Dropout-Recovery Archives

Addressing the Chronic Absentee Recovery Issue

Madeline Jackson and Jennifer Peterson from Val Verde USD have implemented effective strategies to tackle chronic absenteeism through their structured approach, which includes SART (School Attendance Review Team) meetings and home visits. By leveraging the RaaWee K12 Attendance+ tools and mobile app, they have created a comprehensive system that addresses the unique challenges faced by students who struggle with attendance.

Their team conducts around 4,000 SART meetings annually, alongside approximately 150 home visits, placing a strong emphasis on early intervention and personalized support for each student identified as chronically absent. This proactive approach has led to impressive outcomes, with the program achieving a remarkable 96.7% attendance rate. Notably, significant improvements in attendance have been observed following home visits, showcasing the effectiveness of their tailored strategies.

Hosting SART Meetings

The SART meetings are carefully structured to involve both parents and attendance specialists initially at the primary level, gradually including students at the secondary level. These meetings serve as a crucial platform for discussing the detrimental impact of absences on academic performance and the overall well-being of students. When attendance does not improve after these interventions, cases are escalated to the School Attendance Review Board (SARB). This board comprises community partners, including a district attorney, social worker, district nurse, and other district representatives, ensuring a collaborative approach to addressing attendance issues.

Individualizing Home Visits

In addition to SART meetings, attendance specialists perform approximately 150 home visits each year. These visits are designed to provide personalized support, conduct wellness checks, and verify residency. By engaging with families in their home environments, the specialists can better understand the barriers to attendance and offer targeted assistance. The personal touch of these visits has proven to significantly improve attendance rates, reinforcing the district’s unwavering commitment to the success of its students.

Resulting Attendance Success

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the program had successfully maintained a 96.7% attendance rate, indicative of the positive impact of their strategies. The team effectively utilizes the RaaWee K12 Attendance+ mobile app for streamlined tracking, efficient route planning, and thorough documentation, which enhances their outreach efforts and improves response times.

This comprehensive approach has been instrumental in re-engaging students and families, ensuring not only better attendance outcomes but also fostering a supportive community that values education and student success. By addressing chronic absenteeism head-on, Val Verde USD exemplifies a commitment to creating a nurturing learning environment for all its students.

Description

Pam from Northside ISD discussed their efforts toward attendance improvement by eliminating barriers. With 103,000 students, 11 specialists made 9,000 home visits. Attendance rose to 96.5% post-COVID. They focus on collaboration, community support, and addressing root causes like food insecurity. Their five-year plan emphasizes data-driven, proactive solutions, which align with tools like RaaWee K12 Attendance+ to streamline attendance management and intervention strategies.

Supportive and Collaborative Approaches to Barrier Elimination

Shifting away from punitive measures, Northside ISD focuses on engaging families and leveraging community barrier-specific resources for attendance improvement. Their 11 attendance specialists conducted over 9,000 home visits this year, working closely with McKinney-Vento and PTA programs to support homeless and foster youth.

Whole-Child Approach to Attendance Improvement

The district prioritizes students’ basic needs, addressing food insecurity, housing instability, and special education support before focusing on academics. Parent engagement initiatives, such as pre-K coffee days and educational forums, help families understand attendance laws and available resources to address chronic absenteeism.

Sustaining Attendance Growth with Data-Driven Strategies

Northside ISD leverages data to shape policies, track interventions, and drive campus-wide culture change. Their five-year plan focuses on continuous attendance improvement through collaboration, proactive strategies, and expanded partnerships. As the district refines its approach, innovative tools like RaaWee K12 Attendance+ could offer additional insights to enhance attendance monitoring and intervention efforts.

About the Presenter

Pam Gould, Superintendent at Northside ISD

Pam Gould is the Superintendent of Northside Independent School District (NISD) in Texas, with over 30 years of experience in education. She is recognized for her leadership and dedication to creating a positive learning environment.

Under her leadership, NISD has achieved notable advancements in academic performance and community engagement. Pam promotes innovative teaching practices and technology integration to enhance education.

Pam is committed to promoting equity and inclusivity, ensuring every student has access to necessary resources. She actively engages with community initiatives to strengthen connections between schools and families, making a lasting impact on NISD.

Summary

Sharon Bradley, Director of Family and Social Services at Plano ISD, stressed the role of adult presence in reducing chronic absenteeism, which has nearly doubled to 26% since the pandemic. She highlighted trust-building, creating welcoming spaces, engaging with curiosity, restorative practices, and recognizing good attendance as key strategies. Data-driven solutions, like RaaWee K12 Attendance+, can further support districts in tackling absenteeism through targeted interventions and proactive engagement.

Building Connections to combat Chronic Absence

Chronic absence in Texas has nearly doubled since the pandemic, reaching 26%. External factors like family struggles, personal challenges, and weak adult connections significantly impact student attendance. Creating welcoming school environments, engaging students with curiosity, and using restorative practices can help address these barriers. Instead of punitive measures, logical consequences such as making up instructional time through tutoring or leadership roles support accountability while keeping students engaged.

Encouraging Positive Attendance Habits

Recognizing and celebrating good attendance is crucial. Plano ISD uses incentives like positive tardy slips, social media recognition, and parent acknowledgments to encourage engagement. Educators are encouraged to apply strategies like “The Power of Being Seen” to identify students lacking strong adult connections and foster relationships that promote attendance.

Strengthening Attendance Through Collaboration and Data

Consistent school-wide messaging and professional development help reinforce attendance priorities. A collaborative approach involving teachers, administrators, families, and the community ensures students feel valued and motivated to attend regularly. As Plano ISD continues refining its approach, integrating advanced attendance tracking solutions like RaaWee K12 Attendance+ could further enhance data-driven decision-making and intervention efforts.

About the Presenter

Sharon Bradley, M.Ed., Director – Student, Family, and Community Services

Sharon Bradley is an experienced educational leader with over 15 years in student services at Plano Independent School District (PISD). As the Director of Student Services, she focuses on creating an inclusive environment that meets the diverse needs of students.

Holding a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership, Sharon has a strong background in special education and program development. She advocates for equity in education, enhancing student well-being and academic success.

Sharon shapes policies and programs related to counseling and support, believing every student deserves the opportunity to thrive. Outside of work, she enjoys engaging with the community and mentoring future educators, making a lasting impact on PISD.

Description

Angela, a former teacher and at-risk coordinator, shared Garland ISD’s enrollment / dropout recovery process. She introduced “Operation Opportunity” to streamline efforts, highlighting initiatives like “LEAP” and “RISE.” With clear processes, multi-channel communication, RaaWee K12 Attendance+, and attendance teams, 67% advanced to sophomores, and 85% graduated or continued, ensuring year-long student support.

Operation Opportunity: A Structured Approach

Garland ISD’s enrollment / dropout recovery process is built on clear expectations, documented procedures, and multi-channel communication. Through Operation Opportunity, the district streamlined efforts to re-engage students, launching key initiatives like LEAP and RISE to expand academic opportunities.

Reconnecting Individual Students to Education (RISE) Program

The RISE program provides flexible schedules, online courses, and individualized support, helping 67% of participants advance to sophomore year and 85% either graduate or continue their education.

Attendance Teams for Targeted Interventions

Specialists are assigned to high schools to closely monitor attendance and implement interventions. Dedicated administrators track trends by grade level and demographics, ensuring early support for at-risk students. Home visits and partnerships with programs like McKinney-Vento and Hazel Health further assist vulnerable students and families.

Incentives and Year-Round Engagement

Garland ISD maintains a year-long focus on attendance goals, prioritizing data accuracy and celebrating small wins. Community-sponsored incentives reward students for improved attendance, reinforcing positive habits.

Leveraging RaaWee K12 Attendance+ for Efficiency

With clear staff training and digital tools like RaaWee K12 Attendance+, the district enhances student tracking and intervention efficiency. A Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework further aids struggling students, ensuring they receive the help they need.

Accountability and Long-Term Success

Angela emphasized the importance of clear documentation, collaboration between district and campus teams, and strong accountability measures. By aligning enrollment recovery efforts with structured strategies, Garland ISD fosters long-term student success.

About the Presenter

Angela Daniels, M.Ed., Student Engagement Administrator, Student Services, Garland ISD, TX

Angela is a former Intervention Coordinator and teacher with 20 years of experience developing unique opportunities to help all students succeed. She has led initiatives that have reduced dropout rates and enhanced student engagement. She holds certifications in Education Leadership and Dropout Prevention.

Improving Overall Student Attendance

Angela Daniels from Garland Independent School District (ISD) in Garland, TX, recently shared valuable strategies her team employed for student attendance improvement and dropout recovery, showcasing remarkable success in increasing high school attendance from 90.59% in 2023 to 93.2% in 2024. With a student population of 51,000 spread across 70 campuses, Garland ISD faces significant challenges in terms of truancy, which affects approximately 14% of students, and chronic absenteeism, impacting around 9%. Given that 72% of students are economically disadvantaged and 50% classified as at-risk, addressing attendance issues is paramount for the success and well-being of students in the district.

To support their attendance intervention efforts, Garland ISD utilizes the RaaWee K12 Attendance+ system, which provides essential tools and reporting capabilities. This system aids the district in tracking attendance interventions, showcasing proof points, and analyzing trends related to student instructional minutes and funding recovery efforts. By leveraging data effectively, the district can pinpoint areas needing improvement and measure the impact of their strategies.

Addressing Dropout Recovery

Focusing specifically on high school students, particularly ninth graders, the district implemented root cause analysis and flexible scheduling to identify key problem areas affecting attendance. Attendance specialists were designated at each campus, and data was meticulously analyzed by grade level, race, gender, and teacher impact. Recognizing that transition years, such as moving from eighth to ninth grade, often present challenges, the district prioritized these students through home visits and summer outreach initiatives.

One notable initiative is the RISE program, which allows students to customize their schedules to accommodate personal and family challenges. This program encourages collaboration with counseling, special programs, and other stakeholders to establish fair and equitable criteria for participation. Impressively, 85% of participants in the RISE program continued their education or graduated, highlighting the program’s effectiveness.

Angela emphasized the importance of data analysis, collaboration, and celebrating small wins throughout the process. She also stressed the necessity of structured plans, ongoing checkpoints, and stakeholder involvement that extends beyond just the attendance team. By creating equitable solutions and fostering engagement and positive attendance, Garland ISD is dedicated to supporting students in staying present, connected, and thriving in their educational journeys. Their comprehensive approach serves as a model for other districts striving to improve student attendance and overall success.

About the Presenter

Angela Daniels, M.Ed., Student Engagement Administrator, Student Services, Garland ISD, TX

Tag: Dropout-Recovery

Addressing the Chronic Absentee Recovery Issue

Hosting SART Meetings

Individualizing Home Visits

Resulting Attendance Success

Description

Supportive and Collaborative Approaches to Barrier Elimination

Whole-Child Approach to Attendance Improvement

Sustaining Attendance Growth with Data-Driven Strategies

About the Presenter

Summary

Building Connections to combat Chronic Absence

Encouraging Positive Attendance Habits

Strengthening Attendance Through Collaboration and Data

About the Presenter

Description

Operation Opportunity: A Structured Approach

Reconnecting Individual Students to Education (RISE) Program

Attendance Teams for Targeted Interventions

Incentives and Year-Round Engagement

Leveraging RaaWee K12 Attendance+ for Efficiency

Accountability and Long-Term Success

About the Presenter

Improving Overall Student Attendance

Addressing Dropout Recovery

About the Presenter

OUR MISSION

SOLUTIONS

DISTRICT PARTNERS

BEST PRACTICES

VIRTUAL EVENTS

RESOURCES

OUR MISSION

SOLUTIONS

DISTRICT PARTNERS

BEST PRACTICES

VIRTUAL EVENTS

RESOURCES