Khalsa Spring 2012

Your name: Tennille Wilkens

615 DATA DRIVEN DECISION MAKING PROJECT PHASE III and MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATION INCLUDED HERE.

PHASE III SCHOOL LEVEL INITIATIVE PLAN (15%)

Purpose of this assignment: This is the third and final phase of the three-part course Data-Driven
Decision-Making Project and will be completed individually based on the Phase II group work. The
goal of this assignment is to plan step-by-step actions for implementation of a level-wide data-driven
improvement plan for students. An individual multi-media presentation, in which the student reflects
on planning collaboratively and using data as a base for discussions and improvement will also be
included in the submission.

Please fill in the answers to each question in the template below. Be sure to copy/paste the
data/graphs/charts as appropriate for some answers. A visual of a timeframe or other uses of tables
and images will add interest and clarity to the assignment. Please include these as you see fit.

1. Why did I choose this initiative and what learning will it support?

In deciding on the first rule of action to implement initiatives that are to provide a plan of action
for students, Id like to first focus on students attendance. Maintaining proper attendance is the
beginning of a successful student. Of course that may seem obvious but there are so many
students whose attendance has had a tremendous effect on their performance. Absentee
children miss out on the opportunity to learn daily lessons, and score well on assessments. Its
important for students and parents to understand that attendance is the foundation that plays a
role in success.
2. What data was used to substantiate my choice of this initiative?

The data reviewed in Phase I of this plan has linked students attendance to decline in reading,
writing, and test scores. As shown in the graph below, a drop in attendance has had an impact
for homework assignments. Arriving upon these findings, developing and implementing an
action plan to improve students attendance became a priority. I found a study that was
conducted at Arizona State University showing that, students from kindergarten through high
school found that dropout patterns were linked with poor attendance, beginning in

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kindergarten.with dropouts missing an average of 124 days by eighth grade (Rodel
Community Scholars)
References:
http://www.greatschools.org/parenting/behavior-discipline/644-school-attendance-issues.gs
Graph is from individual portion in Phase 1.

Chart Title
140
120
100
80
Axis Title
60
40
20
0

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

3. What group of students will this initiative best serve? In what curriculum area?

The initiative is befitting for those students that have missed ten or more days. It is our goal to
intervene to promote the importance of attendance in all curriculum areas. If we teach these
growing children its ok to miss school, it embeds an attitude towards other instances involving
accountability. Educating the family is the first step at ensuring young children are in school.
Some families may be facing a personal circumstance that has an effect on the students
education. According to a report by Johns Hopkins University School of Education researcher
Dr. Robert Balfanz found that, chronic absenteeism in American schools is a largely unnoticed
and unmeasured problem. With that evidence, many parents may not even realize the
detrimental effects that those small absences have, and how they lead to an ongoing struggle.
Reference:
http://nbclatino.com/2013/09/04/attendance-awareness-month-is-your-child-missing-too-much-school/

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4. What are the learning objectives for this initiative?

In educating all parties involved on the importance of attendance, the greatest outcome of all
will be an increase I knowledge. The goal of this initiative is to keep the children in school;
never let them miss an opportunity to learn something new. Attending school regularly
increases understanding, as well as provide the necessary tools for study at home. Not only is
it our goal to get children to attend school indefinitely but to always leave with some level of
understanding.

5. What are the detailed steps for initiative implementation?

The attendance initiative is to be reactive and proactive. It is an important goal to improve

absenteeism and avoid other instances that may possibly impact a students attendance.
Including both excused and unexcused absents, as well as lateness and early dismissals. It is
a priority that the implementations of this initiative keep our young children present in school.
Steps for implementation:
1. The development of a plan to implementing such a plan is to first form an attendance team
at the school. The goal of this team is to monitor absents, tardiness, frequent dismissals,
and handle each students accordingly.
2. Then, develop an attendance target, this initiative will get all students at 95% or higher. This
means 95% average for tardiness, early dismissal, and missed days.
3. Next, is to gather a list of all students that have been facing an attendance issue. At this
point reviewing the students background to understand each ones background and other
possible contributing factors. Pay particular attention to those 10 or more absentees, just as
those that have missed 3-4 days within one month.
4. Lets intervene! The attendance team will first make contact with the parents. Reaching out
via phone and email to the parents is very important to discuss the pattern that has been
noticed. In addition to this, a letter is sent to the students home to educate on the positive
and negative effects of attendance. Include details of the cause and effects of lateness,
tardiness, and absentness to their education. This letter will be a description of the initiative
strategy, as well as data to show the outcome of continued increase in attendance.
5. For more extreme cases, making physical contact is the only option. Arranging conferences
with school administration or even possibly home visits are necessary.
6. Document everything!
7. Assess the student after 30 days.
6. What is the timeframe for initiative implementation?

The implementation of this initiative will be fully reviewed before further actions are taken.
Students that have missed 10 plus days of the school year, or 3-4 days in one month will be
included in this action plan. All parts of this intervention will be documented and recorded.
Once a student qualifies for an assessment, they are to be carefully monitored for a consistent

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pattern of change for at least 30 days. If all of approaches have been implemented, and theres
no consistent change, a contract between the school and parents/caregivers are to be signed.
This will hold all parties accountable for breach of contract and may be the accountability that
will ensure regular attendance. To the attendance teams discretion, depending on each
situation, further actions are required to be taken if such contract has been breached. The final
draw is to get the child welfare department involved and let the courts handle this matter.
7. Who will be involved and be responsible for the successful implementation of this initiative?

Everyone needs to be involved in the implementation of this strategy. The students

parents/caregivers, teachers, administration, attendance team, and community will all play an
active role in promoting the value of regular attendance. Ultimately the parent or caregiver is
responsible for getting the child to school. It is important that the guardians understand the
power they reserve at academic success for their children. However, the school must enforce
laws and ensure that priority is taken strongly for attendance.

8. What role will each member play in the implementation process and when?

In implementing this process everyone has an important role for this to be as effective as
possible. Firstly, students will be playing a key role in this because they are the target to get
the maximum benefit from this initiative. The student will likely gain healthy habits of
punctuality and self-discipline when they follow the policies in place. Obviously the
implementation process hopes to get students in school to learn more often, leading to
increased knowledge and increased scoring on assessments. For the teachers that are
involved they are to provide the children with learning packages to update students on missing
material. They will also help parents and students understand the importance of learning the
material in class, through a leveled classroom environment, so that they will not fall behind
trying to learn alone. The administration as well as the attendance team will see to it that each
student is adhering to all legal policies. It is administrators role to step in and intervene when
there are young children missing too many days. Not only will administration be responsible for
implementation process but its important that theyre consistently using these procedures and
policies. The community role and participation in this initiative will have encouraged children to
focus on their education. Promote regular attendance which will also account for each of our
students safety.
9. What will be the assessment(s) of different parts of the implementation? How will the assessments take place?
By whom? When?

After the initial review has taken place for 30 days by the attendance team, its time to review
the findings. The target was to get the students at 95% or more attendance rate, while lowering
tardiness, and early dismissals.
The attendance team should develop a graph to submit, to administration, showing the
attendance rate against their grades. If there has been improvement to the percentile bracket
of 95% or more, then theyll be removed from the assessment. If not, the student will remain in
the assessment while the attendance team review the students situation furthermore, and help
as necessary.
The attendance mentors will be assessed for their consistency to the policies and procedures
after the 30 day review as well. Administration will review all documented information from
each of the monitored students. The attendance mentor will be reviewed for efficiency of
information, timeliness, and the following of policies/procedures. If the attendance mentor does
not follow proper instruction, brief training sessions explain what is expected will be discussed.

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In other instances when parents are involved, all guardians will receive a review as well.
Ensuring the ongoing understanding of the policies and procedures in place will be of monitor.
Each of these areas will continue to be assessed on 30 days windows. If theres no change in
due time, administration will use their discretion to get the courts and child welfare involved.
10. Overall how will I know whether or not this initiative will be a success? What data, assessment processes and/or
indicators will give me this information? What are the expectations or 'criteria' for the assessment measures?

The goal of this initiative is to get the entire school attendance rate at 95% or more. That is, if
your child has attendance rate below the goal for the school, a plan of action will be
implemented. Knowing whether this plan will be a success takes constant review and monitor.
The purpose of reviewing the documentation and reviewing an updated graph is to evaluate
progress. Frequent assessments every 30 days, will help the attendance team report their
findings, so that administration can determine a reformed approach. Administration will guide
instruction to ensure this initiative growing effectiveness.
As stated previously, documentation and graphs are all key factors to determine the success of
this plan. Once reviewed if there are no signs of improvement within 30 days, the student will
remain in the review. Administration will use their discretion to modify plans as necessary.
Participation and full involvement from all parties are to be expected. Parents will get a full
progress report and if modifications are made they will be notified as well .
Summary:

The purpose of this initiative is to provide practical advice about methods to prevent children of
which grades have been suffering. The goal is to provide practical methods that will allow
educators to improve upon the students that have been identified as requiring extra help.
Additional help for the students that are getting off to a poor start and provide a mechanism
before failure takes place. Regardless of socioeconomic status or family background, students
succeed if they have a series of a great support system. Again our goal is to provide extra
support so that our young people can reach their goals.

Conclusion:

It is our intent to make sure that regular attendance is valued and a priority for both parents
and children. The goal of this initiative is to improve the attendance of students with an
attendance rate lower than 95%. These students are missing at least 3-4 days of instruction
every month or sometimes more. There is a strong correlation with these students between
attendance and homework completion, as it is rare for students in this grade level and course
to have poor attendance and still meet expectations. In order to improve student attendance,
teachers will reach out to administrators, counselors, and parents to help find ways to reduce
truancy. Each student may have unique reasons for their absences, so a variety of strategies
will be used to have the greatest impact. Our overall goal is to have all students with a 95%
attendance rate or better.
Multimedia Presentation is available here:

http://youtu.be/rPcmNVP4XZ0

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In this presentation you will need to share your reflections on the team process for Phase II and answer the following
questions. (No need to write here but be sure these questions are used as a checklist before submission of your presentation).

1. What was the most powerful part of the team experience?

2. What was my weakest moment?
3. What was my biggest challenge during the process? Why? What can I do personally to eliminate this challenge
next time?
4. How did this Phase II team process and assignment add to my understanding of data-driven decision making in
the schools?
5. What suggestion(s) do you have to the team and/or the instructor so that Phases I, II, and III can be better
planned for next semester's 615 students?