A presentation given to the leadership team to support the need for a staff position focused on attendance.

1. How would a Dean of Students improve attendence
and positively impact student involvement and
achievement?

2. •Impacts student learning
•Impacts academic achievement
•Impacts student behaviors negatively
•Undermines classroom unity and culture
•Undermines school involvement and spirit
•Masks potentially hazardous, underlining issues that could
have long term negative impact on student’s life
•One of the early signs of disengagement that can ultimately
lead to dropping out AND later involvement in Juvenile Justice
System

3. •Tracks on a daily, weekly, quarterly and yearly basis student
attendance records and applies that information in a systematic,
strategic and consistent fashion toward progressive, tiered
interventions and discipline
•Enlists school and outside resources on a case by case basis
•Meets regularly with administration to track each student’s status in
the tiered process

4. •Analyzes data to create a periodic “flag list” and shares with key staff
in order to ensure follow through
•Follows up and communicates regularly with the classroom teachers
regarding student’s status in the tiered process
•Fosters relationships between home and school
•Maintains appropriate procedures in preparation for any attendance
referrrals
•Coordinates with security to prevent absences at key exits, at key
times of day

5. Addresses special attendance issues such as
•Below 18 years of age issues
•Above 18 years of age issues
• What to do with the adult preying on minors in classroom
settings?
•How to address the students with immigrant issues relating to
attendance?
•How to deal with parents who are disconnected from the process?
•And so on…

6. •This has to be a long term, consistent, structured, strategic
position and plan, with full support from the administration
and a campaign to get full-staff buy in
•This position has to work closely with the administrative team
on a regular basis to coordinate attendance and discipline
interventions
•Assistant principals assign detentions; security oversees
detentions
•We would have to make the budgetary commitment to fully
fund the program
•Will this really work?

7. •At Annandale, last year, there were 450-500 daily students with
5 or more absences for the year; this year, at this point, there is
284
•At Annandale, after two years of doing this, the daily absences
diminished and the DOS focused on absences from blocks
•Currently, the primary issue is becoming tardiness rather than
absences
•At Centreville, at the beginning of the process, referrals rose
because awareness was raised, but that follow up over time
reduced absenteeism
•Over time, the program helped them focus on the students
who were continuing to randomly skip classes

8. As daily attendance improves, focus on absences from certain
periods of the day

9. Teachers have students in class more consistently, to teach, to
build relationships, to track and support student learning
Teachers are involved in taking daily attendance, making the
first initial contact with parents, but are not in charge of the
long term tracking and follow up
Teachers are informed regularly of student’s status and tiered
interventions
Underlying issues are uncovered and services put in place,
which allows for students to participate more fully in school and
improve their relationships within the school community