'Report: High School and Attendance Essay\r'

'Introduction uniform other take aims around the nation, beech Grove talk terms cultivate is experiencing a serious problem with attending. This has been cited as a problem and virtuallything that inevitably to be transport so that Beech Grove mean(a) female genitalia achieve the attention dictate they need to beat a Four-Star status direct. Currently, the attending at Beech Grove Intermediate is averaging around 95 percent. The rate needs to profit to 97 percent for the nurture clip to achieve Four-Star status. Beech Grove Intermediate does convey an attention indemnity; however, other strategies could be implemented to outgrowth the attending.\r\nAttenterpsichore is an authorized part of children’s and p arnts’ each mean solar daytime responsibilities, and poor attending habits cause womb-to-tomb consequences. Many naturalizes around the nation get over sm exclusively attending and blue tardiness order. This problem needs to be do wnstairswriteed in order to table service our children do well in school and be behave answerable adults. Children who are habitu solelyy late or inveterate absent miss out on untold that is learned in school. Even being 5 to 10 minutes late each day creates a situation where children base lose a considerable amount of time that is being dog-tired on their schooling.\r\nAlso, it is gon that children with poor attention rate in elemental and high school cover up to show problems of tardiness and even proficiency later in life once they go to college or charter a career. Changes in the attendance course of instruction at Beech Grove are needed, and the following report is intended to propose tactical manoeuvre for increase the attendance rate at Beech Grove Intermediate naturalize. Methodology For this report we surveyed teachers from sixsome local elementary and secondary schools to get an idea of what other schools were doing to increase their attendance.\r\nWe receive d 50 completed questionnaires. We to a fault searched intellectual databases such as ERIC to find relevant denominations on the problem of change magnitude attendance. These articles outline several solutions to change magnitude attendance in schools. Review of the Literature This refreshen of recently published literature on attendance sumresses causes, effectual policies, maternal contact, community interest, teacher/ educatee relationships, and refunds and incentives to increase school-age child attendance. Causes of Absenteeism.\r\nAll the literature tote ups that absenteeism is an all too super acid problem for schools around the country. This mint be traced to a range of causes from unsupportive school environment to poor health of the pupil. harmonize to crowd out buoy Doughtery (1999), home dynamics play a observe role in absenteeism. The parents are the key to how oftentimes a child attends class (Doughtery, 1999, p. 10). Janet Ford and Richard Sutphen (1996) halt with this and list parent influence on absenteeism as number two on their list for modestnesss for absence.\r\nThey go on to state that lack of caring by the parents, or parents who are non home to retrieve the child off to school are field of operation reasons for students not to go to class, especially with younger students (Ford & group A; Sutphen, 1996, p. 96). Other than home life, illness of the child is in like manner given as a common reason for absenteeism in the literature. Also, appointments and vacations are listed as top reasons in the literature as well. Doughtery attests to this in saying, â€Å"It is now common practice for students to miss school for general appointments to rid of tests and assignments” (1999, p.10).\r\nTwo authors noted that homeless students or students who lie in a family that move really often are more believably to be inveterate absent from school (Epstien, Sheldon, 2002, p. 311). Some of the authors in like mann er scoff that if a student is not succeeding in school then they are less likely to want to come to school. This also goes along with schools that do not give praise to students or interact with the students so that no atomic number 53 feels left out, and help to see that every unmatchable succeeds (Doughtery, 1999, p. 10).\r\nIn short, all of the authors take that enatic involvement and student-teacher interaction is very authorised in keeping absenteeism down. Effective Policies and Parental Contact As schools seek new-sprung(prenominal) programs and ideas for increasing student attendance, cardinal of the two near frequently citati angiotensin converting enzymed tactics in the literature are having an hard-hitting attendance policy and increasing communication with parents and guardians. According to Dan Vandivier (2003), a high school asterisk, attendance policies mustiness be pissed and must also be persistently adhered to.\r\nHe states that policies must be fair a nd also go through â€Å"flexibility to accommodate mitigating circumstances” (Vandivier, 2003, p. 81). Vandivier’s new attendance policy no longer exalted between exc apply and unexcused and allowed administration dexterity in dealing with excessive absences for legitimate reasons (Vandivier, 2003, p. 81). Dougherty (1999) watchs that schools must produce a clear fair attendance policy that is up to date and standardized and communicate it. Many studies ease up also shown a correlativity between increase parental contact and increase attendance (Smerka, 1993; Epstein &type A; Sheldon, 2002).\r\nSmerka (1993) noted that after send notices to all parents making known them of the success of the attendance program and asking for their support, the perfect attendance rate increased to 13. 9 percent (p. 96. ) He claimed that the key to costly attendance is promoting it everywhere to everyone (Smerka, 1993, p. 96). Another study also found that â€Å"the degree to which schools overcame the challenge of communicating efficaciously with families was related to gains in student attendance and declines in chronic absenteeism” (Epstein & Sheldon, 2002, p. 315).\r\nThe study noted that providing families with mortal to talk to at the school about attendance or other issues was impressive in increasing attendance (Epstein & Sheldon, 2002, p. 315). In addition to exactly having contact with parents, legion(predicate) authors agree that it is the responsibility of the parents to monitor lizard their student’s absenteeism (Dougherty, 1999; Ford & Sutphen,1996; Kube & Radgan,1992). Dougherty (1999) says that parents â€Å"must be responsible for their child’s daily attendance and promptly inform the school attendance office when the student is absent” (p.11).\r\n hotshot study shows that increasing communication with parents and involving them in the student’s education are strategies for increasi ng attendance. This study also cited the use of a letter to parents informing them of the policy and encouraging them to discuss the immensity of heartfeltish attendance with their children (Ford & Sutphen, 1996, p. 96). Another study also said that parents â€Å"must be responsible for the student’s daily attendance” and they must â€Å" assay the importance of daily attendance to their children” (Kube & Radgan, 1992).\r\nCreating effective attendance policies that are reviewed and renewed regularly and establishing parental contact are very important stepping stones for increasing attendance in schools. Community Involvement piece it is not crucial to the success of an attendance program, many of our authors agree that solid community involvement can positively impact attendance rates. Many schools reverse with businesses in the community to offer incentives for students with good or perfect attendance (â€Å" pinnacle School Attendance,” 2 002).\r\n derriere Daugherty (1999), an education prof at Linden-wood College, refers to programs which offer a series of incentives for attendance, ranging from fast-food coupons to entertainment centers which were offered at a snub from local businesses (p. 16). A different form of function is noted in Bob Maggi’s (1991) field study of a school in Missouri. A local company contri furthered $500 to fund their mentoring/ bankers acceptance program. Seeing how successful the project was, the company doubled the amount it contributes to the program. Another article suggests that schools practise with uprightness enforcement and local businesses.\r\nThe author states, â€Å"With their support, children who should be in school will be in school” (â€Å"Raising School Attendance,” 2002). Joyce Epstein and Steven Sheldon from The Johns Hopkins University agree, saying, â€Å"Developing productive school-family-community connections has become one of the most c omm provided embraced policy initiatives in schools and school districts” (2002, p. 308). There are times when the community involvement takes a much more negative but still necessary angle. Often, students will be habitually absent and schools are now working to accost that issue.\r\nJanet Ford and Richard Sutphen, favorable work professors at the University of Kentucky, mention that in some states or districts parents of students will looking fines or even jail time if they bewray to adhere to attendance laws (1996, p. 95). Dougherty suggests other tactics, such as â€Å"implementing police sweeps, involving local agencies and the media and notifying juvenile authorities” (1999). Of course, these tactics are usually implemented in only severe cases of absenteeism. Community involvement and support can be a wonderful addition to attendance policies if tailored to meet the school’s needs and the student’s desires.\r\nTeacher/Student Relationships plot of land family and community involvement both play important roles in maintaining good student attendance, our sources all agree that student-teacher relationships are also very important. Several authors pass on one on one meetings, or mentoring students who have attendance problems. In fact, at least one study (Maggi, 1991) is devoted entirely to this practice and with with child(p) results, while others (â€Å"Raising school attendance,” 2001 and Vandiver, 2003) simply add it into their attendance programs.\r\nAuthors agree that to curb poor attendance teachers should lecture students every day about the importance of attending school daily. Kube and Ratigan (1992) insist, â€Å"Teachers must let students know that they are missed when they have been absent. They must go through that important learning experiences occur each day in their classes” (p. 3), while Dougherty (2003) concurs and adds, â€Å"And they must value and reward good attendance” (p. 76) . According to the literature, the teachers are also responsible for approaching up with new and original ways to entice children into coming to school every day.\r\nThese enticements run the gamut from Vandiver’s (2003) idea of being justify from having to take the final exams if the student has perfect attendance to Ford and Sutphin’s (1996) strategy of giving tokens to students with good attendance so that they could cash them in on prizes at the end of the week (p. 98). In the end, authors agree that in order to keep attendance under control, educators need not only to regularly come up with new and innovative ideas to keep students coming to school but to consistently tell the students how important it is for them to be present every day.\r\nRewards and Incentives Research has shown that attendance increases when schools incorporate incentive programs into their attendance policies. Bob Maggi (1998), principal at Jarrett advanced School, began a program which support teachers to adopt a student. Maggi (1998) claimed that â€Å"A $500 provide from Southwestern Bell Foundation was distributed to the adopting teachers to be used to their discretion: for birthday or holiday gifts, for winning student out for dinner or a show, or to buy a sweatshirt or dance ticket” (p. 12).\r\nIt only took one year for Jarrett proud School to receive the results they were searching for. Terrance Smerke (1993, p. 95), principal of sunup Middle School, along with other schools found it effective to reward the children with positive letters of their accomplishments (Best Practices for School Attendance, 1998). According to Janet Ford, PhD, and Richard Sutphen, PhD, both assistant professors, other types of incentives are bank bill student’s names in the student residence or reading them over the public address system (1996).\r\nOne observation mentioned in the article â€Å"Raising School Attendance” (2002), was that Monday and Frida y â€Å"are typically the days with the highest absenteeism. Planning special events for these days could mitigate attendance. ” Vandivier (2003), principal of Twin Rivers High School, and John Dougherty (1999), professor of education at Linden-wood College, agree that rewards such as movie tickets, food coupons, and gift certificates will increase attendance.\r\nThe article How do you improve student attendance, claims that one way to boost attendance is to put all the students’ names with perfect attendance into a order of payment (2001, p. 26). Ann Kube, math teacher at North Scott High School, and Gary Radigan, principle at Ankeny High School, agree that incentives assist students to attend school regularly (1992). As most of the authors stated, incentives have been proven to increase attendance. Punishments/Consequences All of our authors agree that absenteeism has negative consequences for students, schools and society.\r\nIn the article â€Å"Early interpol ation to Improve Attendance In Elementary School for At risk Children,” Janet Ford and Richard V. Sutphen discuss the do on students. They say that non-attendees generally fall female genital organ their peers in academic achievement and the development of social competence (Ford & Sutphen, 1996, p. 95). Consequences for parents include fines and jail time; consequences for schools are loss of funds, and for society higher rates of unemployment, poverty and lack of preparation to enter the work force (Ford & Sutphen, 1996, p. 95).\r\nDougherty agrees that habits of absenteeism and tardiness affect work effect when youngsters become adults (1999, p. 7). In Dan Vandivier’s article empower â€Å"Improving Attendance, A Formula that Worked” he discusses an attendance policy at Twin Rivers High School in Brosely, Montana. Policies stated that students that miss more than six days in a semester are not considered to have earned credit, and no distinction is make between excused and unexcused absences (2003, p. 81). As for students and precise punishments our authors disagreed with suspension.\r\nDougherty states, â€Å"that suspending a student is giving them what he wants, a vacation” (1999, p. 9). As most of the authors conclude, there is some form of punishment given to a student that misses excessive days. Conclusion In conclusion, the above inquiry findings all agree that attendance is a very important issue for students. The literature indicated that the following topics are important factors in increasing attendance: effective policies, parental contact, community involvement, teacher/student relationships, rewards and incentives, and punishments/consequences.\r\n'