Student Dashboard Metrics Chapter 2 - Attendance and Discipline

Chapter Introduction

Research has proven that high rates of absenteeism, tardiness, disciplinary incidents, or mobility signal disruptions in the continuity and quality of a student’s learning.

All of this student information is accessible early and often in the school year, before course performance data is available. As a result, these data are powerful and useful early indicators for identifying students in need of immediate intervention. When viewed together, attendance, tardiness, discipline, mobility, dropout rate and participation metrics help educators understand the true story of how actively and productively individual students, groups of students, and their parents are engaged in school.

Introduction

Educators understand that in order to learn, one has to be physically present in the classroom. Monitoring attendance gives educators a picture of which students may need interventions to avoid the following research-based outcomes:

High rates of absence are likely to lead to course failure and, over the long term, greater likelihood of dropping out of school.
A few absences matter greatly: nearly 90% of freshmen in Chicago Public Schools who miss less than a week of school per semester graduate in four years, compared to just over 60% of students who missed about one week (equal to five to nine days) (Allensworth & Easton, 2007).
Attendance, not prior test scores, is the single largest variable in course failures among Chicago freshmen. In fact, course attendance has been shown to be eight times more predictive of course failure in ninth grade than eighth grade test scores. Practically speaking, Chicago ninth graders who miss more than two weeks of school fail, on average, at least two classes. Moreover, ninth graders who enter with high eighth grade test scores, but miss two weeks of school per semester, are more likely to fail a course than ninth graders with low test scores who miss just one week (Allensworth & Easton, 2007).
Chicago ninth graders demonstrating high levels of absenteeism (missing one month or more of school) have less than a 10% chance of graduating (Allensworth & Easton, 2007).
Among Philadelphia high school students, the number of absences during the first 30 days of ninth grade was found to be the most powerful predictor of later academic failure among all risk factors (Neild & Balfanz, 2006).
Among Philadelphia middle schoolers, sixth and eighth graders with less than 80% attendance for the year had a 75% chance or greater of dropping out of school (Neild & Balfanz, 2006).

Average Daily Attendance

How to Use the Metric

Average Daily Attendance is used at the campus and district levels to gain a broad picture of the attendance habits of a school or district as a whole.

Detailed attendance data allows educators to implement consistent and timely responses to attendance (e.g., adult contact after second absence) and develop individual student intervention plans aimed at furthering student-teacher trust and student ownership of and engagement in academics, two conditions which research suggests are influential in improving attendance.

This metric is a simple average of the students present during the designated homeroom period for each instructional day. This metric will likely not match the values submitted for Average Daily Attendance or Weighted Average Daily Attendance for the purposes of funding.

Metric Specifications

Daily Attendance

How to Use the Metric

With the detailed daily attendance detail, educators can view attendance patterns, including both excused and unexcused absences, throughout the school year. If a student’s overall attendance falls below the defined campus attendance goal, the student is easily identified for immediate attention and intervention by the teacher. Aggregated at the campus level, educators can identify problem days of the week as well as other patterns in the student body as a whole. Ideally, teachers would review attendance daily, but at a minimum on a weekly basis, to address issues before attendance declines to a critical level.

Metric Specifications

Days Absent

How to Use the Metric

With the detailed 'days absent' views, educators can see attendance patterns, including both excused and unexcused days absent, throughout the school year. If a student’s overall days absent increases above the defined campus goal, the student is easily identified for immediate attention and intervention by the teacher. Aggregated at the campus level, educators can identify problem days of the week as well as other patterns in the student body as a whole.

Metric Specifications

Class Period Absence Rate

How to Use the Metric

The class period absence rate enables educators to easily identify students who have missed an excessive amount of classes, allowing for immediate attention and intervention. In addition, educators can review aggregated information on class absences by student and for the class as a whole (“classroom” view) in order to identify and address patterns among groups of students.

Coupled with other indicators of performance, closely monitoring attendance can identify several early intervention opportunities. When detailed period-level attendance information is available, the needs of students struggling within a particular class (e.g., English Language Arts) can be addressed with a specific academic intervention before course failure occurs.

Metric Specifications

Tardy Rate

Introduction

Closely watching tardy rate is just as important as watching the daily or class period attendance rate, particularly in elementary school where a tardy may be the equivalent of missing an entire subject’s worth of instruction. Additional reasons to closely monitor tardiness include:

Whereas class period absence rate gives educators an idea of what content is being missed in middle and high school, tardy rate gives educators an idea of what content is being missed at the elementary level where there may only be one ‘class period’ to report.
Educators feel strongly that tardiness and absenteeism interfere with classroom learning (Light, 2006).
Increased tardy rates may lead to more days absent.
Tardiness and truancy are linked to increases in discipline incidents (Dinks & Baum, 2009).

How to Use the Metric

The Tardy Rate metric enables educators to easily identify students who have missed an excessive amount of instructional time, allowing for immediate attention and intervention. Although daily attendance is a vitally important first screen, tardy rate provides elementary educators additional insight into when (what morning and/or day) and where (what subject area) a student’s absences are occurring, so that they can target their interventions accordingly. In addition, educators can review aggregated information on tardies by student and for the class as a whole (classroom view) in order to identify and address patterns among groups of students.

When detailed tardy information is available, the needs of students struggling within a particular subject area (e.g., English Language Arts) can be addressed with a specific academic intervention before course failure occurs.
School-wide efforts to increase attendance and develop consistent responses to tardy issues (e.g., adult contact after second tardy) can strengthen efforts with individual students.

Metric Specifications

Discipline Referrals

Introduction

Students who misbehave are often calling out for help. Educators must monitor discipline in order to track these warning signs early and intervene.

Misbehavior often leads to removal from the classroom or, in more serious cases, the school, further disrupting instruction.
Disruptive behavior affects not only the learning of the perpetrator (student misbehaving) but also every student in the classroom.

How to Use the Metric

Educators can review the date, reason, description and action taken for each reported discipline incident in order to introduce interventions and responses that are both appropriate and timely. In addition, educators can view aggregated information on discipline referrals by student and for the class as a whole (classroom view) in order to identify and address patterns of misbehavior among groups of students.

Because of the timeliness of discipline data, problem behavior that may lead to academic difficulties can often be detected before course performance data are available.

Suggested strategies that are effective at addressing student misbehavior (Balfanz, Herzog, & MacIver, 2007):

Constantly recognize and model positive behavior.
Follow the first incident of misbehavior with a consistent, timely response.
Work collaboratively among teachers, administrators and counselors to examine data on when, where and which students misbehave to devise individual and school wide solutions.

Metric Specifications

Student Discipline Referrals

All Discipline Incidents

Introduction

Students who misbehave are often calling out for help. Educators must monitor discipline in order to track these warning signs early and intervene.

Misbehavior often leads to removal from the classroom or, in more serious cases, the school, further disrupting instruction.
Disruptive behavior affects not only the learning of the perpetrator (student misbehaving) but also every student in the classroom.

How to Use the Metric

The All Discipline Incidents metric enables educators to easily identify students with problem behavior that has led to high levels of discipline incidents, allowing for immediate attention and intervention. Having readily identified these students, educators can review the date, reason, description and action taken for each reported discipline incident in order to introduce interventions and responses that are both appropriate and timely. In addition, educators can view aggregated information on discipline referrals by student and for the class as a whole (“classroom” view) in order to identify and address patterns of misbehavior among groups of students.

Because of the timeliness of discipline data, problem behavior that may lead to academic difficulties can often be detected before course performance data are available.

Research suggests three strategies that are effective at addressing student misbehavior (Balfanz, Herzog, & MacIver, 2007):

Constantly recognize and model positive behavior.
Follow the first incident of misbehavior with a consistent, timely response.
Work collaboratively among teachers, administrators and counselors to examine data on when, where and which students misbehave to devise individual and school wide solutions.

Metric Specifications

School Code of Conduct Incidents

Introduction

Students who misbehave are often calling out for help. Educators must monitor discipline in order to track these warning signs early and intervene.

Misbehavior often leads to removal from the classroom or, in more serious cases, the school, further disrupting instruction.
Disruptive behavior affects not only the learning of the perpetrator (student misbehaving) but also every student in the classroom.

How to Use the Metric

The School Code of Conduct Incidents metric enables educators to easily identify students with problem behavior that has led to high levels of school code of conduct incidents, allowing for immediate attention and intervention. Having readily identified these students, educators can review the date, reason, description and action taken for each reported discipline incident in order to introduce interventions and responses that are both appropriate and timely. In addition, educators can view aggregated information on discipline referrals by student and for the class as a whole (classroom view) in order to identify and address patterns of misbehavior among groups of students.

Because of the timeliness of discipline data, problem behavior that may lead to academic difficulties can often be detected before course performance data are available. Ideally, teachers would review discipline data weekly, but at a minimum on a monthly basis, to ensure behavior issues are addressed.

Research suggests three strategies that are effective at addressing student misbehavior (Balfanz, Herzog, & MacIver, 2007):

Constantly recognize and model positive behavior.
Follow the first incident of misbehavior with a consistent, timely response.
Work collaboratively among teachers, administrators and counselors to examine data on when, where and which students misbehave to devise individual and school wide solutions.