ATTENDANCE STRATEGIES

1
ATTENDANCE STRATEGIES

• VISION 20/20
• NAYC 2009

2
Introduction

• Early School leavers
• Student facilities
• Absenteeism / reasons
• Promoting good attendance
• Introduction policy following recommendations
  from Dept of Education inspection
• How policy was introduced
• Statistics / comparisons

3
Early School Leavers

• History of non-attendance upon admission to
  Youthreach
• Sense of failure in the education system
• Low academic achievements
• Family dysfunction / addiction
• May have come to the attention of the JLO/courts

4
Youthreach Student facilities

• Warm, friendly and welcoming atmosphere
• Learner-centred approach
• FEATC levels 3, 4 and 5 offered
• Meals provided
• Bus service provided
• On site crèche provided

5
Why do students not attend?

• Illness, medical or dental appointments
• Feeling of exclusion (bullying)
• Travellers - may be travelling
• Family bereavement /separation
• Young person may be a carer of family
• Special occasions / Family holidays
• Depression, family difficulties
• Students responsible for looking after younger
  siblings whilst parents work
• Homelessness / drinking / drug-taking
• Siblings / parents may have been poor attenders
  at school

6
Punctuality

• Be clear in terms of times when register is
  open/closed
• Be firm but fair (may have the effect of
  discouraging the latecomer from attending at all)
• Consider where responsibility for punctuality
  rests, with them or the parents
• Use positive encouragement
• Bear in mind the centres geographical settings
• Be consistently applied by all staff

7
Promoting good attendance

• Wall chart on student attendance / punctuality
  mounted in canteen
• Reports to parents
• Certificate presentations
• Photo-displays featuring good attending /
  improving students
• Presentations and prizes for 100 attenders at
  end of each year (Christmas party)

8
Centre Inspection Recommendations

• Enrolment applications should always be processed
  as quickly as possible
• Priority should be given to reviewing the impact
  of existing attendance strategies and
  consolidating such efforts further
• Development of a written attendance policy which
  should outline the actions to be taken on the
  case of persistent non-attendances

9
Education Welfare Board

• Responsible for students up to 16 years old
• Students with less than Junior certificate
• Centres must follow school guidelines for
  non-attendees under age
• Report 20 day absence to EWO

10
Rush Youthreach

• At interview and on induction students are told
  that 100 attendance expected
• Students sign in each morning and if absent they
  are expected to call centre, not their parents
• Attendance/punctuality policy in place, signed by
  parent and student on placement

11
Teaching Staff

• Must keep a class register
• Should call roll at each class (regardless of
  class size)
• Mark students if late for class
• Keep note of concerns if students are
  persistently late or absent and report at staff
  meetings where it can be logged

12
Attendance Policy

• Students must produce doctor certificate if
  absent through illness
• Twelve days per year for illness will be paid
  upon producing doctor certificate
• Students absent for 10 days without a valid
  reason will receive a verbal warning
• Students absent for 20 days without a valid
  reason may be terminated immediately (EWO will be
  contacted)
• If a student wishes to return to the centre they
  may reapply and will be placed on the waiting
  list
• Students may be offered place back but not
  necessarily in the same class

13
How were policies put in place?

• Consultation with SCP, NEWB, students and parents
• Attendance tracking database
• Regular staff meetings
• Student council
• Internal Centre Evaluation (ICE)
• Centre Development Plan (CDP)

14
Did attendance improve?

• Students took responsibility for their own
  attendance
• Did not wish to lose place on programme
• Students were not aware of days absent from the
  centre
• Parents encouraged attendance
• All staff encourage students to improve attendance

15
Attendance statistics Sept 2007 Jan 2008

• Centre operational 85 days
• Students absent on average 37days (43.5)

16
Attendance statistics Sept 2008 Jan 2009

• Centre operational 96 days
• Students absent on average 14 days (14.5)

17
Comparison
18
Centre Ethos

• It is essential to keep the emphasis on promoting
  and encouraging good attendance
• When students get it right, let them know and
  let them know loud and clear

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Conclusion

• Attendance in Rush up on average 66 since
  introduction of policy
• Punctuality, small improvement - large
  geographical area, poor public transport
• Students very clear of expectations of centre and
  attendance policy
• Verbal Praise and positive feedback are
  extrinsic reinforcers that have been found to
  increase, not decrease, intrinsic interest
  (Salvin, 2003147)