Comments on: Attendance Is Not On The Test http://blog.coreknowledge.org/2008/10/21/attendance-is-not-on-the-test/ Closing the Achievement Gap: Teaching Content Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:59:33 -0600 hourly 1 By: Crimson Wife http://blog.coreknowledge.org/2008/10/21/attendance-is-not-on-the-test/comment-page-1/#comment-4695 Crimson Wife Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:48:38 +0000 http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/?p=1257#comment-4695 Why isn't somebody going after the families of these chronically truant elementary school pupils? These aren't teens whom the parents may legitimately be having difficulty getting to actually attend class (there's only so much a parent can do with a recalcitrant teen) but little kids. Are these families receiving any kind of government assistance? If so, they should be required to provide proof of decent school attendance for their children... Why isn’t somebody going after the families of these chronically truant elementary school pupils? These aren’t teens whom the parents may legitimately be having difficulty getting to actually attend class (there’s only so much a parent can do with a recalcitrant teen) but little kids.

Are these families receiving any kind of government assistance? If so, they should be required to provide proof of decent school attendance for their children…

]]> By: Robert Pondiscio http://blog.coreknowledge.org/2008/10/21/attendance-is-not-on-the-test/comment-page-1/#comment-4692 Robert Pondiscio Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:33:17 +0000 http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/?p=1257#comment-4692 I saw that story on the wires this morning, John, and I've been staring at it ever since. Where to begin? http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/10/20/testscores.html?sid=101 I saw that story on the wires this morning, John, and I’ve been staring at it ever since. Where to begin?

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/10/20/testscores.html?sid=101

]]> By: john thompson http://blog.coreknowledge.org/2008/10/21/attendance-is-not-on-the-test/comment-page-1/#comment-4691 john thompson Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:12:55 +0000 http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/?p=1257#comment-4691 I agree completely. On a less important note, link up this post with your previous post, and the Columbus newspaper's description of Ohio test results being dropped due to attendance, it's over at This Week In Education. Districts have delayed the inevitable by dropping the scores of students with absentee and mobility problems who don't pass, although they probably count the scores of truants who do pass. Its no different than the balloon mortgage and Fannie Mae coming due with NCLB. The solution, though, is not more of the blame game. We knew that NCLB accountability would increase the incidents of those tricks. But we didn't know how completely the law would monopolize our attention, encouraging us to ignore real problems like absenteeism. I don't have an answer for abesenteeism, but its a problem we have to tackle. I agree completely. On a less important note, link up this post with your previous post, and the Columbus newspaper’s description of Ohio test results being dropped due to attendance, it’s over at This Week In Education. Districts have delayed the inevitable by dropping the scores of students with absentee and mobility problems who don’t pass, although they probably count the scores of truants who do pass. Its no different than the balloon mortgage and Fannie Mae coming due with NCLB.

The solution, though, is not more of the blame game. We knew that NCLB accountability would increase the incidents of those tricks. But we didn’t know how completely the law would monopolize our attention, encouraging us to ignore real problems like absenteeism. I don’t have an answer for abesenteeism, but its a problem we have to tackle.

]]> By: JoeH http://blog.coreknowledge.org/2008/10/21/attendance-is-not-on-the-test/comment-page-1/#comment-4690 JoeH Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:57:35 +0000 http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/?p=1257#comment-4690 We see the same problem here in Chicago and it receives nary a mention in the local press. Last year Chicago Public High Schools had an enrollment of slightly more than 108,000 students. On any given day over 17,000 or 16% were absent. Thirty-five of the 110 schools, with an enrollment of 32,000 students, had an absentee rate of over 20% with the worst of the group coming in at 37%. If students don’t show up, competent teachers, NCLB, and infinite funding won’t have an effect on the deplorable education results we currently “enjoy”. Until this problem is scrubbed clean by the sunshine of truth, big city schools are bound to fail and that is to the detriment of us all. We see the same problem here in Chicago and it receives nary a mention in the local press. Last year Chicago Public High Schools had an enrollment of slightly more than 108,000 students. On any given day over 17,000 or 16% were absent. Thirty-five of the 110 schools, with an enrollment of 32,000 students, had an absentee rate of over 20% with the worst of the group coming in at 37%. If students don’t show up, competent teachers, NCLB, and infinite funding won’t have an effect on the deplorable education results we currently “enjoy”. Until this problem is scrubbed clean by the sunshine of truth, big city schools are bound to fail and that is to the detriment of us all.

]]> By: Robert Pondiscio http://blog.coreknowledge.org/2008/10/21/attendance-is-not-on-the-test/comment-page-1/#comment-4689 Robert Pondiscio Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:31:24 +0000 http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/?p=1257#comment-4689 I agree Dave, although I wonder what you mean by "authentically" ready. Having been required to assemble portfolios to "demonstrate proficiency" for students who failed ELA tests, I'm more than a little wary of "authentic assessment." The student I described in my post was in no way, shape or form ready for the next grade by any sane definition. If you set the bar low enough, almost any kid will trip over it and fall forward. I'm not suggesting that attendance alone should be enough to determine promotion, although I wouldn't necessarily object. What's the point of compulsory education if you're not going to compel attendance? If you establish a culture where non-attendance is a non-issue, we will get exactly what we have. I agree Dave, although I wonder what you mean by “authentically” ready. Having been required to assemble portfolios to “demonstrate proficiency” for students who failed ELA tests, I’m more than a little wary of “authentic assessment.” The student I described in my post was in no way, shape or form ready for the next grade by any sane definition. If you set the bar low enough, almost any kid will trip over it and fall forward. I’m not suggesting that attendance alone should be enough to determine promotion, although I wouldn’t necessarily object. What’s the point of compulsory education if you’re not going to compel attendance? If you establish a culture where non-attendance is a non-issue, we will get exactly what we have.

]]> By: Dave http://blog.coreknowledge.org/2008/10/21/attendance-is-not-on-the-test/comment-page-1/#comment-4688 Dave Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:20:51 +0000 http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/?p=1257#comment-4688 Attendance definitely can be a problem, but we should promote students based on whether they are authentically ready for the next grade. Adding an additional punishment at the end of the year for poor attendance isn't going to change habits, it's just going to punish. There needs to be intervention early in the year. We need to show students and parents that attending school supports other goals that they are already interested in, sort of like the data that shows that college grads tend to earn more than high school grads, and they all earn more than dropouts. Attendance definitely can be a problem, but we should promote students based on whether they are authentically ready for the next grade. Adding an additional punishment at the end of the year for poor attendance isn’t going to change habits, it’s just going to punish.

There needs to be intervention early in the year. We need to show students and parents that attending school supports other goals that they are already interested in, sort of like the data that shows that college grads tend to earn more than high school grads, and they all earn more than dropouts.

]]> By: Robert Pondiscio http://blog.coreknowledge.org/2008/10/21/attendance-is-not-on-the-test/comment-page-1/#comment-4685 Robert Pondiscio Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:42:33 +0000 http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/?p=1257#comment-4685 Well said, Morgan. And while social promotion debates have focused (as far as I know) exclusively on test scores, perhaps it's time to include attendance in the mix. As the example I cited shows (and no doubt every teacher can add his or her own anecdotal evidence) it's entirely possible to show up infrequently, trip over the bar, and still "earn" promotion. Let's not fool ourselves into believing we're actually educating such kids. Well said, Morgan. And while social promotion debates have focused (as far as I know) exclusively on test scores, perhaps it’s time to include attendance in the mix. As the example I cited shows (and no doubt every teacher can add his or her own anecdotal evidence) it’s entirely possible to show up infrequently, trip over the bar, and still “earn” promotion. Let’s not fool ourselves into believing we’re actually educating such kids.

]]> By: morgan http://blog.coreknowledge.org/2008/10/21/attendance-is-not-on-the-test/comment-page-1/#comment-4684 morgan Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:35:52 +0000 http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/?p=1257#comment-4684 In DC we started the last week in August, but there were a number of students who year after year didn't show up until the Tuesday after Labor Day. I taught a class for a child who was labeled mild MR - I looked at his record and found that he'd missed around fifty days of school every year since pre-K. Another child was really gifted and had a very supportive family, but his mother and sister had some health issues, which in turn made his mother a hypochondriac, and so she kept the whole family out of school whenever any of them had so much as a sniffle. Of all the things that happened while I taught, chronic absenteeism was possibly the most frustrating - you can't teach anything if they're not there. In DC we started the last week in August, but there were a number of students who year after year didn’t show up until the Tuesday after Labor Day. I taught a class for a child who was labeled mild MR – I looked at his record and found that he’d missed around fifty days of school every year since pre-K. Another child was really gifted and had a very supportive family, but his mother and sister had some health issues, which in turn made his mother a hypochondriac, and so she kept the whole family out of school whenever any of them had so much as a sniffle.

Of all the things that happened while I taught, chronic absenteeism was possibly the most frustrating – you can’t teach anything if they’re not there.

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