Developing a Culture of Attendance in

Developing a

Culture of Attendance

inMETRO WEST DISTRICT

Action Zone Funding:

In 2003 Central North West District was targeted to receive funding to improve

attendance

Research Project

5 secondary schools and 5 primary schools with low attendance rates were invited to participate in a research project with the guidance of Professor Peter Cuttance, Director, Centre for Applied Educational Research, University of Melbourne

Aim of Research Project

To identify reasons for non-attendance of individual students and cohorts of students

then to develop and trial differentiated strategies for improving attendance

Research Stages

• DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSISIDENTIFY, INFORM, INVOLVE

• TRIALLING OF STRATEGIESINHIBITORS, INCENTIVES,

INTERVENTION, INNOVATION

DATA COLLECTION AND

ANALYSIS IDENTIFY

Collect Accurate data

Develop processes to ensure that accurate records are kept

-School systems for data management

-Ring families to check reasons for unexplained absences

-Send home notes, conduct home visits

DATA COLLECTION AND

ANALYSIS IDENTIFY

Analyse and categorise individual data

Occasional: less than 3 days per term• State attendance target is 95%, or 2-3 days per term.

Habitual: 3-9 days per term• Current state average is 92% or 4 days per term.

Chronic: 10 days or more per term• This is 80% attendance : one day a week or more

DATA COLLECTION AND

ANALYSIS IDENTIFY

Analyse cohort data• Targeted groups

• Gender

• Family / peer patterns

• Year levels

• Compare with achievement levels

• Compare with behaviour data

DATA COLLECTION AND

ANALYSIS IDENTIFY

Analyse data by other factors

• Time of the day / day of the week

• Term / time of the term• Distance from school• Weather• Lesson / teacher

DATA COLLECTION AND

ANALYSIS INFORM

• Provide data to class/ home group teacher on a regular basis for follow up

• Discuss at staff / year level / case management meetings

DATA COLLECTION AND

ANALYSIS INFORM

• Make the whole community aware of the importance of regular attendance through brochures, newsletters, signs around the school

• Use AEWs, BSSOs, translators

DATA COLLECTION AND

ANALYSIS INFORM

• Publicise targets and progress towards them

• Publicise the links between achievement, wellbeing and regular attendance

• Talk to students about the impact of their absences on their achievement

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

INVOLVE

Involve as many groups as possible insetting goals and suggesting strategies:

• SSOs, Home group or class teachers, year level managers, Counsellors, AETs, AEWs,

• Students, parents, caregivers, mentors, family liaison workers

• SRC, ASSPA, Governing councils, Focus groups

DATA COLLECTION AND

ANALYSIS INHIBITORS

not having a hat or the correct uniform not having done homework fear of being late dislike of subject / teacher night job

DATA COLLECTION AND

ANALYSIS INHIBITORS

Transport problems Family issues caring for family member

TRIALLING OF

SHORT-TERM

STRATEGIES

STRATEGIES

DIFFERENTIATE

Use different approaches with

– Different ages

– Different causes

– Individual students

STRATEGIES

INFORM

• Regularly discuss progress with staff and students.

• Provide printouts of data regularly to staff involved in monitoring

• Have information about improvement towards goals up around the school for everyone to see.

STRATEGIES

INVOLVE • Ensure that the focus of shared ownership is

on building relationships not on punishing offenders.

• Involve students in monitoring and publicising improvements in attendance

STRATEGIES

SUPPORT

Support families to take responsibility-Link with a support worker (Mentor, Peer support, Liaison worker, AEW, Counsellor)

-Release staff to develop individualised programs-Provide a bus; childcare facilities

STRATEGIES

PROVIDE INCENTIVES

• Acknowledge improvement

• Acknowledge staff and student efforts

• Awards for individuals, groups, whole year level or whole school.

STRATEGIES

Have a sliding scale of rewards for perfect or improving attendance eg

– name called out at assembly for 2 weeks– certificates for 4 weeks – book prize for all term – McDonalds or canteen voucher for mid year

STRATEGIES

-Raffle tickets for parents of preschool, JPs.

-Thank-you notes for staff

STRATEGIES

PROGRAM INCENTIVES

• Before-school activities. • Fun activities at beginning of the day or on

days of lowest attendance

IDENTITY , INTERDEPENDENCE INNOVATION and INTERVENTION

Our longer-term aim is for improved relationships and pedagogy

IDENTITY , INTERDEPENDENCE INNOVATION and INTERVENTION

• Ensure that the structures of our sites match the needs of the children and students

• Ensure that the programs offered at our sites match the needs of the children and students

IDENTITY , INTERDEPENDENCE INNOVATION and INTERVENTION

Look at pedagogy throughout the day

• provide short-term incentives for engagement at regular intervals,

• voluntary time-out procedures

IDENTITY , INTERDEPENDENCE INNOVATION and INTERVENTION

• Intensive literacy / numeracy development;

• Buddies / mentors / LAP / tutors / cross-age work;

IDENTITY , INTERDEPENDENCE INNOVATION and INTERVENTION

• Individual on-line lessons, special programs for part of the day, small group projects; single-sex activities, early VET / work experience,alternative campus;

IDENTITY , INTERDEPENDENCE INNOVATION and INTERVENTION

• Self-development programs eg Program Achieve, Western Youth Directions, Drug Strategy, Anti-bullying, Rock and Water

IDENTITY , INTERDEPENDENCE INNOVATION and INTERVENTION

Identify at-risk students and monitor across transition points:

• Preschool – Primary

• Primary-Secondary

• School-school

IDENTITY , INTERDEPENDENCE INNOVATION and INTERVENTION

Increase co-operation across agencies, government departments and other services

Questions

• Are we making the best use of Attendance counsellors and officers / Mentors / AEWs?

• Can we change the way we work with these support people?

Questions

• How are attendance services prioritised?

• How do we broker appropriate support programs eg behaviour support?

Questions

• What is the role of the AEW? Can they provide required support? Find someone else to do home visits if relationships aren’t positive?

• Does providing transport work in the long run? Free bus tickets?

Questions

• Does providing transport work in the long run?

• Will providing free bus tickets assist?

Questions

• Do we know that all chronic non-attenders have multiple needs and are beyond our capabilities to manage? How can we find this information

QuestionsHow can we enforce the attendance of older

students?

Should youth allowance be withdrawn or does this cause more disadvantage?

What can be done that will not penalise children?

LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Continue a whole-school focus on attendance with clear processes and roles of all staff developed

• Maintain practices and processes for monitoring and promoting student attendance:

LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Maintain processes of data management, analysis and communication

• Provide differentiated strategies for support, incentives and interventions

LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Better coordinate the work of the individuals and agencies supporting targeted students

• Continue to improve curriculum offerings and delivery

LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE

RECOMMENDATIONS

• That the Inclusion and Wellbeing subcommittee investigate different ways of using Attendance Counsellors

LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE

RECOMMENDATIONS

Continue to target available resources to the habitual group because we believe that this is the group with whom we can make a difference.

• The chronic non-attenders take up a disproportionate amount of time in supporting students and families

LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Convene a community group to support Aboriginal attendance

• Continue the work of the Family Liaison workers with targeted families

• Seek funding to support programs

LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE

With continued funding support, we could

• Investigate the questions posed re alternative ways of working

• Provide intensive support for the development of individualised programs and structures in schools

LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE

With continued funding support, we could

• More closely analyse and monitor data and ensure individual student follow-up support

• Provide ongoing family support through mentors and liaison workers

LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE

We need systemic support structures to

• Provide support for the 15.6% of students who are chronic non-attenders

• Construct a simple data management system

LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE

We need systemic support structures to

• Support parents to learn and exercise parenting skills to be able to influence students’ attendance

Enforce the responsibility of families to ensure their children’s attendance:

LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE

We need systemic support structures to

• Manage the attendance of students with mental health issues

• Ensure that the required student support is available from other government agencies

LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE

We need systemic support structures to:

• Develop a Government advertising campaign to promote attendance

FINAL THOUGHTS

“How are the schools contributing to absenteeism and how can schools work with communities and parents to keep youngsters engaged, in school, and learning what they need to know to be successful?”

FINAL THOUGHTS

“It is well known that a most important key to children’s academic success is having them attend school on a regular basis.”

FINAL THOUGHTS

“Poor attendance is a major indicator of gradual alienation and disengagement, and may lead to a student dropping out permanently.”

FINAL THOUGHTS

“More important though, is that decades of research indicate that children who have chronically unexcused absences are at risk for having more serious behavioural issues such as substance abuse, involvement in criminal activity and incarceration.”

FINAL THOUGHTS

Targeting a single area for treatment is unlikely to be effective. They suggest that success is more probable if community members and organizations, parents, students and school staff share in the task of identifying solutions to all these concerns.

FINAL THOUGHTS

“Respect me for who I am, require me to do my best, and give me the help I need to achieve it.”

FINAL THOUGHTS

“This includes a cohesive staff, trusted and

shared leadership, data-based decision making, an oversight team for school improvements, a positive climate, and identification, evaluation, and assessment of school and student needs.”

FINAL THOUGHTS

Sound and reasonable attendance policies can set clear standards and high expectations for students.

FINAL THOUGHTS

On the other hand, “zero tolerance” policies that have very harsh consequences may have the opposite effect. There is research to suggest that extremely punitive policies such as suspensions and detentions don’t have a positive impact on attendance, especially with minority students and students in poverty.

FINAL THOUGHTS

STRATEGIES FOR INCREASING STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND PERSONALISATION 

1 Family Involvement 

2 Personalised Learning

3 Structures for creating smaller learning communities 

4 Academies 

5 House plans 

6 Caring relationships 

7 Mentoring 

8 Culturally responsive school culture and curriculum 

9 Alternative programs