Attendance

Tier 1 Framework — All Students

Attendance is a responsible behavior within the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework. This schoolwide framework provides systematic supports and interventions to all students. PBIS is a framework that guides the selection and implementation of research-based attendance best practices and interventions.

Schoolwide PBIS essential elements for attendance include:

recognizing attendance as a responsible behavior as a part of your PBIS framework;
schoolwide expectations of regular daily attendance and being on time and ready to learn with your PBIS expectations;
acknowledgment of the positive behavior of improved or regular attendance as a part of your PBIS acknowledgment system;
ongoing schoolwide behavior lessons focusing on attendance as a responsible behavior, parent outreach, and communication regarding the connection between regular attendance and academic/work/life success; and
dedicated teams that support the PBIS efforts in the building and use data to guide goal setting and support.

Possible Strategies

Attaching attendance to schoolwide expectations matrix
Teaching the expectation of attendance
Including attendance in Tier 1 schoolwide acknowledgment system (high interest and meaningful)
Attendance bulletin boards and announcements
Attendance competitions/challenges
Messaging about good and improved attendance; i.e., send postcards, make calls home, have direct contact with students, use IC messenger
Classroom teacher contacting home for unknown abscences
Regular data chats with students
Positive school climate/culture: relationship building, positive decorum with students, customer service to all visitors, opportunities for students to engage in school outside of the classroom (clubs), and high levels of engagement in class

Tier 2

When students miss school two days within a month, their classroom teacher makes a call home to build a positive relationship with the family. Teachers and teams regularly review data to determine whether strategies show improved attendance and layer additional supports for students (tiered supports). If a student continues to miss school after the contact home, he or she is identified by the school’s Building Intervention Team (which serves as the school’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 team for academics and behavior) for participation in an intervention where he or she is partnered with a positive adult to check in daily and reflect on weekly attendance. Students who show improvement are acknowledged and encouraged daily to stay on track. However, if students don’t show improvement, they are identified as being a part of a skills group to assist them with developing the skills necessary to be successful in school and life. Teams regularly review data to catch students before their absences become chronic and they become disconnected from school and their education.