Daily attendance drops, truancy rises in U-46

The slight dip in average daily attendance across Elgin Area District U-46 and a spike in truancy numbers during the first month of school are two areas that district officials deem a concern. But a new high school attendance tracking system has resulted in far fewer students being sent to the dean's office, district officials said Monday.

U-46 safety coordinator John Heiderscheidt, and Greg Walker, assistant superintendent of secondary education, updated the board of education on student attendance and dropout rates.

According to the date, the average daily attendance in September 2011 was down slightly to 96 percent from 96.2 percent in September 2010.

“Historically, August, September, October and November are our best attendance months,” Heiderscheidt said. “This is not a good starting point to see this trend at the start of the year.”

Walker added that numbers collected in September have a direct correlation with what the district finds at the end of the year. High schools saw the biggest dip, from 95.5 percent in 2010 to 95 in 2011. The dropout rate, however, fell to a low of 2.3 percent, officials said.

“We need to work to keep students in school, have them be successful and graduate,” Walker said.

The district is striving to reach 98 percent attendance as part of its Destination 2015 plan, a guide to improving academic success in the district over the next five years.

In addition, the truancy rate was up about 34 percent at the secondary level, or 71 students, from 207 to 278, Heiderscheidt said. Truancy is defined as an accounted absence without a parent excuse for three consecutive days at the middle school level and five days at high school.

But while the truancy numbers are up, Walker said the implementation of the PLASCO system in high schools has resulted in more student accountability.

“Tardy referrals to the dean's office have dropped by about 50 percent,” Walker said. That means schools have more time to find the root causes of why students are truant or tardy, Walker said.

The district will now identify an action plan to combat truancy and look at other factors, including adult behaviors — both at home and school — that negatively affect attendance.

“It is one thing to say we need to do a better job,” Walker said. “But we need to identify what resources are available that will impact attendance at all levels.”