School Spotlights
Welby Community School of the Arts
Fostering Community and Belonging
Welby Community School is improving its student attendance by fostering a sense of community and belonging to make the school a place kids want to be. Like many schools, Welby faced challenges with attendance after the COVID-19 pandemic, but thanks to focused efforts, its attendance increased from the mid-80% range to as high as 91% by the end of the last school year and is still on the rise.
Principal Danielle Dickson said a major reason parents have allowed their children to miss school was a misconception, from the pandemic days, that online learning or at-home study can replace classroom instruction. But she said, "Kids need to be here every day, on time, so they don’t fall behind." She added that missing even a few days of school can quickly add up, creating gaps in learning that are hard to bridge.
In the last few years, the school has developed activities like whole-school community assemblies and smaller, multi-age group meetings to help students connect with each other and their teachers. Every student knows they are a valued member of the school, which motivates them to attend regularly. Teachers even personally call the homes of absent students, letting them know their classmates miss them, reinforcing the importance of being part of the school community.
The school has also taken steps to reduce tardiness, like now asking parents who arrive after the bell rings to walk their children into the school and sign them in. This has led to about a 25% reduction in late arrivals. Dickson said it’s important for parents to understand that while missing 20 or 30 minutes of a school day may not seem like much time, in a 6-hour school day, that can be a big chunk of math or reading instruction.
Welby’s goal is to reach 98% daily attendance and ensure students are prepared for middle school and beyond.
York International School
A Culture of Attendance
York International School has been chipping away in its mission to improve student attendance over the last few years and the results are showing. Like many schools across the nation, York saw a significant drop in attendance during the pandemic. Prior to COVID-19, the school’s attendance rate was about 92-93%, right in line with the state average. But as the pandemic unfolded, attendance dropped dramatically into the 80% range, and students were more and more comfortable staying home.
The school responded by making good attendance part of its culture and it makes no secret that its goal is to have an average attendance rate of 95%. Attendance is brought up in newsletters, School Accountability Committee (SAC) meetings, school assemblies, and daily morning announcements.
Every two weeks, York’s Attendance Committee looks over attendance reports to identify students that are struggling to make it to class. Committee members decide which one of them will contact students, figure out why they can’t make it to school and how they can support them, and bring their families into the conversations, if necessary. These students are also invited to fill out surveys explaining their attendance challenges, which can include real problems like lack of transportation.
The school also celebrates attendance success stories. Students who show improved or outstanding attendance are recognized and might be rewarded with fun incentives like ice cream treats or drawings for things like York Spirit Gear and the chance to become Principal for the Day.
Over the last couple years, York’s attendance rate has climbed from about 89% to 92% as of now. The school’s principal, Eriksen Van Etten, said they are committed to keep improving.