“We were searching for a program that would provide a solution for truancy, yet allow us to use our district defined attendance procedures,” says Sue Pike, Director of Information Services at Deer Park ISD. “Most programs were cookie cutter and didn’t allow for this type of individuality.However, RaaWee was able to give us this flexibility of ideas. They’ve been a very good fit as a program and as a company, checking in frequently, ensuring the program is meeting our needs. Many times that contact comes from the CEO! They’re continuously improving and expanding.

“Even though we purchased RaaWee to help us keep up with our truant students, they’re much more than just a ‘truancy program’. They have their truancy and excessive absence solutions, but they also have a positive attendance solution,” Pike explains. “An important part of our purchase was that RaaWee allowed us to make the program fit our district needs. The attendance letters can contain our district wording, so it can fit either the ‘truant’ type letter, or a ‘positive attendance’ direction. There are also many reports within the system. Their Attendance Contract is one report we’ve incorporated into many of our district solutions. Another favorite: the monthly attendance calendar we email to our parents. We’ve had many positive comments from parents about this report.”

Why a Standardized System Matters

“RaaWee uses our district guidelines to trigger the attendance letters according to a set number of absences. These were set by us as a district; RaaWee worked with us to make our “attendance rules” work in the program. This was an important feature as we looked for a truancy program. They’ve held true to this promise. RaaWee keeps the campuses procedurally consistent, avoiding confusion with our parents, and making training new attendance staff much easier. Having a dedicated attendance system keeps us focused.”

Lambright has been exceedingly pleased. “I can easily monitor and track information in RaaWee. I can see the parent communication entered by the schools. I can see what letters have been sent or have been suppressed. Our campuses have found that the dashboard is very easy to navigate. It shows which students are hitting your attendance thresholds. So staff can easily see which students need interventions.”

Making What Was Difficult — Easy

“I know it may sound like it is too good to be true,” Pike says, “but RaaWee does a great job in being proactive in what we need because they listen to their customers. They have a very good product. The dashboard in RaaWee makes it very easy to gather information so campuses can make best decisions for their students and parents. Our community is important to us,” says Pike, “so we want the best for our students. From elementary school onward, creating good habits for attendance and for learning is essential.”