishing good attendance for Every Student, Every Day.
WHO can Help Students Attend School Everyday?
Inside of School
School district employees have a significant impact on students' attendance. From the members of the school board of education, district and site leaders, teachers and support staff, everyone that works in schools creates a positive school climate and relationships that connect students and families to school.
Outside of School
Families, caregivers and community members have an important role in ensuring students attend school. Families are experts at knowing their student’s strengths as well as the barriers that may prevent their student from attending school.
Click the image above to learn more about the difference between Chronic Absence and Truancy
WHY Attendance Matters
Attendance is one of the greatest predictors of whether a student graduates from high school.
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The impact of missing school is the same whether your child is sick, ditching or taking some time off.
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Chronically absent students are less likely to achieve their learning goals in a given school year.
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83% of students that are chronically absent in Kindergarten and 1st grade cannot read on grade level by 3rd grade.
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Students not on grade reading level by third grade are 4x more likely to drop out of high school.
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High school dropouts are 8x more likely to be incarcerated.
Poor Attendance Has Long-Term Consequences
How many days did your child miss school?
Click the above image to learn more about how families can help with attendance.
Impact of Chronic Absenteeism:
Preschool and Elementary Schools build the foundation for learning needed for children to do well in middle and high school. When a child is absent, there is incomplete learning which is cumulative over a student’s PreK-12 experience. This means that a student who is chronically absent each year starting in preschool will have missed half of a school year by the time they leave 3rd grade.
“Students suffer academically from having chronically absent classmates—as exhibited across both reading and math testing outcomes. Chronic absenteeism not only has a damaging effect on those individuals missing excessive school days but also has the potential to reduce outcomes for others in the same educational setting.”
Reasons for chronic absenteeism may include unreliable transportation, child care, health and dental practices, housing displacement and food insecurity. Most of these are barriers that can be overcome by families when given assistance from local agencies and nonprofit organizations in Del Norte. If you know of a family in need of services, let your school know and direct them to www.connectdelnorte.org for the resources in our community.
Family Support
Informational Videos
Attendance in Elementary Grades: Tips for Parents
Build the habit of good attendance starting with the first day of school.
- Post a school calendar in your home with the schedule.
- Identify transportation to school.
- Pack their backpacks the night before school and have a consistent place to put them.
- Setting a regular bedtime will ensure enough sleep for the learning at school.
- Create a routine and set an alarm that allows your student to be on time for school every day.
- Establish a back-up plan with relatives, neighbors or friends that can get your child to school when you cannot.
- Keep your child healthy by dressing them for the weather, hand washing and talking to your doctor when they are sick.
Present, Engaged and Supported
Relationships, whether with staff or students, help keep students engaged and attending school every day. Does every student have a meaningful relationship with a caring adult on campus? Every student should have at least one caring adult on campus they connect with that checks-in with them daily and that they feel comfortable reaching out to for help when they need it.
Schools also work to strengthen their relationships with families by inviting families to participate in school events, activities as well as providing feedback on what is going well and ideas for improvement. During the week, school is where students spend most of their time outside the family home, so it is essential that positive relationships between schools and families are established.
Click the above image to access the Attendance Matters Guide to Planning Transitions to School.
Who can families turn to when they need support?
People who can help on campus: Teachers, Counselors, Principals, Student Liaisons, Family Resource Officer
Local resources can be found at: Connect Del Norte and the Del Norte Virtual Wellness Center
Five Essential Roles Families Play to Accelerate Student Learning
Key Ingredients for Systemic Change
Click the image above to learn more about the Key Ingredients for Systemic Change.
Student Attendance Success Plan
To learn more and for printable versions of these forms, click the image above.
School Support
Strategies Schools Use for Attendance
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Warm and Welcoming School Climate.
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Positive Relationships with Students and Families.
- Clear Expectations and Communication About Attendance.
What happens when these strategies are not enough to keep students from missing more than one day per month?
Attendance Tiers of Support
All students are provided Tier I support at all Del Norte schools. Students needing attendance support move up the pyramid from Tier I to Tier II for more personalized care. When students have severe chronic absence, missing 20% of school days or more, then a multi-disciplinary team works with the family to create an attendance success plan to help students get back on track.
Click the image above to learn more about how the Three Tiers Framework can help to improve attendance.
Click the image above to learn more about the Three Tiers Framework to Improve Attendance
Foundational “Whole School” Support Includes
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Positive relationships between school staff, students and families
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Welcoming, socially-emotionally safe, trauma-informed school climate
- Access to technology and connectivity
- Active engagement of parents and students in planning and problem-solving
- A schedule of classes and where/how they are held
- A culture of continuous improvement
- Enrichment activities and clubs
Tier I Universal Prevention Includes
- Community building to create belonging and connection
- Individual wellness check and connectivity assessments
- Personalized outreach and communication to families when students are absent
- Clear, concise and consistent communication about schedules and expectations
- The School Nutrition Program provides 2 meals each day a student attends
- Invite families to design the school’s attendance plan
Tier II Early Intervention Includes
- Small group counseling to provide support for students dealing with anxiety
- Using absenteeism data to activate targeted supports
- Access to learning supports to catch up on missed instruction
- Additional tech support and training for families and students
- Assist a family with identifying a medical home / family health practitioner
- Assisting a family with signing up for public programs e.g. Medicaid, SNAP, UIHS etc.
Tier III Intensive Intervention Includes
- Conduct empathy interview
- Connect family with community supports
- Connect with a tutor or other individualized academic support
- Intensive outreach to locate student and family and assess situation
- Individual Plan based on Identified Needs
Click the link below for the Belonging to School Chart from Attendance Works.
Attendance Works: Belonging to School
Whether students are entering school for the first time, transitioning to a new grade, or navigating distance learning during a pandemic, something that remains true is trusting relationships between educators and families are the foundation for a successful school year for students. With a trusting relationship – built intentionally, thoughtfully, and at the beginning of the year – educators and families operate as partners, ensuring students have what they need.
Guiding Principles
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Be authentic. Family engagement is people work — sharing yourself authentically with families will help quickly build trust and rapport. Creating a strong sense of shared humanity can help us feel connected. |
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Center on the student. Ask about hopes, dreams, and expectations. This is an incredible opportunity for the teacher, student, and family to align on what’s most important to each of them in supporting the student’s academic success. |
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Focus on what is important to the family. These conversations should emphasize building connections. Focus on the relationship while following the family’s lead. Some families might want to share and get to know your background; others might want academic information. Many will want both! |
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Consistency is key. Relationships take time. These strategies will start the process of building relationships. Still, it is frequent and consistent communication that allows relationships to grow and sustain, especially if you do not have the opportunity to connect frequently with families in-person. |
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All families receive outreach. Every family deserves to have a trusting relationship with their child’s teacher. Families should see that relationship building is for everyone! |
Find more information by clicking the link below.
https://flamboyanfoundation.org/beginning-of-year-relationship-building/
When We Work Together, Students Thrive
1. Chronic absence reflects and contributes to educational inequity.
2. Building strong, trusting relationships that promote a feeling of belonging is fundamental to improving student attendance and engagement.
3. Students are more likely to attend school if they feel safe, connected and supported.
4. A positive, problem-solving approach driven by data will improve attendance.
5. Keeping students, families and school staff physically and emotionally healthy supports attendance.
6. When the whole community collaborates with families and schools, we can overcome barriers to attendance and engagement.
Attendance Glossary
Absence or Truancy?
Any school day that a student is not present for any reason is an absence, whether excused or unexcused. When a student misses a school day, parents or guardians are responsible for calling schools to give a reason for the absence. If a reason is not given for absence, they are considered truant. After 3 unexcused absences, which is also referred to as truancy, are counted, parents or guardians will be contacted.
What is Chronic Absenteeism?
Missing school can have serious consequences for student learning. Only having 5 absences in a school year is considered good attendance. When a student misses more than 10% or 18 school days in a year, it is called chronic absenteeism and they may not achieve their learning goals for the year. The California Department of Education monitors data on the CA Dashboard for the number of students that are chronically absent at a school during a school year.
WHAT is Being Done to Support Attendance
Monitoring and encouraging attendance throughout the school year is essential for student learning. A family may not realize how many days absent their child has been over the course of the school year. Informing families of the number of days is on every student’s report card and also in letters sent home.
Identifying and removing the barriers to attendance is how schools partner with parents to ensure every child meets their learning goals for the year.
District & County Office of Education
“Increase student attendance and to ensure support for students and families to ensure that students are ready to learn and actively engage in instruction and other educational activities,” is the second goal of the DNUSD School Board of Education’s LCAP. The desired outcome by 2023-24 is to maintain a 97% attendance rate district-wide, and in addition, have less than 10% of students chronically absent.
The school district and county office of education support attendance at every school by allocating $25,000 to maintain the schools’ incentives program. The school district supports attendance by providing high interest and engaging curriculum opportunities through access to music instruction K-8, and CTE and VPA instruction grades 9-12, as well as high quality library services, transportation and after-school programs. Del Norte Schools will continue to maintain Yurok and Tolowa language programs and the Native American Studies class at Del Norte High.
Communication about attendance policies is provided online in the Family Handbook, and in letters notifying parents every time a child has missed 3 days of school.
Schools
School attendance review teams (SART) which typically include the principal, attendance monitor or secretary and the school counselor meet weekly to discuss students that miss multiple days during each month and the increased communication and support that will be provided to families to increase their student’s learning opportunities.
School Site Councils approve the Site Plan for Student Achievement each year along with the principal to ensure the school’s plans for the year align with the school board’s goals. Input by families is important and is obtained when families attend meetings and complete surveys during the school year.
Scan of Environment and Attendance Tool (SEAT) is a checklist used for each site to know their strengths and opportunities for improving school climate and attendance. Data is collected by a team composed of people that are not school staff, such as school nurses, counselors and coaches. Schools are able to identify the issues that contribute to student attendance, and staff then discuss and take the next steps to address the root cause of chronic absenteeism at their school.
Click the above image to learn more about the Scan of Environment and Attendance Tool (SEAT)
School Attendance Review Board (SARB)
The Del Norte County Student Attendance Review Board (SARB) is a panel comprised of school representatives, county social service providers, the County District Attorney, Tribal representatives, and other qualified community members who meet bi-weekly to review chronic truancy cases and recommend corrective actions. Students and/or guardians referred to the SARB panel for review may face prosecution by the DA's office if corrective services do not lead to an increase in school attendance, pursuant to California Education Code Section 48200.
Resources
Attendance Works, whose mission is to advance student success and help close equity gaps by reducing chronic absence, has developed a range of resources specific to grades served (i.e., elementary, middle, secondary) and aligned to important strategies designed to improve attendance.
Chronic Absence, Connecticut State Department of Education
Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
Parent Teacher Home Visit Project
Restorative Practices, Orange County Department of Education
National School Climate Center
The National Mentoring Partnership
Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Model, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Looking for more family and community support resources?
Click the links below...