Attending to AttendanceAttending to AttendanceStudents Can’t Succeed if They Aren’t in Students Can’t Succeed if They Aren’t in

School!School!

Connecticut Consortium on School AttendanceConnecticut Consortium on School Attendance

Gary HoachlanderGary HoachlanderKelly OuelletteKelly Ouellette

April 2005April 2005

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Shared Attendance

Database

Connecticut Consortium on School Attendance

An association of local school and statewide agency representatives

Focused on improving school attendance through data-driven planning

Funded by the Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee (JJAC)

What is the Consortium?

Meetings and Training

Grants to Local Districts

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Connecticut Consortium on School Attendance

Original Members

Ansonia

Danbury

Hartford

Killingly

New Britain

Norwich

Stonington

Winchester

Windham

School District MembersNew Members 2005

Bristol

East Windsor

Hamden

New Milford

Plainfield

Sprague

Trumbull

Vernon

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Connecticut Consortium on School Attendance

Connecticut Association of Boards of Education

Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents

Connecticut Association of Schools

Connecticut Consortium for Law & Citizenship Education

Connecticut State Department of Education

Department of Children and Families

Judicial Branch

Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee

Office of Policy and Management

State Agency Members

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Improving School Attendance in Connecticut

I. Make attendance a higher priority at the state and local levels

II. Collect student-level attendance data annually from each district

III.Publish attendance data and adopt performance targets

IV.Support data-driven planning processes in districts and school buildings

Consortium Recommendations:

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Consortium Findings

Schools and School Districts Improve Attendance by:

Making Attendance a Priority

Establishing Effective Attendance Policies

Collecting and Monitoring Attendance Data

Using Data for Program Planning

Success Factors:

Leadership

Accountability

Good Data

Analysis Skills

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Attendance in the Consortium: 2003-04

On the average, students in the Consortium miss more than 12 days of school per year, ranging from as many as

29 days per year in high school to as few as 7 days in elementary school

More than 1 in four high school students attend less than 90% of the school year

Average daily attendance 2003-2004

Numberof

students

Minimum Value

Maximum Value

% of students attending less than 90% 2003-

2004

Number of students

attending less than 90% 2003-

2004

Minimum Value

Maximum Value

Total 93.4 98,963 90.7 96.1 19.0 18,802 4.5 30.4

School level

Elementary 94.6 52,020 93.2 96.4 14.8 7,704 4.2 22.3

Middle 93.7 20,705 89.9 95.9 18.8 3,894 5.5 35.2

High 91.0 26,238 84.2 95.4 27.5 7,204 7.7 50.8

Average daily attendance by Level of School—2003-04

All 17 Consortium Members

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A Challenge for the Consortium: High School Attendance

Average daily attendance 2003-2004

Numberof

students

% of students attending less than 90% 2003-

2004

Number of students

attending less than 90% 2003-

2004

Total 91.0 26,238 27.5 7,204

Race/ethnicity

White 93.6 14,657 16.9 2,473

Black 89.0 4,392 35.9 1,575

Hispanic 84.7 6,022 48.1 2,897

Asian 93.1 944 19.1 180

American Indian 90.7 79 29.1 23

Other 88.5 144 38.9 56

All minorities 87.2 11,581 40.9 4,731

Special Education 86.8 3,661 40.4 1,479

Bilingual/ESL 86.2 1,252 45.1 565

Low income 86.3 6,808 44.8 3,048

Average daily attendance by Selected Student Characteristics - High Schools

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Declining Attendance Starts in Grade 6

Percent of Students Attending Less than 90% of the Year—By Grade

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.0

Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12

Perc

en

t of

Stu

den

ts

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Students with High Absenteeism in Grade 9 May Be Dropping Out

Consortium Enrollment by Grade

8,443

6,699

6,117

5,299

-

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

9,000

Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12

Tota

l En

rollm

en

t

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Consortium Information

“Consortium” tab in your binder:

How districts can join

Membership application

Consortium recommendations

Consortium Data: 2001/02 – 2003/04

Consortium Summary Report

Conference Materials:

Visit the JJAC Home Page at:

www.opm.state.ct.us/pdpd1/grants/jjac

On the Web: