Why do other districts consider Galena Park ISD's attendance program the 'Cadillac'?
Myra Castaneda, Program Director for Educational Support at Galena Park ISD TX, states that other districts view their attendance program as the 'Cadillac'.
PROFILE | Galena Park ISD, TX
Total students
22,751
Total schools
22
Student information System
Skyward
Structured, organized. Myra Castaneda is Program Director for Educational Support at Galena Park ISD. “Before, we didn’t have any software. We had different forms, we were sending letters at different times. It wasn’t a uniform process. We had to do something that was going to be more structured and organized.”
Myra Castaneda is the Program Director for Educational Support at Galena Park ISD.
Before RaaWee, “We didn’t have any software. It was just kind of, ‘Here’s the form, everybody do their own thing, put your notes into [the Student Information System]’ — but not everybody was putting their notes in — and not everybody could see them. This [previous] SIS system was just very choppy,” she explains.
Before: Not a Uniform Process
Specifically, the previous ‘system’ or lack thereof, made for a disorderly, dispersed operating basis. “There was not a uniform system that we were following,” shares Castaneda, “and everybody had different forms. Some people were sending the letters at different times, and some printed the letters. It was just not a uniform process.”
Despite those challenges, Castaneda describes how the district found their way forward.
“We had to do something that was going to be more structured and organized, so district administration could actually go in and see, ‘Hey, this school’s been really low with attendance. Let’s see what they’re doing. Oh—well you know what, they’re not putting their interventions in, they’re not sending warning letters. So that’s why, they’re not on the ball!’
After: A View of What’s Really Going On
Using RaaWee, “We can all see what’s been done for these kids,” says Castaneda. “And then, if we’re missing something—you can pull up one student and say, “Man, this kid has 20 absences. I wonder what’s going on?’ The counselors see it on the dashboard, and they’ll put in, ‘Oh, well, you know what, the parents just got divorced.’
“RaaWee is a great system and I would encourage everybody to use it—it has brought a lot more focus on the truancy piece. And people are like, ‘Oh my gosh, I didn’t even realize this!’
“It’s just a good system in trying to figure out stuff for the students, building the relationship, and paying more attention to discipline.”
“And then they know that the district has a view on what they’re doing, too. You know when people are checking on you, you’re probably going to get it done.”
Turn your Attendance Strategies into Action!
Galena Park ISD, serving 22,751 students across 22 schools, implemented RaaWee ATTENDANCE+™ to establish a structured and organized system for managing chronic absenteeism and truancy. This transition moved the district from a non-uniform, disparate process to one where all stakeholders have a unified view of student attendance and intervention efforts. The RaaWee ATTENDANCE+™ system allows for consistent tracking and support, enabling Galena Park ISD to effectively monitor student needs and intervention effectiveness, which was previously a challenge with their Skyward Student Information System.
