B Y R E Q U E S T. . .

INCREASING STUDENT
ATTENDANCE:
Strategies From
Research and Practice

JUNE 2004

N O RT H W E S T R E G I O N A L
E D U C AT I O N A L L A B O R ATO RY
TITLES IN THE BY REQUEST SERIES

◆ Service Learning in the Northwest Region B Y R E Q U E S T. . .

◆ Tutoring: Strategies for Successful Learning
◆ Scheduling Alternatives: Options for Student Success
◆ Grade Configuration:Who Goes Where?
◆
◆
Alternative Schools: Approaches for Students at Risk
All Students Learning: Making It Happen in Your School INCREASING STUDENT
◆ High-Quality Professional Development: An Essential Component of
Successful Schools
ATTENDANCE:
◆ Student Mentoring
◆ Peaceful Schools
Strategies From
◆ After-School Programs: Good for Kids, Good for Communities
◆ Parent Partners: Using Parents To Enhance Education
Research and Practice
◆ When Students Don’t Succeed: Shedding Light on Grade Retention
◆ Making Positive Connections With Homeschoolers
◆ Increasing Student Motivation and Engagement: From Time-on-Task to
Homework
◆ The Power of Public Relations in Schools
◆ Supporting Beginning Teachers: How Administrators,Teachers, and
Policymakers Can Help New Teachers Succeed
◆ Technology in Early Childhood Education: Finding the Balance JENNIFER RAILSBACK
◆ Profiles of Progress:What Works in Northwest Title I Schools EDUCATION RESOURCE ADVISOR
◆ Schoolwide Prevention of Bullying PLANNING AND SERVICE COORDINATION
◆ Working Together for Successful Paraeducator Services
◆ Summer School Programs: A Look at the Research, Implications for
Practice, and Program Sampler
◆ Project-Based Instruction: Creating Excitement for Learning
◆ Full-Day Kindergarten: Exploring an Option for Extended Learning
◆ Strategies and Resources for Mainstream Teachers of English Language
Learners
◆ Building Trusting Relationships for School Improvement: Implications
for Principals and Teachers JUNE 2004
◆ Building Trust With Schools and Diverse Families: A Foundation for NORTHWEST REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL LABORATORY
Lasting Partnerships PORTLAND, OREGON
 TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S FOREWORD

Foreword........................................................................................................................ iii This booklet is one in a series of “hot topics” reports pro-
duced by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.
Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1 These reports briefly address current educational concerns
and issues as indicated by requests for information that come
In Context: Federal, State, and Local Issues ...................................... 3 to the Laboratory from the Northwest region and beyond.
Each booklet contains a discussion of research and literature
Why Students Don’t Attend School...................................................................... 6 pertinent to the issue, how Northwest schools and programs
Student Perceptions .................................................................................................... 7 are addressing the issue, selected resources, and contact
information.
Strategies To Encourage Attendance .................................................. 10
Attendance Policies .................................................................................. 13 One objective of the series is to foster a sense of community
Early Interventions.................................................................................... 16 and connection among educators. Another is to increase
Targeted Interventions .......................................................................... 18 awareness of current education-related themes and con-
Strategies for Increasing Student Engagement and cerns. Each booklet gives practitioners a glimpse of how
Personalization ...................................................................................... 22 fellow educators from around the Northwest are addressing
issues, overcoming obstacles, and attaining success. The goal
What Can Individual Staff Members Do? ........................................ 38 of the series is to give educators current, reliable, and useful
information on topics that are important to them.
Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 40
During a period of two months, the author surveyed the last
Northwest Sampler ............................................................................................ 41 decade of research that discusses strategies or experiments
Pablo Elementary School .................................................................... 42 to increase attendance. Although the intention was to find
Warm Springs Elementary School ............................................ 45 research that is considered “scientifically based” by the No
Linn Benton Lincoln Education Service District .............. 47 Child Left Behind Act1, it was quickly determined that little
Oregon Council for Hispanic Achievement ...................... 54 research of that kind exists. Thus, the search was broadened
Multnomah County School Attendance Initiative .......... 57
Rex Putnam High School .................................................................... 60
Wilson High School ................................................................................ 64 1
A summary of the definition used in NCLB of “scientifically based research”
is “research that involves the application of rigorous, systematic, and objec-
References.................................................................................................................... 67 tive procedures to obtain reliable and valid knowledge relevant to education
activities and programs” (No Child Left Behind, p. 126).
Acknowledgments .............................................................................................. 77

ii iii
 to include a range of research designs—peer-reviewed, pub- INTRODUCTION
lished and unpublished, mixed quantitative and qualitative
research, case studies, surveys, expert opinions based on per- Recently The Oregonian newspaper published a special
sonal experience, and promising practices from community- series called “Fixing High Schools” (Betsy Hammond, Bill
based organizations. As certain themes emerged from the Graves, and Melissa Jones, January 11–13, 2004). The series
research, key studies were collected to represent those examined ways successful high schools motivate and chal-
themes. Research on factors that contribute to student suc- lenge students. As part of the series, a reporter shadowed
cess for students of different cultures, especially Latino, three Gresham high school students last year. For these
African American, and Native American, was also reviewed. youth, school wasn’t so engaging or positive.
Although individual studies may not have been reviewed in
depth, a full reference list enables the reader to explore the Jessica has had a chronic absence problem, struggles with
research further. classes, and had not been able to connect with teachers.
Olivia failed two classes after missing a few weeks of school
during a family trip to Mexico, but is working hard to catch
up. Although she tries to get involved in her school, Olivia
says that respect is a big issue, especially for cultural and sex-
ual minorities. Blake, who hopes to go to college, is taking
easier courses to get better grades, and “carefully tracks his
unexcused absences as they neared the number that would
prevent him from getting a parking pass” (Jones, p. 3).

These stories are not uncommon. Schools report high

dropout and absentee rates—some cities across the nation
report absenteeism as high as 30 percent (Garry, 1996). And
with the emphasis on ensuring that students are meeting
and exceeding academic standards, schools are struggling to
increase attendance rates knowing that chronic absenteeism
contributes to students’ lack of educational progress.

Although the importance of attendance is well understood,

effective strategies for increasing it are not so definitive.
Much of the research in this area has looked at the effective-
ness of intervention programs—programs that are put into

iv 1
 place once a student has been identified as chronically IN CONTEXT: FEDERAL,
absent. Although promising practices exist across the coun-
try, there are no “silver bullet” approaches proven to keep S TAT E , A N D L O C A L I S S U E S
children in school.
It is well known that a most important key to children’s
Other research has investigated how school disengagement academic success is having them attend school on a regular
relates to decreased attendance. In addition to asking “How basis. To emphasize this, the federal government made atten-
can we help students deal with their problems in coming to dance an “additional indicator” for elementary and middle
school?” many researchers, schools, and community mem- schools to meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)2 of No Child
bers are also asking, “How are the schools contributing to Left Behind (NCLB) (2002). Four states in the Pacific North-
absenteeism and how can schools work with communities west—Alaska, Montana, Oregon, and Washington—are using
and parents to keep youngsters engaged, in school, and attendance as an indicator. Under NCLB, each state can set its
learning what they need to know to be successful?” own target rate to meet AYP for each year. Oregon’s target is
92 percent attendance. Alaska set its target at 85 percent
This booklet attempts to briefly summarize the research attendance, explaining that “attendance below this level rep-
on this very complex issue. It presents some research-based resents too much school missed to learn the reading, writing,
ideas as a starting place for those who want to develop better and mathematics standards at proficient level” (U.S. Depart-
policies and practices for attendance and to understand the ment of Education, 2003, p. 62). Washington’s target is an
factors that contribute to increased attendance, engagement, unexcused absence rate of 1 percent, and Montana has not yet
and a lower dropout rate. This booklet emphasizes, as does decided their target rate. NCLB also requires, for the first time,
other research on attendance and dropouts, that strategies that districts report unexcused absences to the state.
and policies must not be implemented in isolation from each
other; that attendance policies, family engagement, student Although the AYP indicator used for high schools is based on
engagement, and community engagement must all connect student dropout rates, rather than attendance, attendance is,
for any strategy to really succeed. of course, just as important for high school students as it is
for younger children. Statistics show that absenteeism due
to reasons other than illness and cutting individual classes
increases with each grade level, starting in the eighth grade
(National Center for Education Statistics, 2002). Poor atten-

2
For the full text of this provision, see NCLB Title I, Part A Sec 1111 (b) 2 C
www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg2.html#sec1111

2 3
 dance is a major indicator of gradual alienation and disen- chronically unexcused absences are at risk for having more
gagement, and may lead to a student dropping out perma- serious behavioral issues such as substance abuse, involve-
nently (Lan & Lanthier, 2003; Schargel & Smink, 2001; ment in criminal activity, and incarceration (Baker, Sigmon,
Schwartz, 1995). & Nugent, 2001). Of course, not all students who are truant
become criminals, but it is safe to say that school truancy is
States and districts are also responding to the growing con- a predictor for more serious criminal activity.
cern about chronic absenteeism. In 1995, Washington State
passed the Becca Law that created a mandatory process for Particular attention is being paid to increasing attendance
schools to inform parents of truancy, required districts to file and lowering the dropout rate of culturally and linguisti-
truancy petitions if a student had a certain number of cally diverse students, and students from low-income homes,
absences, and gave power to the juvenile courts to issue sanc- who historically have had higher dropout rates than middle
tions against students and parents (Aos, 2002). The law also class white students. In Oregon, for example, the 2002–2003
required districts to report to the state unexcused absences at Hispanic dropout rate was 9.1 percent, the highest of all
the end of the school year, and provide data on what pro- groups, with African American dropout rate at 9 percent,
grams or schools have been developed to serve students who American Indian/Alaska Native at 6.3 percent, and white
have excessive unexcused absences. A recent study that ana- students the lowest at 3.6 percent. The good news is that
lyzed whether the Becca Law had an effect on keeping chil- dropout rates have declined five years in a row for Hispanics,
dren in school (Aos, 2002) reported that truancy provisions faster than the rate of dropouts as a whole. Dropout rates for
appeared to result in a statistically significant increase in African Americans and American Indians have also declined
high school enrollment. To provide additional support and in the past few years. In spite of improvement, it is not
information for districts, the Washington State Becca enough. It is more necessary than ever for schools to create
Taskforce convened its first truancy conference in 2004 to a culture of high expectations that rewards effort, that is
present research-based strategies, showcase promising tru- supportive, welcoming, and respectful for all their students
ancy prevention programs, and to bring together educators, (Brandt, 1992; ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education,
court officers, and community members to work together on 2000; Wimberly, 2002).
truancy.

Although academic achievement is certainly a driving force

for developing these policies, it is not the only concern. The
budgets for most school districts are based on average daily
attendance, and high absenteeism can result in the loss of
funds (Ford & Sutphen, 1996). More important though, is
that decades of research indicate that children who have

4 5
 WHY STUDENTS DON’T The authors note that because these variables are interre-
lated, targeting a single area for treatment is unlikely to be
AT T E N D S C H O O L effective. They suggest that success is more probable if com-
munity members and organizations, parents, students, and
Before deciding what strategies to use to increase attendance, school staff share in the task of identifying solutions to all
it can be beneficial to look at the reasons why students don’t these concerns.
attend school, and just as important, why they do stay in
school, and what they do like about it. Although knowing these risk factors can be helpful to
schools in general, predicting who will not come to school
There are well-established risk factors associated with drop- is more complicated than just taking those factors into
ping out and skipping school—family background and rela- account. Gleason and Dynarski (2002) analyzed the effec-
tionships, past school performance, personal characteristics, tiveness of these widely used risk factors, and determined
and school or neighborhood characteristics (Corville-Smith, that few of them did well in predicting who would drop out.
Ryan, Adams, & Dalicandro, 1998; Gleason & Dynarski, (Not surprisingly, high absenteeism was the factor most
2002). For instance, home dynamics such as impoverished associated with the highest dropout rates.) Students who are
living conditions, frequent home relocations, lack of child not in these high-risk categories may not come to school, and
supervision, and other family issues are often related to so will be left out of intervention programming.
non-attendance.
STUDENT PERCEPTIONS
Corville-Smith et al. (1998) found six variables that were To understand more clearly why students are not coming
statistically significant predictors for distinguishing absen- to school, many researchers and practitioners are interview-
tee high school students from regularly attending students: ing and surveying students to obtain answers. Recently, the
1. Students’ school perceptions: Absentees are less likely Oregon Department of Education interviewed students
to perceive school favorably enrolled in alternative high schools and asked what it was
2. Perception of parental discipline: Absentees perceive about their school that kept them in, and what they would
discipline as lax or inconsistent change about their previous high school to make it a better
3. Parents’ control: Absentees believe parents are attempt- place. Interestingly, they all responded similarly, regardless
ing to exert more control over them of background or environment, with this statement:
4. Students’ academic self-concept: Absentees feel infe- “Respect me for who I am, require me to do my best, and
rior academically give me the help I need to achieve it” (Brush & Jones, 2002,
5. Perceived family conflict: Absentees experience family p. 3). They need teachers who will be patient and “perse-
conflict vere” with their individual rates of learning, and want
6. Social competence in class: Absentees are less likely to teachers to have high expectations for their learning; they
feel socially competent in class
6 7
 will work to achieve goals to meet those expectations, as One promising survey is the School Success Profile (SSP)
long as they have the support. developed by Bowen and Richman at the School of Social
Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While
Below are other commonly cited reasons that students have the SSP isn’t designed as an attendance survey, it can be a
given for not attending school (Clement, Gwynne, & useful tool to understand students’ beliefs about themselves,
Younkin, 2001;Wagstaff, Combs, & Jarvis, 2000): their neighborhoods, schools, families, and peer groups and
◆ Viewed classes as boring, irrelevant, and a waste of time can inform prevention and intervention planning and pro-
◆ Did not have positive relationships with teachers gramming. The tool is based on best practices research, has
◆ Did not have positive relationships with other students been used by many districts and community organizations,
◆ Was suspended too often and has been endorsed by the National Dropout Prevention
◆ Did not feel safe at school Center. (For more information about the SSP, visit the Web
◆ Could not keep up with schoolwork or was failing (and site: http://schoolsuccessprofile.org).
there were no timely interventions)
◆ Found classes not challenging enough (worksheets and
reading with lectures were the predominant activities),
and students can miss class days and still receive credit
◆ Couldn’t work and go to school at the same time

If schools are to successfully address low attendance, clearly

they must understand why their students don’t come to
school, not just rely on national reports, as helpful as they
may be. School staff members can conduct student focus
groups, have an external organization conduct surveys, and
meet with students individually to find out what the issues
are, both in the school culture and their personal lives. For
instance, when the Linn Benton Lincoln Education Service
District (Oregon) staff conduct their attendance audits, they
talk directly with groups of students and individuals who
are absent quite often, before they make recommendations
for what strategies to use (see the Northwest Sampler section
for more about this audit process). Staff members are also
extensively interviewed to determine how they think poli-
cies might be improved.

8 9
 S T R AT E G I E S T O E N C O U R A G E dent background and behavior, the implication is that stu-
dents themselves are at fault for taking such unwise actions.”
AT T E N D A N C E This might tend to let school staff members off the hook, they
say, and deeper investigations into how the school culture can
Once school staff members have reached a more complete contribute to attendance may not take place. Researchers at
understanding of why students are not attending school, the National Center for School Engagement are encouraging
they can investigate what strategies might be the most help- schools to ask themselves how they can provide a positive,
ful for their students. A review of the relevant research and welcoming, safe, academically challenging, and personalized
professional literature reveals a number of views and solu- environment within which students can succeed.
tions for increasing attendance. Much research, especially
research on truancy prevention, views attendance problems In NWREL’s review of the literature, we found no research that
as the result of a “functional problem,” such as self-motiva- definitively answers the question: Do some strategies work
tion, peer relations, mental health, substance abuse, social better than others? Neither did we find many resources that
skills, poverty, and discipline. Interventions are designed to offer step-by-step guidelines for developing attendance strate-
treat these problems by using counseling and family media- gies. We have found a few studies that attempt a quasi-experi-
tion, involving law enforcement, and providing social ser- mental study of certain approaches, but more studies exist
vices (see, for example, Dembo & Turner, 1994). that correlate a strategy with increased attendance, increased
graduation rate, or studies that have determined certain out-
A broader view of attendance issues, which is becoming comes as a result of an intervention (such as mentoring
more prevalent in the literature, is that attendance is an indi- increasing student attendance). Many of the studies, too, had
cator of larger, more complex issues of disengagement and a small sample size, and relied on surveys for information.
student motivation, and that school culture and structure
contribute to both (Bryk & Thum, 1989; Lan & Lanthier, Research has shown, however, that key factors must be in
2003; Lee & Burkam, 2003). Researchers and experts have place for any school change strategies, including attendance
identified issues that may contribute to student absenteeism, strategies, to take hold and be effective (Keirstead, 1999;
and offered implications for designing a continuum of build- Slavin, 1997). Scott Perry, student services director at Linn
ing-level approaches and student supports in the school. Benton Lincoln Education Service District (Oregon), who has
Although these experts still want students and families held years of experience in conducting attendance audits and pro-
accountable, there is a growing recognition that schools need viding student and family services, echoes researchers in
to take a positive approach in looking at how the school advising that “sustained improvements will only occur in
structures, culture, academics, and other factors contribute to schools that have ‘system readiness.’” This includes a cohesive
attendance problems. As Lee and Burkam (2003) suggest, staff, trusted and shared leadership, data-based decisionmak-
“When researchers frame dropping out as a function of stu- ing, an oversight team for school improvements, a positive cli-
mate, and identification, evaluation, and assessment of school
10 11
 and student needs. In addition, research on comprehensive, For example, parental intervention often is more effective for
effective, truancy prevention programs indicates that consis- younger children than for teenagers. Additionally, because ele-
tent policies, building-level support and commitment, and mentary schools often are more personalized than middle or
continuous evaluation all are important for success (Colorado high schools, strategies to encourage personalization are even
Foundation for Families and Children, n.d./a). more important for older children. This is by no means a com-
plete and definitive list of strategies, but will provide a start-
Keeping these research perspectives in mind, strategies for ing place for schools to guide them in their exploration of the
increasing attendance can generally be placed into the fol- topics. Since each strategy can only be covered briefly, addi-
lowing, often overlapping, categories: tional resources are listed for more information.

◆ Sound and reasonable attendance policies with conse- ATTENDANCE POLICIES

quences for missing school Sound and reasonable attendance policies can set clear stan-
dards and high expectations for students (French, Gerstle, &
◆ Early interventions, especially with elementary students Neilhaus, 1991). The goal is to foster self-discipline in students
and their families and “a personal investment in a positive school climate and
community” (French et al., p. 1). Attendance policies set limits
◆ Targeted interventions for students with chronic atten- on what is allowable behavior in the school and determine
dance problems, such as truancy reduction programs— consequences for actions. Petzko (1991) found, for example, that
both school and community based. “excessive absences” policies in which students lose credit after
a certain number of absences seemed to increase attendance.
◆ Strategies to increase engagement and personalization
with students and families that can affect attendance rates: On the other hand, “zero tolerance” polices that have very
family involvement, culturally responsive culture, smaller harsh consequences may have the opposite effect. There is
learning community structures, mentoring, advisory pro- research to suggest that extremely punitive policies such as
grams, maximization and focus on learning time, and suspensions and detentions don’t have a positive impact on
service learning attendance, especially with minority students and students in
poverty (Epp & Epp, 2001; Shannon & Bylsma, 2003; Skiba &
The following pages summarize these strategies that existing Knesting, 2001). Say Shannon and Bylsma, “Actively discharg-
research suggests may contribute to increased student atten- ing students pushes students out the door” (p. 33). In-school
dance and engagement. Many of the ideas come from case suspensions, where students are provided academic support
studies of schools and programs, as the quantitative research and are kept engaged in school rather than sent home, are a
offers little in the way of practical guidelines. Some strategies better solution, suggests the Colorado Foundation for Families
are obviously more effective for certain age groups than others. and Children (2002). The suspension time can be used to pro-

12 13
 vide more assistance to struggling students, and can keep stu- ◆ Is good attendance valued and rewarded in the school
dents up to date with coursework while they are out of class. and classroom? Many schools, such as Warm Springs
Elementary and Pablo Elementary (see Northwest Sampler
Research appears to be mixed as to whether incentives or section for more details) are posting and announcing daily,
rewards may increase attendance. Epstein and Sheldon (2002) weekly, and monthly attendance rates, as well as having
found that rewarding elementary students for good atten- fairs and parties to celebrate excellent attendance.
dance with parties, gift certificates, and recognition at assem-
blies had a meaningful correlation with reducing chronic ◆ Is there an instructional incentive for students to be at
absenteeism as well as increasing daily attendance rates. school every day? Are classes interesting and challenging
Several schools profiled in the Northwest Sampler use incen- enough for children to be motivated to attend school?
tives such as school dollars to buy books, T-shirts, and so forth,
and report this as being successful. Other researchers, however, What Factors Contribute to Effective Attendance Policies?
question these policies for motivating students in the long Some other recommendations are compiled from primarily
term (Wagstaff et al., 2000). Using incentives in combination anecdotal information from practitioners (Dougherty, 1999;
with other strategies is probably the most effective. Epp & Epp, 2001; French et al., 1991; Rood, 1989).

Although research may not provide definitive answers as to ◆ Attendance policies must be publicized and understood by
what policies work best, high school principal Robert Rood, all staff and students. There must be a clear understanding
in a 1989 NASSP article, provides some questions for admin- of the difference between excused and unexcused absences.
istrators to consider as they develop policies:
◆ Policies should be aligned with the district’s policies and goals.
◆ Have students with chronic absenteeism been identified
and counseled? ◆ The purpose should be to change behavior, not to punish.
Reconsider the use of zero tolerance policies such as sus-
◆ When students are absent, is there an effort to contact pensions for truancy and instead consider less severe con-
the home? sequences such as community service or in-school
detentions (Skiba & Knesting, 2001).
◆ Is there consistent enforcement of the attendance policy
by all administrators and teachers? ◆ There must be effective reporting, recording, and monitor-
ing. Investigate the various computerized attendance
◆ Has the attendance policy been recently evaluated for effec- tracking systems currently available.
tiveness and revisions implemented? Input should be taken
from all parties involved—teachers, administrators, students, ◆ Policies must include full family involvement, with parent
administrative staff, counselors, etc. Everyone needs the notification and frequent home-school contact.
14 chance to voice concerns and understand the policies. 15
 ◆ If a reward or incentive program is to be used, this should had missed an excessive amount of school. Below is a sum-
be clearly specified in the policy. mary of the program components.

◆ Develop two-way contracts among students, administra- School-based interventions promoted student attachment
tors, teachers, and families that delineate standards of per- to school. College students of social work monitored student
formance for the student, services the school will provide, attendance calendars, met with each child on a daily basis,
or changes the school will make. and gave verbal praise and encouragement for attending
school. Each day the child attended, the student got a sticker
EARLY INTERVENTIONS on his calendar and a token.
Schools need to be responsive to the signs of a student becom-
ing uninterested in school or signs that a student is struggling The Focus program consisted of daily counseling sessions of
in class. Students such as those mentioned in the introduction 15 minutes to an hour. Children were encouraged to verbalize
of this booklet started to skip classes, take less challenging their feelings and concerns, and to identify aspects of school
classes, and fall behind long before a serious problem developed. they enjoyed; social work students were instructed to empha-
This is why providing ongoing supports such as ones that will size these positive connections to school. Further rewards were
be described in the following sections are so important. given at the end of the week. Later, in a maintenance period,
students met with social work students on a weekly basis.
Interventions that start in elementary school, according to
some studies, are more effective in increasing attendance Home-based interventions focused on the perceived problem
than starting in middle or ninth grade (Holbert, Wu, & of absences being linked to limited or inconsistent parent
Stark, 2002). “Working to help a child establish a positive involvement in school prep routines: children did not have
relationship with the school system in the earliest grades fixed homework or bedtimes, no one encouraged them to
would seem to be more feasible than working to rectify a wake up in time to get ready for school, or they were left on
negative relationship when the child becomes an adoles- their own to get ready. Lack of transportation was also identi-
cent,” suggest Ford and Sutphen (1996). fied as contributing to absenteeism. Interventions included
home visits or telephoning parents to encourage them to be
There are a few studies that evaluate strategies in elementary more attentive to their children’s school activities and respon-
grades. We looked at two studies in particular that focused sibilities. Specific problem-solving interventions included
on early interventions. Ford and Sutphen (1996) evaluated helping parents establish evening and morning routines.
an attendance incentive program in one elementary school
in which graduate students of social work implemented a The program was evaluated after one year. Although some
two-part attendance program: schoolwide intervention and students initially had fewer absences, absences increased in
focused interventions for children in first–third grades who the fourth quarter. This might indicate that the most positive

16 17
 effects were when children were obtaining daily interaction In 1999, the Truancy Reduction Demonstration Program pro-
and feedback, rather than the weekly feedback that occurred vided grants to programs that were engaged in community-
later. It was noted that families were a driving force in their wide, comprehensive plans to reduce truancy. The Colorado
children attending school and that many issues contributing Foundation for Families and Children (CFFC) is the national
to the children’s excessive non-attendance could not be evaluator of this program and has done research and addi-
resolved with micro-level, short-term interventions. tional evaluations of other promising programs. The CFFC
has identified key components for effective, comprehensive
In another study, Baker and Jansen (2000) reported the truancy prevention/intervention programs (2002, n.d./a):
results of a similar intervention in which students who had
many unexcused absences met in groups with school social ◆ Have consistent policies and practices, which keep chil-
workers. The main goal was to improve attendance by creat- dren in school, rather than pushing them out.
ing a supportive group, tracking student attendance, assist-
ing children with building friendships and social skills, ◆ Involve families in all program planning and implementa-
encouraging positive peer pressure, and building self-esteem. tion. There must be mutual trust and communication for
The intervention was very positive—13 of 14 students had families and schools to work together to solve problems.
better attendance, and students had improved attitudes
about school and improved self-esteem. As with the Ford ◆ Provide a continuum of supports to students, including
and Sutphen study, a major challenge was working with par- meaningful incentives and consequences. Supports should
ents who did not recognize the importance of regular atten- include academic (e.g., tutoring, after-school programs,
dance, and the challenge of assisting parents with few creating smaller learning communities), behavioral (e.g.,
resources to provide day care and good health care. mentoring, group or individual counseling), family, and
health (e.g., drug and alcohol rehabilitation). Meaningful
TARGETED INTERVENTIONS incentives should be long, not short-term, and conse-
Programs specifically designed to help students with atten- quences should not be punitive, but serve to keep students
dance and dropping out include in-school, alternative, and in, not push them out (e.g., in-school suspensions rather
community-based programs; and partnerships between than out-of-school suspensions).
school, community organizations, and community juvenile
justice agencies. Most of these programs are at the high ◆ Collaborate with local law enforcement, community organi-
school level, although some are in middle schools as well. zations, mentoring programs, and social services. This may
be challenging at first because community groups often see
Although many such programs exist, there are few well-docu- attendance as a school responsibility. But as programs pro-
mented rigorous evaluations of such programs to determine filed in this booklet show, collaboration is indeed beneficial
their effectiveness. Case studies and longitudinal evaluations to pool resources and to have more community input.
attest to the promising practices of such programs.
18 19
 ◆ Ensure building-level support and commitment to keeping the past few years with statistical reports maintained and
children in the educational mainstream. updated on a yearly basis. Of the almost 1,500 children rep-
resented before July 1, 2000, more than 75 percent had not
◆ Continuously evaluate programs and obtain meaningful returned to juvenile court for any reason. In the 2000–2001
and relevant data to make informed changes. school year, 88 percent of the 243 children represented by
TIP returned to school without further incident in the
Most truancy intervention programs involve the juvenile jus- Juvenile Court. For more information, see the Kids in Need
tice court systems in deciding sanctions for truancy. Judging by of Dreams, Inc. Web site at www.truancyproject.org
a panel discussion at a recent truancy conference in Washing-
ton state, the “jury is out” as to how effective courts are in solv- Kern County (Bakersfield, CA) Truancy Reduction
ing truancy problems. It was generally agreed at the conference Program.
that courts should be used as a last resort, and that punishment This program sponsored by the Kern County Probation
is the least effective method to encouraging children to come to Department and the Kern County Substance Abuse
school, especially for children of color who are on the fringe of Prevention Education Consortium, is composed of 39 dis-
school and society anyway. As Ken Seeley of the National tricts representing 119 K–12 schools. It is funded through the
Center for School Engagement suggested at the conference, if Title IV Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act.
judges in juvenile court could use their role as an advocate for
getting children the help and services they need, rather than The program focuses on early intervention and stresses col-
just as a punisher, they might have a more positive effect. laboration between schools and juvenile probation officers.
The program targets students in kindergarten through 10th
Below are two programs that the Colorado Foundation for grade who have at least four unexcused absences and/or inci-
Families and Children have found to be effective or promis- dents of arriving late to class by 30 minutes or more. Home
ing. To see examples of additional programs visit www.tru- visits with youths and their families and pooled resources
ancyprevention.org. foster mutual cooperation. Components include assessment,
home visits, weekly school contacts, counseling with the stu-
Fulton County (Georgia) Truancy Intervention Project. dent and family, referrals to community resources, mentor-
The program pairs trained legal professionals who are will- ing, and evaluation. Students referred to the program are
ing to donate their time and services with children who are usually monitored for an entire academic year. The goal,
chronically absent and their families. TIP volunteers con- however, is to stop truant behavior within four months.
tribute their time to serve as legal counsel in juvenile court
proceedings, and also serve as caring advocates and mentors According to the data on the Web site, since the program
for the child and family. According to the TIP Web site, the began, chronic school absences and tardiness have decreased
program’s effectiveness has been well documented during at participating schools. After three months in the program,

20 21
 participants’ unexcused absences dropped 43 percent in the Family involvement is absolutely vital in attendance interven-
1995–1996 academic year. tion programs. Most truancy intervention programs involve
and hold family members accountable every step of the way—
STRATEGIES FOR INCREASING STUDENT ENGAGEMENT from initial contact, to family counseling, to court hearings. It is
AND PERSONALIZATION important to remember that informing families of attendance
As mentioned previously, schools are not only examining problems is not enough, that encouraging their active participa-
attendance policies and truancy intervention programs, but tion during times and at locations most convenient for them
are also looking at how schools can become more supportive can show that schools value family input and contributions.
for students, so that they will be more likely to remain in
school. There are multiple factors that can affect engagement Here are some suggestions from the research and school practi-
and attendance. For each one of these approaches, an entire tioners on how to involve parents in increasing attendance:
booklet can be written. The following sections present some
of the most important factors with a sampling of representa- ◆ Overall, parents are the school’s main source of support
tive research and literature for each approach, and provided for getting children to school. Share ideas with parents and
some resources for further exploration. make them part of the team—don’t place blame on them
(Sheverbush, Smith, & DeGruson, 2000).
Family Involvement
During the past several decades, the benefits of parents’ and ◆ Family counseling sessions should focus on finding positive
other family members’ involvement in children’s education solutions and treating the family with respect. The goal is to
have been well-documented. Although it isn’t the only factor emphasize solutions based on the power of the family,
in improving student learning, 30 years of research has con- rather than the power of the school (Sheverbush et al., 2000).
sistently linked family involvement to higher student achieve-
ment, better attitudes toward school, lower dropout rates, ◆ Conduct a communitywide public relations effort to stress
increased attendance, and many other positive outcomes for the importance of school attendance and the necessity of
students, families, and schools (Henderson & Mapp, 2002). family involvement (Sheverbush et al., 2000).

In particular, Epstein and Sheldon (2002) found in a study of ◆ Establish a contact at school for family members to work
12 elementary schools that as the schools developed school- with (Epstein & Sheldon, 2002).
family-community partnerships to help improve attendance,
the average rate of chronically absent students decreased ◆ Make home visits to chronically absent children. Provide a
from 8 to 6.1 percent. Most important was constant and per- home family liaison to identify the root causes for children
sonal communication between the family and the school. In not coming to school, and to “initiate discussions about com-
schools where home visits occurred on a regular basis, the munity services that can assist” (Schargel & Smink, 2001, p. 51)
overall percentage of chronic absenteeism was lower.
22 23
 ◆ Establish immediate personal contact with families when ◆ Teachers foster critical judgment in their students
the problem first arises. Many schools make phone calls ◆ Teachers use a broad range of strategies to engage their students
rather than send impersonal letters as a first contact. ◆ Students report feeling safer in their schools
◆ Accountability is strengthened among parents, students,
For more about building relationships with parents, refer to By and teachers
Request … Building Trust With Schools and Diverse Families: A
Foundation for Lasting Partnerships (www.nwrel.org/request) Structures for Creating Smaller Learning Communities
Currently, many large high schools are creating small
Personalized Learning schools-within-a-school to make education more meaning-
Increasingly, schools are recognizing the importance of cre- ful for students and to affect attendance, dropout rates, disci-
ating structures and opportunities for personalized learning. pline, and academic performance. Research shows that
Indeed, research strongly suggests that schools which have personalization is more likely to occur in smaller learning
created smaller and/or personalized learning environments communities and attendance rates are higher (Cotton, 2001;
have higher attendance and lower dropout rates (Fashola & Wasley et al., 2000). Following is a brief summary of the
Slavin, 1997; Owings & Kaplan, 2001; Secada et al., 1998; types of smaller learning community structures:
Wasley et al., 2000). Wasley et al.’s study compared Chicago’s
small schools, including schools-within-schools, with other ◆ Academies are smaller groups within a school, usually
schools in the system and found that attendance rates were organized around a particular theme. Career academies, for
higher in the small high schools. Students in small high example, integrate academic and vocational instruction, pro-
schools attended almost four or five more days of school per viding work-based learning within a personalized learning
semester than students attending the other high schools. The environment. Freshman academies are designed to ease first-
authors caution that small schools are not a “panacea” for year high school students’ transition from middle to high
increasing attendance or raising achievement: “It is impor- school. Research has indicated that students making the
tant to avoid seeing small schools as the sole solution to all transition from middle to high school are more at risk of
that ails education. Rather we suggest that it is a key ingredi- dropping out than at any other time. Some high schools with
ent in a comprehensive plan to improve education” (p. 66). ninth-grade academies have shown increased daily student
attendance (Morrison & Legters, 2001) and schools across
The study found the following conditions were present in the country are reporting success. One of these is Nathan
the small schools that made gains in attendance, promotion, Hale High School in Seattle, which saw an increased atten-
and decrease in dropout rates possible: dance rate from 83.5 percent in 1995 to 91 percent in 2001.
◆ Teachers know students well
◆ Teachers have high expectations for students, which often ◆ House plans divide students into groups that take classes
leads to high expectations within students together with the same house teachers. Houses often have

24 25
 their own student government and social activities. Houses ◆ Accountability. Students in SLCs demonstrate progress on
differ from academies in that they don’t have themes. state, local, and schoolwide assessments as well as progress
toward established SLC goals, both academic and affective.
◆ Schools-Within-a-School differ from the above
approaches in that they are autonomous within a larger Caring Relationships
school, and have their own culture, program, staff, students, Perhaps the most important finding in research concerning
budget, and school space. dropout prevention, attendance, student engagement, and
effective small schools is that students are more likely to
◆ Magnet schools have a core focus, such as math, art, or remain and achieve in schools where people care about
science, in which students from around the district will them (Benard, 2004; Green, 1998; Steinberg & Allen, 2002;
take classes together in one school. Sometimes the admis- Wimberly, 2002). If relationships between staff and stu-
sion requirements are competitive. dents and their families are to affect student outcomes, they
must be based upon trust, respect, fairness, and equity. The
Key elements of effective smaller learning communities research shows that in schools where there is trust, caring,
(SLC) include (Cotton, 2001): and support, there is higher attendance, higher student per-
formance, and a lower rate of suspensions (Green, 1998;
◆ Autonomy. Smaller learning communities maintain as Strand & Peacock, 2002).
much control as reasonable over space, schedule, budget,
curriculum, instruction, and personnel. A caring and supportive school in which a student’s culture is
respected, and where children can identify and make connec-
◆ Identity. The community of adults and students within tions with their heritage is vitally important for students of
each SLC has established goals that drive all decisions and diverse cultures. In a recent study, 150 Native students reported
create conditions unique to each SLC. in interviews that “being well-grounded and connected to their
tribal culture” was a large part of why they stayed in school
◆ Personalization. The smaller learning communities imple- (Strand & Peacock, 2002). Students who were doing well in
ment strategies that take advantage of downsized environ- school reported that participation in a school culture that
ments and facilitate all students being known well. included Native history, language, and culture was also a factor.
To learn of some excellent examples of schools that are creat-
◆ Instructional Focus. Each SLC emphasizes the importance ing safe, trusting, and culturally based climates for Native
of instruction geared toward improved academic achieve- American children, go to www.nwrel.org/nwedu/09-03/
ment for all students. index.php and read the Spring 2004 issue of NWREL’s
Northwest Education on Native students.

26 27
 Mentoring Center Web site (www.nwrel.org/mentoring/about.html).
There are many kinds of mentoring: school-based, commu- The site also has information on training curricula, program
nity-based, faith-based, peer mentoring, e-mentoring (use guidebooks, and a database of more than 5,000 mentoring
of technology such as e-mail to facilitate and/or support a programs across the country.
mentor/mentee relationship), and career-vocational mentor-
ing. Mentoring is one way to ensure that a child has a contin- Student Advisories
uous, sustained, and caring relationship with a trusted Advisory programs are set up in many ways, but the overall
adult—whether in or outside school. Research on two nation- goal of all such programs is to provide every student with a
ally known mentoring programs (Big Brothers/Sisters and teacher or staff member who will assist in providing emo-
Across Ages) clearly indicates that children who were men- tional, academic, and personal support. These are especially
tored in these programs had increased attendance, more pos- useful in large middle and high schools where students don’t
itive attitudes toward schools, and possibly improved grades. have a chance to form personal relationships with their sev-
eral teachers. Often the program has two components: a
Not all mentoring programs have these benefits, however. daily period when advisers connect with their students, and
A recent meta-analysis showed that, as a whole, mentoring an ongoing, consistent, long-term relationship These adults
programs have only small benefits. The key, say Dubois and can help the student become integrated into the school, help
colleagues (2002), is that well-designed mentoring pro- students identify problems, mediate between students and
grams must have these factors in place to be effective: teachers, and generally help them become engaged with
◆ Ongoing training for mentors their learning (Wimberly, 2002).
◆ Structured activities for both mentors and youth
◆ Expectations for frequency of contact, mechanisms for Although there are few quantitative studies that address the
support and involvement of parents, and monitoring of effectiveness of advisory programs on student attendance or
overall program implementation achievement, Simpson and Boriack (1994) found that 70 chroni-
cally absent students in a special advisory period had marked
Indicators of a successful mentoring relationship include decreases in absenteeism during the period of the program.
frequency of contact, emotional closeness, and longevity of Many researchers have linked decline in motivation to the
the match. Mentoring researchers caution people that one decline of teacher-student relationships and social bonding
should not expect that a mentor will solve all the child’s (Eccles, Lord, & Midgley, 1991). As Galassi, Gulledge, and Cox
problems, including attendance, and that a mentor program (1998) explain, most studies on advisories have “serious method-
will automatically mean other strategies don’t need to be in ological flaws” or are “one shot investigations” (pp. 13–14).
place. Ideally, a mentoring program should be part of the
comprehensive plan for increasing attendance. For more Some schools have reported unsuccessful advisories, either
information about designing, implementing, and evaluating because the advisory periods are too unstructured, or there
mentoring programs visit NWREL’s National Mentoring
28 29
 is little time to have such periods. Here are a few tips for suc- tional success of culturally diverse students all agree that
cess for creating advisory programs (Goldberg, 1998): the following are very important:

◆ The planning and discussions for how to organize the advi- ◆ Each student should have at least one adult who is “committed
sories need to be realistic. There are many variations and to nurturing a personal sense of self-worth and supporting the
not all are necessary to a successful program. student’s efforts to succeed in school” (ERIC Clearinghouse on
Urban Education, 2000). These adults must also recognize and
◆ Advisers must understand what is expected of them and respect their students’ cultural identity, which will help build
the expectations should be realistic. For example, advisers a trusting relationship (Wimberly, 2002). This is especially
must know how often they are to meet with individual important, according to Wimberley’s study, for African Amer-
students, and what roles they are expected to play with ican students, who are less likely than white students to talk
parents, scheduling, and other issues. to their teachers outside class, and who may be in even more
need of support. For example, the 95 percent Hispanic
◆ The advisory program should be focused on a certain goal Lennox Middle School in California has an “Adopt a Student”
or goals. Often schools report that advisory periods are program in which students receive at least one hour of daily
meaningless for students because there is little interaction one-on-one student-teacher contact. One task of the student’s
with the adviser. If this is the case, perhaps a more struc- staff partner is to ensure student attendance.
tured activity such as an open discussion of issues with
students choosing the topics, or a project on conflict reso- ◆ Teachers need to have the highest expectations for all chil-
lution might be more beneficial (www.newvisions.org/ dren, especially those who have been stereotyped in the
schoolsuccess/practices/student/index.html). past as underachievers or “truants.” They should engage
children in challenging content and make education rele-
Three excellent resources for implementing advisory programs vant and interesting (Secada et al., 1998).
in middle and high schools are Galassi, Gulledge, and Cox’s
Advisory: Definitions, Descriptions, Decisions, Directions (1998), ◆ Curricula can incorporate and honor students’ language
Goldberg’s How To Design an Advisory System for a Secondary and culture. In many Alaskan schools, Alaska Native
School (1998), and Osofsky, Sinner, and Wolk’s Changing Systems language and culture are integrated into the standards-
To Personalize Learning: The Power of Advisories (2003). based curriculum. In fact, Alaska has standards for
culturally responsive schools, guidelines for respecting
Culturally Responsive School Culture and Curriculum cultural knowledge, guidelines for strengthening
Although there are no quantitative studies that link atten- indigenous languages, and a handbook for developing
dance to language and culture, the existing literature that a culturally responsive science curriculum. (See
identifies issues and factors that contribute to the educa- www.ankn.uaf.edu/standards/for more information.)

30 31
 alternative schools have been shown to take students that
◆ Teachers need to be experienced with the most effective, more conventional public schools either could not or per-
research-based practices for English language learners haps would not teach and have documented remarkable
(Padrón, Waxman, & Rivera, 2002). Additional resources education success.”
for obtaining this experience can be found at www.cal.org,
the Center for Applied Linguistics Web site. Researchers Schargel and Smink of the National Dropout
Prevention Center at Clemson University have found
Alternative Programs through their evaluations and research of effective programs
Although alternative schools and programs have been the following characteristics of effectiveness (2001, p. 117):
around for years, within the last 15 years there has been ◆ Maximum teacher/student ratio of 1:10
a “rebirth” of such programs especially for children at risk ◆ Small student base not exceeding 250
of dropping out (Reimer & Cash, 2003). Alternative ◆ Clearly stated mission and discipline code
schools can be a self-contained classroom in a school or ◆ Caring faculty with continual professional development
a school-within-a-school; they may be semi-autonomous ◆ School staff having high expectations for student achievement
or on their own. The structures and purposes of alternative ◆ Learning program specific to student expectations and
programs may vary, but they all have one thing in com- learning styles
mon: providing students an alternative in which to learn. ◆ Flexible school schedule with community involvement
Charter schools, which may offer options not available in and support
other schools, are becoming more prevalent across the ◆ Total commitment for each student to be a success
country, with more than 30 states and the District of
Columbia passing legislation to allow them (Reimer & For additional information about establishing and evaluat-
Cash, 2003). ing alternative programs, consult the National Dropout
Prevention Center’s 2003 booklet, Alternative Schools: Best
As the numbers and types of alternative programs have Practices for Development and Evaluation, by M.S. Reimer
grown, so has the scrutiny as to their effectiveness with and T. Cash. It is available for purchase by contacting
student achievement and keeping students in school. [email protected] or www.dropoutprevention.org
Although there is still little quantitative research on the
effectiveness of these schools, qualitative research does For a list of regional alternative programs that have had
exist. An evaluation of Portland (OR) public alternative some success view the By Request on Alternative Schools:
high schools shows progress in keeping children in school: Approaches for Students At-Risk at www.nwrel.org/
attendance rates are at 83 percent, up from 79 percent two request/sept97/article10.html
years earlier (Wang & Devine, 2002). Barr and Parrett
(1997) state, “Perhaps most significant, in study after study,

32 33
 Focus on Learning, Maximize Learning Time, and Have ◆ Keep transition time between lessons short.
High Expectations
If the school and classroom teachers focus on learning, and max- ◆ Supervise seatwork activities and small-group activities to
imize that time, students are more likely to achieve higher stan- keep them productive.
dards. The amount of time schools and teachers use for learning
vary, especially with the addition of procedural matters, test tak- ◆ Hold students accountable for completing assignments,
ing, transitions between activities and classes, and off-task activ- turning in work, and being in class every day.
ities. In her review of the effective schooling practices of the last
20 years, Cotton (2000) offers these key approaches: Service Learning
In general terms service learning is where students learn
◆ Emphasize at all-school gatherings and in classrooms that through active participation in thoughtfully organized
learning is the most important reason for being in school. service projects that meet the needs of communities. It
Post learning goals and standards in the classroom and in enhances and is integrated into the academic curriculum.
the newsletter, and make sure family members understand Structured time is provided for students to reflect on the
them as well. service experience. Although the research is—as with other
strategies—primarily based on survey evaluations of pro-
◆ Let students know that the school has high expectations grams, with few control groups and little evaluation of
for their achievement and believes in their ability to meet long-term sustainability, the existing studies do show that
and exceed those expectations. service learning is associated with increased student atten-
dance (Billig, 2000).
◆ Allocate time for various subjects based on school learning
goals and investigate alternative scheduling (such as block Service learning is appropriate for children of all ages.
scheduling) to ensure there is enough time to cover core Although issues such as recruitment, logistics, and buy-in
subjects. are important to resolve, service learning is becoming more
popular throughout the country.
◆ Provide extended learning opportunities after and before
school and in the summer. At Langley Middle School on Whidbey Island, Washington,
service learning has been fully integrated into the curriculum.
◆ Keep loudspeaker and other “administrative intrusions brief.” Eighth-graders are involved in the Youth in Philanthropy proj-
ect, in which they research and identify specific community
◆ Make sure that the school day, classes, and other activities needs and identify organizations that can address those needs.
end on time. Students then grant $10,000 provided by a local philanthropy
organization to chosen local nonprofit organizations. Another

34 35
 project has seventh-graders partnering with AmeriCorps to ◆ Project participants should be given time to reflect on their
restore a wetland in the area, which incorporates essential service. That may involve asking students to keep a jour-
learning requirements from the Washington State Science nal, or having teachers and organizers lead discussions or
Standards. Langley was recognized in 2002 by the Corpor- coordinate activities that get participants to analyze and
ation for National and Community Service (CNCS) as one of think critically about their service. These activities need
16 schools in the United States that have done an outstanding to be planned, not left to chance.
job of integrating service learning into the curriculum. For
more information about Langley, see the CNCS Web site at ◆ Students should have a role not only in executing the ser-
www.leaderschools.org/2002profiles/langley.html. vice project, but also in making decisions about its devel-
opment. Students should be involved in leadership roles
The Corporation for National and Community Service in all phases of the project.
has identified “Hallmarks of Effective Service Learning
Programs” (2002, p. 9) that programs may wish to consider: ◆ To ensure that service is really useful and strengthens
community ties, strong partnerships with community
◆ Service activities should be of sustained or significant groups based on mutually agreed-upon goals, roles, and
duration. Program experience suggests that a minimum of responsibilities are essential.
40 hours during a school year is necessary to yield positive
results for students and the community. The Service-Learning Northwest Resource Center in Vancou-
ver serves the state of Washington, the Pacific Northwest
◆ Teachers, after-school program coordinators, or sponsors region, and beyond. The center provides resources, training,
need to work with students in order to draw the connec- and technical assistance to educators, students, and commu-
tions between what the students are doing and what they nity-based organizations throughout the service-learning com-
should be learning. Even if service activities are conducted munity (www.servicelearningnw.org). For more information
outside class, it is important that the project have clear and about service learning, NWREL has published the “Service
specific learning objectives. Learning Toolbox” with work sheets and checklists to help you
and your students get started: www.nwrel.org/ruraled/
◆ The service that students perform should have a strong learnserve/resources/SL_Toolbox.pdf. For additional informa-
connection to the curriculum they are studying or to their tion about service learning see the National Service Learning
after-school activities. Clearinghouse at www.servicelearning.org

◆ The relationship between service and democratic prac-

tices, ideas, and history should be made explicit in order
that students see service as a civic responsibility.

36 37
 W H AT C A N I N D I V I D U A L ◆ When students are afraid of being ridiculed or criticized
by both teachers and other students, or are afraid of mak-
S TA F F M E M B E R S D O ? ing mistakes, they are less likely to want to work. School
staff can create an environment of mutual respect within
Here are some suggestions for how teachers, administrators, and which students are not afraid to speak up.
all staff can directly and indirectly affect student attendance and
their desire to attend school (Colorado Foundation for Families ◆ Teachers, administrators, and school counselors can help
and Children, n.d./b; French et al., 1991; Ryan & Patrick, 2001). with family problems by seeking referrals to other agen-
Staff members who provide and model caring relationships, high cies or to support within the district.
expectations, a structured learning environment, and opportuni-
ties for students to participate and contribute can indeed turn ◆ Teachers can provide high expectations for all students,
students’ life around (Waxman, Gray, & Padrón, 2003). guide students in focusing on their strengths, and chal-
lenge students to work beyond what they think they can
◆ Make students and their families feel welcome. Greeting do (Benard, 2004; Waxman, Gray, & Padrón, 2003). This is
them when they arrive and posting signs in their native especially important for children of diverse cultures, who
language are just a couple of ways to communicate to par- may in the past have had teachers with low expectations
ents and students that they are valued members of the of them. “It goes without saying that high-expectation
school community. Hiring administrative staff members educators do not label their students—as ‘at risk’ or any-
who speak the same language as families is another way thing else,” says Benard.
not only to welcome bilingual families, but to provide
them with someone who can act as an interpreter. ◆ Don’t rely on using rewards as the only strategy for increas-
ing attendance. Research shows mixed results for this
◆ When a student is absent, immediately talk to their family approach, and positive results are often not long term.
member in person—by personal phone call during the day
or the evening. ◆ Create shared learning opportunities for students to work
together—either during whole-group or small-group les-
◆ Let children know that when they are not in school, they sons, or with peer tutoring. Some research indicates that
are missed. Talk to them about why they were gone, and if this encourages students’ motivation and engagement.
there is anything you can do to help.

◆ Reward and recognize good attendance, not just great

attendance. Post signs and announcements on the school
Web site, in libraries, and in community centers.

38 39
 CONCLUSION NORTHWEST SAMPLER

Systemic solutions to attendance problems will originate from We have profiled several community and school efforts to
a system that is made up of teachers and administrators who increase attendance and keep children engaged in school.
understand the importance and interconnectedness of support- These efforts are at several levels: county, regional service
ing climate, significant relationships, engaging and challenging agency, schools, and community organizations. These are
content and instruction, and rules, policies and procedures. just a few of the many efforts across our region. We provide
—Wagstaff, Combs, & Jarvis, 2000 contact information so you can reach the programs for addi-
tional information.
The issues of student engagement and attendance are com-
plex and there are no simple solutions. Labeling a child a Note: The following profile contains excerpts from a previ-
“truant” is not going to help matters, and neither is ignoring ously published article in Northwest Education, Spring 2004,
the underlying reasons why a child or young adult is not “Healing Wounds” by Joyce Riha Linik (www.nwrel.org/
coming to school. As Schargel and Smink succinctly say, nwedu/09-03/claok/healing.php).
“Confining students for six hours a day in a place where they
do not want to be is a prescription for failure” (p. 245).

This booklet presents much information that at first glance

can be overwhelming to consider when time and energy are
in short supply. Although each of these strategies can make
a difference with attendance, and even more of a difference
if combined, the first steps for schools are to determine rea-
sons for absenteeism, assess the weaknesses and strengths of
current practices, and look at promising practices that can
be adapted to particular school cultures. School staff and
students can achieve specific goals and celebrate small suc-
cesses, even as they are grappling with the overall picture.

One thing is clear, everyone concerned with the well-being

of our children needs to be involved in finding solutions, and
looking at the problems in new ways. Making a commitment
to doing so, such as the programs profiled in the following
Northwest Sampler have done, is a good place to start.

40 41
 LOCATION students. After conducting exit interviews with students
Pablo Elementary School (K–5) who chose to leave school, the committee developed several
608 4th Avenue strategies to address the most common causes.
Ronan, MT 59855
Since teen pregnancy is one of the leading reasons, a child
CONTACT care facility now operates in a building donated by the tribe,
Andrea Johnson, Principal enabling young parents to stay in school. To help failing stu-
Phone: 406-676-3390, ext. 3700 dents, computerized classes are offered after school so they
E-mail: [email protected] can make up lost credits and still graduate with their peers.
A mentoring program using community volunteers targets
The statistics are alarming: More than a third of all Native sixth-graders and high school freshmen because those are
American students don’t finish high school. According to difficult transition years.
the National Center for Education Statistics, the high school
completion rate in Northwest states ranges between 55 and Because research shows that feeling connected to just one
65 percent. In Oregon and Alaska, Native students are twice adult at school can increase a student’s chances for academic
as likely to drop out as their white, non-Hispanic peers. In success, faculty members meet daily with small groups of
Montana, they’re three times as likely to leave school. eight to 10 students and engage them in out-of-school activi-
ties throughout the year. These activities have included raft-
As a result, efforts are underway across the region to stem ing, rock climbing, and camping trips, as well as community
the tide of youth leaving school without diplomas. Many of service projects such as tutoring elementary students or
these programs seek to salve past injuries and engage the shoveling snow for elders.
entire community in keeping students in school.
“The idea,” says Cajune, ”is to build a community of belonging.”
”We’re looking at ways to foster trust and a relationship not
only with the child, but with their family and their commu- The approach seems to be working. A student Cajune
nity,” explains Julie Cajune, Indian education coordinator for describes as ”never excited about school—let alone talking
the Ronan-Pablo School District in Montana. “Distrust is a about a school activity” enthusiastically flags down Cajune
community issue, not just a school issue. We need to recog- in the library to show her photos of his school-sponsored
nize there are wounds in order for healing to take place.” rafting trip. Quantitative data are beginning to support the
The Ronan effort, funded by a $255,000 grant from the qualitative: During the program’s first year, the dropout rate
Kellogg Foundation, is directed by a steering committee rep- for American Indian students in the district fell below the
resenting the entire community: elders, school staff, business rate for non-Native students for the first time in years, per-
leaders, working people, and even middle and high school haps ever.

42 43
 Increasing attendance has been an important goal for LOCATION
Ronan’s Pablo Elementary School. In 1998, Pablo’s schoolwide Warm Springs Elementary School (K–5)
attendance was a dismal 78 percent; the goal has been to 1114 Wasco Street
increase it to 95 percent. The key is to focus on the positive, Warm Springs, Oregon 97761
and to celebrate attendance schoolwide every month, says
Principal Andrea Johnson. If a student is absent from school, CONTACT
a teacher contacts the family either by phone or a handwrit- Dawn Smith, Principal
ten note. When students miss days, the teachers emphasize Phone: 541-553-1128
to the families that the absence will affect their performance. E-mail: [email protected]
The intent is not to criticize, but to ask if there is anything
the staff can do to help. “We also tell parents that we have a Two years ago, Warm Springs Elementary achieved Adequate
partnership. And your part of the partnership is to make Yearly Progress in all areas but one: attendance, which was
sure your children are in school,” says Johnson. 91 percent (92 percent needed to reach the target). There are
various reasons for the lower attendance, explains Principal
The half-time social worker and full-time counselor work Dawn Smith, but the reality is that families need to travel
with the family support team to monitor and troubleshoot long distances during the day to do business and to obtain
attendance. They will make daily visits to family homes, if basic medical, financial, and other services, and often need
necessary, to help and encourage. They help solve problems, to take their children with them.
such as arranging transportation, or with basic needs such
as getting electricity hooked up. Smith knows involving families is crucial. “We talked with
parents, got suggestions to make attendance better, and
The Ronan Business Committee and Ronan/Pablo Indian implemented those ideas. What doesn’t work,” she says, “is
Education Committee sponsor awards each month for stu- to send home an official letter outlining the consequences.”
dents meeting the 95 percent attendance goal. Family activi- Instead, she and her staff talk with the families and/or send
ties reward the entire family of students who reach the goal. personal letters home that express their concern that stu-
The strategies have worked: Attendance has climbed to 92 dents will fall behind if they don’t attend school. “We tell
percent for the last few years, and the school is still reaching parents that their most important role is to get their children
toward that 95 percent goal. to school,” Smith adds. Teachers also send “Coming Week”
letters home to families that describe the core subject plans
for the week, scheduled assessments, scoring rubrics for state
work samples, demonstrations of the “hows” behind math
processes, and specialized homework to support the week’s
lessons. In this way families know what their children are

44 45
 missing when they aren’t in school, to show that extra home- LOCATION
work will not make up for the missing days. Linn Benton Lincoln Education Service District
905 4th Avenue SE
Positive publicity for increasing attendance numbers is Albany, Oregon 97321
another strategy. They are posted everywhere in the small
community: at the post office, tribal center, and grocery CONTACT
store, and at the school’s front entrance. The school’s Web site Judi Edwards, Service Integration Coordinator
has a running banner that tells the attendance for each day, Phone: 541-812-2750
and the monthly attendance (for September 2003 it was 94 Scott Perry, Student Services Director
percent). Students are honored each month for perfect atten- Phone: 541-812-2605
dance at monthly award assemblies, and receive certificates Web site: http://student.lblesd.k12.or.us/attendance.html
and “book bucks” (school dollars that buy new paperback
books at the school). That award (by parent suggestion) will ATTENDANCE AUDITS
now include a new school logo shirt that will have iron-on Determining what strategies are needed to improve atten-
emblems for each month they earn the award. dance can be daunting for school and district personnel. It
may also be hard for school staff to evaluate their own prac-
tices. An external evaluation can help schools understand
what good practices they have in place, and what they need
to improve.

Linn Benton Lincoln (LBL) Education Service District (ESD)

in Oregon has designed an attendance audit process based
on years of best practices research to help their district
schools increase student attendance. The audit is combined
with follow-up services for students in need, such as atten-
dance officers, family liaisons, and social workers.

Because attendance services have been prioritized by ESD

districts through a “resolution” process, the ESD uses some
of the state funding for these services. The service is also
available to districts outside the ESD for a fee (see the Web
site for more information).

46 47
 The attendance audit is an independent, objective, research- schoolwide systems of positive behavior support, teachers
based system in which an expert team from the ESD visits who understand and apply best practices in instruction,
the school, interviews staff and students, and documents and the capacity to provide more intensive, wraparound care
and evaluates current attendance policies and practices to management for students with more intensive challenges.
determine why students are absent from school, and what All these areas need simultaneous focus and all are related
can be done to increase attendance. School audits are strictly to school attendance. “We look at attendance as a symptom
voluntary—the district contacts the ESD if they want an of larger issues,” explain Judi Edwards and Scott Perry. “We
audit. Many come back for follow-up assistance, as well. emphasize that strictly enforcing policies is not the solution
to schoolwide issues of why children are not coming to
Before the visit to the school, the school principal and admin- school. The important questions are: What is really going on
istrative team are given a survey of the status and priority of with a child who regularly skips school? What are the barri-
evidence-based attendance practices in the schools. On the ers that are causing him/her to not want to come to school?”
day of the audit, a team from the ESD visits with the school
administration team and asks, “Which three major issues In addition to providing attendance audits, Linn Benton
would you like to focus on?” Next, the audit team spends the Lincoln ESD is home to several attendance officers who
day interviewing students and staff, and observes how stu- serve area districts. Attendance officers identify students
dents enter the building and begin the day. The team eats and families who need support as early as possible. They
lunch with students and asks them for insights about atten- provide the link between student and school staff in many
dance. The team also meets with students who have chronic cases. Ann Lundeen, an attendance officer, explains that to
attendance problems. They then review school attendance start helping, she needs to understand why the student is
tracking processes. At the end of the day, the team and school not coming to school. She asks the student to tell his or her
administrative staff meet for an “exit dialogue.” “story” in a personal conversation. “I might find out a num-
ber of things from the story—that the student is struggling
Multipronged support academically, or maybe has problems handling drugs and
Attendance services are just one part of the “positive behav- alcohol. Students really need someone to hear them, and
ior supports” that LBL provides. ESD attendance audit staff encourage them to speak up and voice their concerns. I want
members, many of whom have a background in social work, to develop a relationship with both the child and their fam-
do not see attendance as isolated from other schoolwide ily. I need to find out what the parents’ stories are, too.”
issues. Attendance is not simply a problem to be fixed and
then set aside. LBL ESD has developed the Hallmarks of The ESD has recently completed its 25th attendance audit.
Effective Schools model that overlaps positive behavior sup- The demand for their audits and wraparound services have
ports, effective instruction, and wraparound case manage- steadily grown in the last few years. Increasing attendance
ment. The ESD recognizes that effective schools have clear, has been a priority for district superintendents, and they have

48 49
 funded four attendance officers, up from two a few years ago. ◆ Make timely referrals to the attendance officer
Not only do LBL staff emphasize that students will achieve ◆ Use a consistent hall pass system
to higher standards if they attend school, but they also pres- ◆ Provide instructional alternatives that may be more mean-
ent superintendents with data that make it clear the atten- ingful to children who are likely to skip school
dance support is providing a real cost savings. When students ◆ Start lessons with an activity to keep children more engaged
are absent for 10 or more days, the district loses basic school and less likely to be late to that class
funding for each student. LBL calculated that in 2002–2003,
299 students returned to school as a result of LBL attendance West Albany High School recently completed an attendance
services, which recovered 17,629 membership days, and audit. Susie Osborn, the assistant principal, said that having an
equaled $493,612 district dollars saved. unbiased audit process was beneficial in that both positive and
critical comments came from outside the school. “We had the
The attendance audit staff has compiled some common audit results shared with the entire faculty, and then the faculty
challenges for schools in reaching attendance goals: broke into small learning groups and discussed the findings.”
◆ Policy not in line with practice One of the suggestions was to standardize hall passes so that
◆ Inaccurate data collection they all looked alike. In this way it became easier to tell who
◆ Intervention systems largely consequence-based was not in class. Another suggestion was to make sure staff
◆ Intervention not systematic were in key areas of the school to look out for students who
◆ Lag time between student choice to not attend school and weren’t in class. The school also realized that consequences for
consequence missed school needed to be immediate to have the most impact.
◆ Communication breakdowns
◆ Hall pass inconsistency The auditors also recognized and shared with us things that
West Albany is doing well. When students were asked which
Some recommendations the staff have made are: policies deterred them from skipping school, they said that
◆ Hold weekly or bimonthly attendance meetings to review lunchtime detention was a good motivator. For students who
lists of absent students, develop action plans, and review need extra help with achieving standards, West Albany offers
building processes including accuracy of data entry and a self-contained academy program in which a husband and
communication systems wife team-teach. The 30 students, mostly freshmen and soph-
◆ Place teachers/administrators in halls during passing peri- omores, work together on social skills as well as curriculum.
ods for middle and high school students “This is a very welcoming environment,” says Osborn. All the
◆ Develop systems of rapid communication with parents students have senior students as mentors.
◆ Make sure all staff, especially the school secretary, under-
stand the difference between excused and unexcused These strategies seem to have had an effect. The dropout rate
absences has been less than 3 percent, down from 6 percent several

50 51
 years ago. Attendance has improved as well, with an increase they can accomplish their goals for improvement. “Having
of 2 percent since last year. an advocate in school really has made a difference,” says
Aebi.
Dayton High School, located in a small, rural town outside
Portland, also completed an attendance audit. The district The home environment affects attendance the most, accord-
superintendent took the issue seriously enough to contract ing to Aebi; students have usually experienced attendance
with the ESD for the audit. In addition to implementing new difficulties for years. The positive experiences with the men-
procedures using a computerized attendance tracking sys- tor and extra attention not only help them at school, but
tem, school staff are taking a more personalized approach have also helped with their attitudes and relationships at
to cutting down on class tardiness by standing outside class- home.
room doors, greeting students as they enter, and making sure
everyone is in class on time. With additional resources, Aebi would like to expand the
program to reach more students, and work with them
Dayton High School counselor Amy Aebi is trying out throughout their high school career. For children who have
something new this year to encourage and support three few resources at home, making positive connections with
ninth-grade students who have problems with attendance. adults in the school leads to more interest in doing well and
She asked each student to select a teacher mentor with accomplishing personal goals.
whom they meet daily after school. The students receive a
candy bar when they have gone to every class that day. They
also target short- and long-term goals for rewards. These
rewards include $5–$50 gift certificates, balloon bouquets,
lunch out with their mentor, etc. The students and teachers
keep track of each class attended every day. Aebi also pro-
vides ongoing support for each student and has weekly
meetings with all three together to discuss career goals,
go on field trips to colleges, and discuss problems and con-
cerns. Student progress is announced and celebrated by the
entire school.

Aebi quickly realized that the positive attention was far

more meaningful to the students than the short-term
reward. She has seen a huge improvement in both atten-
dance and grades. Most important, these students know

52 53
 LOCATION A student is referred to Adelante when he or she hasn’t
Oregon Council for Hispanic Achievement attended school for several consecutive days. Counselors
108 NW 9th Avenue, Suite 201 make a full assessment of the student’s situation—academics,
Portland, OR 97209 behavior, and home/family—to obtain a broad perspective of
what has contributed to the nonattendance. Each student
CONTACT receives an Individual Service Plan, which connects them
Oscar Sweeten-Lopez, Student Retention Director and their families with services and also focuses on aca-
Phone: 503-228-4131 demic improvement.
E-mail: [email protected]
Older children often stay at home to take care of younger
Hispanic high school students have the highest dropout rate siblings, says Oscar Sweeten-Lopez, the student retention
of any student population group in Oregon. While it has director, because families lack other child care. If the case
steadily declined in the last five years, and is now at 9.1 per- worker realizes that this is one reason the student is not
cent, it is still much higher than the dropout rate of 3.6 per- coming to school, he or she will try to find appropriate child
cent for white students. care for the younger siblings.

The Oregon Council for Hispanic Achievement is working Project Adelante also provides academic support and cul-
to provide critical school retention services to help students tural enrichment activities. In one school, an after-school
stay in the public school system. The retention program is club provides two days a week of homework help and tutor-
grounded in an understanding of the importance of acting ing, and two days of project-based service learning activities.
right away. Investing in these students now will show a
sound return in the future for them and their community. The wide variety of services work to increase self-esteem
and build on the strengths of the Hispanic students and
Proyecto Adelante and Proyecto Conexion are two student their families, who may not have been respected or given
retention programs that work intensively with students opportunities to succeed in school in the past.
and families to provide support for academic success. On-
site case managers establish relationships with students and The project also works with individual schools to facilitate
parents, make home visits, and provide training and other cultural awareness and strengthen projects that involve fam-
services to keep students in school. Proyecto Adelante is cur- ilies. The Stories of My Families oral history project asks stu-
rently working in selected Multnomah County schools dents to interview their family and builds an awareness of
focusing on increasing communication among students, their culture and family background. Another pilot project
parents, and schools. has teachers and students create an activity book to reinforce
certain concepts that families can do together at home.

54 55
 The ultimate goal for Project Adelante is to build capacity LOCATION
within schools so they can take the lead in providing ser- School Attendance Initiative
vices. Indeed, some high schools in Portland have hired Multnomah County, Oregon
Latino advocates to provide support for parents and stu- Department of School and Community Partnerships
dents.
CONTACT
According to Sweeten-Lopez, a successful program for Christina Kenney, Program Supervisor
retaining Latino children must include relationships with [email protected]
parents. Staff must show respect to children and their fami- Phone: 503-988-6139
lies. They must also have an understanding of cultural issues
that contribute to student’s non-attendance, such as older The Multnomah County School Attendance Initiative (SAI)
siblings caring for the younger ones. is a non-punitive, strength-based, and culturally appropriate
approach to assist students in maintaining regular atten-
Project Adelante staff members talk with teachers about dance. The primary intervention strategy consists of out-
cultural issues that can inhibit a trusting relationship with reach to families of K–8 students in support of their efforts
families. For example, to have successful family-teacher to improve their children’s attendance. SAI staff members
conferences with Latino families, they emphasize the help families identify their strengths and supplement those
importance of a preexisting personal relationship with the strengths with services rather than focusing on their deficits.
family. Sweeten-Lopez also suggests that school staff mem-
bers talk with parents about how conferences and school The SAI is one part of a larger service delivery system called
communications work, prepare them for the cultural differ- the School Age Policy Framework. The goal is to provide ser-
ences, and ask that they be flexible as the relationship vices to families and children in Multnomah County who have
develops. diminished government resources. The framework merges key
services so that families can easily access those they need.
Included are school-based services such as extended-day activ-
ities, family engagement, Parents Organizing for School
Success, and individual, family, and group support.

One of the goals of SAI is to identify problems with atten-

dance early so the problem will not become serious later.
This is why the focus is on K–8 students, although high
school students who are targeted for services through the
School Age Policy Framework (SAPF) are also referred to SAI.

56 57
 SAI also provides extended learning, recreational, and sup-
Each week the school receives a printout of all students who port programs to students during summer and interim
have missed three or more days of school in the previous week. breaks. These programs are run by committed staff mem-
Principals select students from this list for a referral to the SAI bers and are especially valuable for children who are making
program. Upon referral, the principal sends a letter home, a transition between schools.
notifying the family of the referral to SAI.
SAI has documented the main issues affecting attendance
Once the referral has been made, SAI outreach staff members with their students. The top three are education, behavior,
make a home visit or telephone the home to find out the reasons and parenting skills. An educational need can be anything
for nonattendance, and offer services and referrals to other pro- that the school was not providing—students may need a spe-
grams to help families address the barriers to attendance. Staff cial assessment, an Individualized Education Plan, or tutor-
members may bring a culturally specific service provider into ing. An evaluation report summarizes the needs: “Students
the support network at this time. For example, if transportation are affected by issues of poverty—transportation, housing,
to school is a problem, the SAI staff try to procure a bus pass or basic needs … Cultural issues arise frequently—translation
alternative means of transportation. If the student doesn’t have needed or other culturally specific services.”
appropriate clothing to attend school, the staff will find clothes.
Students and families are often referred to the county Family The evaluation report notes that 25 percent of referrals come
Center that provides counseling, housing, and drug and alcohol from kindergarten and first grade, which further highlights
services. the need to have early intervention in these grades.

Because SAI recognizes that families have multiple needs and The data from the last several years show a 12 percent
issues, the staff provides a diverse array of services to help fami- increase in attendance for students who have been involved
lies and students. They include tutoring, mentoring, medical with SAI. And the effects do last—data show that attendance
assessment, and parent education, especially around negotiating improves right after contact with SAI staff and gradually
immigration and social service agencies. builds. After contact, more than 30 percent of the students
were attending school 90 percent of the time.
For families in which the student’s attendance does not
improve or that need more assistance, additional case inter-
vention services are available to create a support plan that
addresses attendance issues. Once a student has been
referred to SAI, his or her attendance will be monitored for
the remainder of the school year.

58 59
 LOCATION ested in being a neonatal nurse after she saw how a nurse
Rex Putnam High School takes care of the premature infants in a local hospital. To pre-
4950 SE Roethe Road pare for this career, she chose health services as her focused
Milwaukie, OR 97267-5798 program of study. Darcy created her own personalized educa-
tion plan and chose electives such as anatomy, physiology,
CONTACT and leadership that relate to health services.
Cindy Quintanilla, Principal
Kathy Campobasso, site visits The Career Pathways program has certainly made classes
Phone: 503-353-5860 ext. 5887 more meaningful for the students, and they are more likely
E-mail: [email protected] not to skip school because the classes are important to them.
One student apparently was going to participate in the tra-
For some of us the experience of large, urban high schools ditional “senior skip day” but decided that “well, I have to go
in the 1980s was disappointing. Teachers seemed burned out to this class, and I have to attend this other class, so I might
and disengaged—there was little sense of community or car- as well go to all of them.” Attendance is also more closely
ing, except from perhaps a few teachers. Classes were unin- monitored when the students are in the same sequential
spired. Middle schools, on the other hand, had a house block classes and have the same teachers.
system that enabled teachers and students to really get to
know each other. Classes were also more interesting—out- Long before “smaller learning communities” and “personal-
door school and science fairs made science interesting. ized education” became the buzzwords in comprehensive
high school reform, Putnam knew that changes needed to
Fortunately for kids today, many educators are recreating be made. In 1993, the 21st Century Site Council, a site-based
traditional high schools to include the personalized climate decisionmaking group made up of teachers, classified staff,
and structures similar to middle schools. They are realizing parents, students, and administrators, conducted a compre-
that schools around the country are not living up to the hensive schoolwide survey to gather perceptions of the
expectations of students, families, communities, and staff. school from staff, students, families, and community mem-
bers. “There were a couple of surprise areas,” remarked Kathy
Darcy, a 10th-grader at Rex Putnam High School in Campobasso, the school-to-careers coordinator. While the
Milwaukie, Oregon, is fortunate to have a very positive high staff reported that they cared for the students and felt con-
school experience. An articulate, poised young woman, Darcy nected to them, the students reported feeling exactly the
has a clear sense of purpose for her education. The school’s opposite—they didn’t feel cared about at all and didn’t feel
career exploration program—Future Focus—is helping her like the faculty knew them. This disconnect jarred adminis-
explore different options for a career, and gives her the oppor- trators; they decided to look at the data and research what
tunity to shadow professionals on the job. She became inter- other schools were doing to connect with their students.

60 61
 At that time, the dropout rate and absentee rate were rising, eight-year period. Nor was it easy. “Certainly it is difficult
and grades were low. The first thing Putnam did was address at first for teachers to lose autonomy,” says Campobasso.
students’ concern about not feeling known, and instituted A core group of teachers started the first house, got really
what Putnam calls “Access Period.” Access, a form of advi- excited about the process, and gradually the excitement
sory period, began as one period every other day in which caught on with the rest of the staff.
all students were assigned to a teacher. During this period,
students could also have access to any teacher in the build- As a result of all these efforts, attendance rates are increasing
ing, as long as they acquired a hall pass from that teacher in and dropout rates are decreasing. The dropout rate for
advance. Students used “Access” to complete make-up work, 2002–2003 reached an all-time low of 1.8 percent. These
get help with homework, take tests, and work on projects. achievements have been accomplished without a schoolwide
attendance policy, although each house sets its own policy.
Later, the school further personalized education by creating the The emphasis, however, is far less on policies and more on
house system for ninth- and 10th-graders, in which a group of what the school can do to make students’ school experience
90 students take core classes together in block periods for two meaningful. Maybe the lesson to be learned from Putnam is,
years, and have the same language arts, social studies, and sci- if you create challenging, interesting classes, make sure stu-
ence teachers together. Now, Access Periods occur within dents are cared about, and care about learning, then policies
houses, so access teachers are even better known by students. are less important.
“This is not just an unstructured study hall,” says one teacher.
It is a time when students can work with each other and with
other teachers, or have more time to work on a project.

Putnam makes sure that incoming ninth-graders are con-

nected even before they start school. The school invites
eighth-graders to tour the high school on a special night
each spring. On Freshman Assurance Day, the first day of
school, a Link Crew leads the ninth-graders through the
day—all the staff are lined up in the hallway clapping and
welcoming the new students. Not only do staff show they
care, but the upperclassmen are committed to mentoring
and caring for their younger schoolmates.

Putnam did not make all these changes in just one year;
the staff gradually implemented the new processes over an

62 63
 LOCATION The program begins in August with a “First Day of School
Wilson High School Holiday” for freshmen and their parents. Freshmen receive
1202 North Orchard St. a phone call from their PHP student leaders inviting them
Tacoma, WA 98406 to the special day. Parents also receive an invitation and are
provided a letter for their employers that explains the purpose
CONTACT for the event, and asks the employer to grant time off to attend.
Cherry Goudeau, Assistant Principal, ninth grade
Phone: 253-571-2200 During the special August orientation, freshmen are
E-mail: [email protected] matched with their PHP student leaders who go over their
class schedule, take them on a tour of the school, show them
PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE PROGRAM (PHP) their locker, introduce teachers, and answer questions.
(FRESHMAN TRANSITION PROGRAM) Meanwhile, parents are attending panel discussions with
teachers to ease their concerns about the transition.
Wilson High School has had the highest daily attendance
for the past three years of all high schools in the Tacoma As the year progresses, PHP leaders continue to meet with
district. Several things have contributed to the 92 percent their students to provide encouragement, tutoring, and
average daily attendance rate, including quality incentives, advice. Each month a student leader provides esteem, con-
a focus on engaged learning, and strong family participation. flict resolution, work and social skills activities during a
freshman English class. Student leaders benefit from the
Five years ago ninth-grade assistant principal Cherry experience as much as their freshman buddies, as they learn
Goudeau, with the leadership of Principal Paul Apostle, leadership skills and earn service learning credits.
designed a program to provide extra support for freshmen.
Goudeau asked older students what would have made their To provide incentives for using the character-building skills
transition easier, and many indicated that mentors in the they learned, student leaders and teachers issue “Ram3 Pride
school would have helped. Thus, the “People Helping People” Citations” to students who demonstrate characteristics such
program (so named by a student) began. Goudeau’s vision as attendance, respect, positive attitude, problem solving,
was to build a network of peers, teachers, and internal and patience, organization, and initiative. Once a student receives a
external mentors. Although she was able to match students citation, they get a Wilson Ram Head Certificate posted in the
with adult mentors the first year, she realized that it was “a hallway. Currently there are more than 20 Ram’s Heads posted.
scheduling nightmare” and focused on providing peer men-
tors for students in subsequent years.

3
The school mascot is a ram.

64 65
 Goudeau is quick to point out how well the citations are REFERENCES
working to provide positive feedback to students. When
one discouraged student received a Ram Pride Citation, she Aos, S. (2002). Keeping kids in school: The impact of the truancy
glowed with pride—the look on her face was “priceless.” The provisions in Washington’s 1995 “Becca Bill.” Olympia, WA:
citations became so popular that older students clamored to Washington State Institute for Public Policy. Retrieved April 8,
get them, and now all students can receive citations. 2004, from www.wsipp.wa.gov/rptfiles/BeccaTruancy.pdf

Although Goudeau says this program has taken much time Baker, D., & Jansen, J. (2000). Using groups to reduce elementary
and energy for her to organize, she knows any support school absenteeism. Social Work in Education, 22(1), 46–53.
schools can give incoming students is important, even if they
can’t design an elaborate mentor program. “It only takes a Baker, M.L., Sigmon, J.N., & Nugent, M.E. ( 2001). Truancy
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magnet, and charter schools that work. Bloomington, IN:
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Findings and implications. Journal of American Indian
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Brush, C., & Jones, B. (2002). Student voices: Why school works
for alternative high school students. Salem, OR: Oregon
Department of Education. Retrieved April 26, 2004, from
www.ode.state.or.us/stusvc/whyschworks.pdf

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 Bryk, A.S., & Thum, Y.M. (1989). The effects of high school combined influence of personal, family, and school factors.
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Cotton, K. (2000). The schooling practices that matter most.
Clement, R., Gwynne, T., & Younkin, W. (2001). Attendance Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and
waivers evaluation report. Fort Lauderdale, FL: School Curriculum Development.
Board of Broward County. Retrieved April 26, 2004, from
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 Wasley, P.A., Fine, M., Gladden, M., Holland, N.E., King, S.P., ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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of new small schools in Chicago. New York, NY: Bank Street EXTERNAL REVIEW
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African American students [Policy report]. Iowa City, IA: INTERNAL REVIEW
Richard Greenough, Associate,
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Planning and Service Coordination
research/policy/pdf/school_relation.pdf Barbara Hansen, Project Director,
Planning and Service Coordination
Joan Shaughnessy, Manager, Recreating High Schools Unit,
Center for School & District Improvement
Megh Thapa, Senior Advisor,
Office of Planning and Service Coordination

PROOFREADING
Amy Steve and Terra Chapek

TECHNICAL EDITING
Eugenia Cooper Potter

BIBLIOGRAPHIC REVIEW
Linda Fitch

DESIGN
Denise Crabtree

DESKTOP PUBLISHING
Paula Surmann

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