Stemming Chronic Absenteeism the Community Schools Way
October 01, 2024
What鈥檚 been learned from a multi-district consortium in rural California about proactive steps and interventions
At Lost Hills Union Elementary District in Lost Hills, Calif., Irma Mealy and Erika Ram铆rez begin their days as community school coordinators with a particular routine. After greeting students and families at the gate of their rural school, they sit down to examine attendance data.
Lost Hills Union鈥檚 official enrollment lists 292 students in kindergarten through 8th grade. The two staffers record who is not present at the start of the day, determine whether the absences are excused and check which students and classes are inching closer to earning a monthly attendance award.
After reviewing the data within the first hour each morning, Mealy and Ram铆rez reach out to families of students with unexcused absences to understand why they are not in school and to offer direct support to see they make it to class. When transportation is the barrier (e.g., missed bus pickup or family car issues), Mealy or Ram铆rez offers to pick up students from home using the school鈥檚 12-seat van, with no consequences for the student, whether it鈥檚 their first pickup or their 10th.
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Community Schooling and Chronic Absenteeism
Community schools recognize that addressing the broader needs of students and their families is essential for student learning and well-being.
To do this, they organize in-school and out-of-school resources to address students鈥� academic, social, emotional and health needs while actively engaging families and the broader community.
While community schools differ depending on local needs and assets, the Essentials for Community School Transformation, a framework developed through a national collaboration called Community Schools Forward, suggests that high-quality community schools share certain features: the integration of student supports, expanded learning opportunities, increased attention to family and community engagement, and a culture of belonging, safety and care, among others.
Community school coordinators and other specialized personnel are also central figures in community schools who support and/or manage the integration of these school features.
Research has demonstrated the positive impact of community schools on student outcomes, including academic performance, higher attendance rates and social and emotional health. These successes have fueled the expansion of the community school model across the country.
Practical Resources
To learn more about community schools, the authors suggest these informational resources on the supporting research, implementation strategies and financing.
Research:
published 鈥淐ommunity Schools as an Effective School Improvement Strategy: A Review of the Evidence鈥� and 鈥淐reating the Conditions for Kids to Learn: A Case Study of Oakland鈥檚 Full-Service Community Schools Initiative."
published 鈥淒eveloping Community Schools at Scale: Implementation of the New York City Community Schools Initiative鈥� and 鈥淚llustrating the Promise of Community Schools: An Assessment of the Impact of the New York City Community School Initiative."
Implementation:
taskforce published 鈥淔ramework: Essentials for Community School Transformation"
produced 鈥淐ommunity Schools Can Help Superintendents Transform Education: Community Schools Leader Insights鈥�
offers resources on partnership opportunities through integrated student supports
produced 鈥淏uilding Community Schools: A Guide for Action鈥�
Finance Strategies:
produced 鈥淒istrict Leaders鈥� Strategies for Funding and Implementing Community Schools鈥�
produced 鈥淐ommunity Schools Playbook鈥� and 鈥淔inancing Community Schools: A Framework for Growth and Sustainability鈥�
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