Committing to Presence: L.B. Clarke's Pathway to Student SuccessBy Daniel Butler, Associate Principal and Nicole DeRoehn, Dean of Students, L.B. Clarke Middle School At L.B. Clarke Middle School, we firmly believe that consistent attendance is the foundational first step toward academic success. While managing school attendance can often be a complex challenge, we are proud of the comprehensive, supportive systems we have developed to ensure our students are present and ready to learn every day. Our commitment to these practices has yielded remarkable results. Over the last three academic years, we have successfully increased our overall school attendance by 4.5% and significantly reduced chronic absenteeism by 21.1%. Our Data-Driven Attendance System Our multi-tiered attendance strategy is built upon a consistent, data-informed process that allows us to intervene early and provide targeted support. Weekly Monitoring and Identification At the conclusion of each week, we generate a school-wide attendance report using Wisedash data. This information is meticulously reviewed to identify all students who fall into the chronically absent range (attending less than 90% of the time). Identified students are added to a dedicated, timestamped Watch List that tracks their attendance rate and specific dates of absence. Once a student is added, they remain on this list for ongoing monitoring throughout the school year. Weekly updates to their attendance rate are recorded, creating a clear, running history of their progress. Tiered Intervention and Support Our Attendance Team meets weekly to discuss students on the watchlist and determine appropriate next steps based on our four-tiered attendance system. The watchlist spreadsheet is dynamically highlighted to quickly identify students who are trending up, trending down, or graduating from intensive monitoring. We approach attendance through a four-tiered system that emphasizes partnership with students and families: Initial Follow-Up (Tier 1): Students newly added to the Chronic Absentee Watchlist receive a face-to-face conversation with a member of our Attendance Team. Concurrently, a Family Awareness Letter is sent home, officially notifying the family of their child's current attendance rate and the requirement for improvement.
Sustained Concern (Tier 2): If the student’s attendance rate remains below 90% after a two-week period, we formally request a Parent/Guardian Meeting. The goal of this meeting is to collaboratively identify and address any barriers contributing to the attendance issues.
Escalation Warning (Tier 3): If attendance still has not improved after an additional two weeks following the meeting request, we issue a Habitual Truancy Citation Warning Letter. This step clearly communicates the legal requirements for school attendance.
Formal Citation (Tier 4): A formal Truancy Citation is issued only if attendance issues persist for yet another two-week period following the warning letter.
We strive to take a highly supportive and solution-oriented approach with our families at every step, utilizing more punitive measures only when all supportive intervention efforts have been exhausted. Cultivating a Culture of Presence Attendance is embedded into the culture of L.B. Clarke; from school-wide celebrations to individual check-ins. School-Wide Visibility At our regular monthly assembly, we always begin by sharing the current school-wide attendance rate compared to the previous month, along with grade-level standings and our progress relative to the prior school year. We also have an Attendance Bulletin Board up in our main hallway that visually displays weekly attendance rates for the school and each grade level, helping students stay aware of their impact. Individual Accountability and Family Partnership During weekly advisory, teachers meet individually with students to review their personal attendance data. This helps students understand where they stand and encourages them to take ownership of their attendance. One of our most successful initiatives has been sending home attendance trackers for families to record absences. This simple tool has created a culture of shared responsibility, with many families now monitoring attendance closely and proactively. Prioritizing Student Connections We know that strong relationships are essential for strong attendance. Our Attendance Team actively connects with every student on our list weekly:
Motivating Students and Grades Through Challenges To make attendance engaging and rewarding, we incorporate friendly competition and creative incentives. Every month, grade levels compete to see who can achieve the largest improvement in attendance compared to the previous month. In the event of a tie, the grade with the higher overall attendance rate wins. Incentives, such as ice cream during lunch, keep all grade levels invested and energized. Each week, two students are randomly selected as “secret attenders.” If both students attend every day and have no tardies, their homeroom earns popcorn the following week. When earned, we celebrate the students publicly; when not earned, the students’ identities remain private, and we reflect as a homeroom on the importance of consistent attendance. Moving Forward Together At L.B. Clarke, our attendance system is more than a set of procedures, it’s a commitment to every student. Through data, relationships, collaboration, and celebration, we continue to build a culture where students know they belong, they matter, and their presence makes a difference every single day.
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