 Objectives
- Learn foundational system strategies within a multi-tiered system of supports framework for attendance & reengagement work.
- Learn about data champions, empathy data, & opportunities to progress monitor.
- Hear lessons learned from Selah and Federal Way school districts about how they’re using attendance teams, humor, incentives, & a sense of belonging to encourage regular attendance for staff & students.
- Check out resources to help your team get started.
Do we have influence over who goes to school? Yes, we do! And tier 1 strategies can help create the kind of school culture that encourages a sense of belonging, connectedness, and fun. We’re bringing you experience from attendance coach, Shelby Lockhart. You’ll learn from Selah and Federal Way Schools districts about their strategies to increase attendance including a focus on tier 1 supports. We’ll have resources to support your attendance efforts. Free Equity Clock Hours are available.
Presenters
Shelby Lockhart, Executive Director, Lockhart Collaborative
Joel Starr, Assistant Principal at Selah High School
Cienai Wright-Wilkins, Executive Director of Equity, Federal Way Public Schools
Diana Kasube, Coordinator in the Office of Equity, Federal Way Public Schools
Krissy Johnson, Assistant Director of Attendance, OSPI
Attendance serves as a critical early warning indicator in education. When students miss school, it can signal deeper issues—inequities, family challenges, or lack of engagement. By addressing attendance proactively, we pave the way for student success and well-being. These are our guiding principles:
- Attendance and engagement are foundational to student learning
- Absences tells us when a student has not accessed instruction, and therefore all absences matter and have an impact
- Absences are a critical early warning indicator that can reflect:
- inequities that are caused by or perpetuated by our systems
- when a student and family might need more support
- We have an opportunity to get curious about why students aren’t attending
- Students and families are our best partners to understand the barriers to attendance
- The purpose of attendance and truancy interventions are to reduce barriers to attendance and support students to engage; not to punish
- Schools and districts have lots of opportunity for prevention and intervention before involving court
It takes a team with a plan!
Types of data needed
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Tier 1 Attendance Data - Universal Patterns for Prevention (examples: Monday - Friday, Periods 1-6, holiday dips). Find more detail here.
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Tier 2 Attendance Data - by barrier (examples: transportation, experiencing homelessness or foster care system, poor grading practices)
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Tier 3 Attendance Data- Top 5% of students who are missing or severely chronically absent
Real world examples
Can 18-year-olds excuse their own absences?
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A district can allow 18-year-old students to provide an excuse for an absence. When a student becomes an adult, RCW 26.28.010 simply requires that, “[e]xcept as otherwise specifically provided by law, all persons shall be deemed and taken to be of full age for all purposes at the age of eighteen years.” And that means that parent’s rights and duties under law generally transfer to the adult child. |
However, a school district maintains the authority to impose its own obligations on parents of adult students and students themselves. Districts may require that parents continue to communicate to the school when the student is absent, even when they are 18 years old. Districts may require that parents/guardians sign a release form providing their child the right to excuse their own absences.
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The Attendance and McKinney-Vento Webinar will focus on the attendance of students experiencing homelessness. The webinar is designed for liaisons and other school district staff involved in attendance. We will discuss school district responsibilities in Washington state, take a closer look at some strategies to help students experiencing homelessness have better attendance and hear real stories.
Date: Thursday, May 9, 10:00 am
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Are you passionate about improving student attendance? Are you looking to share with and learn from other Washington districts about strategies and support to make a positive impact on your school's attendance rates?
Join our Attendance CoP!
Next session is Wednesday, May 1st at 1:30 pm.
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We now have a team supporting attendance at OSPI.
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