Sunday, June 26, 2016

The Limited Efficacy of "School Reform:" Absenteeism

As a veteran classroom teacher, I often find myself thinking that “school reform” fails for the most basic of reasons. 

That is: school isn’t the place where many problems in school begin. Consider the question of student attendance.

(And remember: teachers lack telepathic powers; they cannot educate a child who is not present for class.)

Over the years, as a teacher dealing with struggling seventh or eighth grade students, I often found it was my first task to convince them to stop making excuses. All too often, that also meant dealing with parents who were purveyors of the same kinds of excuses. As a teacher, then, I came to believe in many cases my job was to force people, young and old, to give up on all their alibis. No student (or parent) was going to make progress if they kept evading responsibility.

On my end, I tried to make sure no student willing to work would ever fail my class. If a young man failed a test, I told him to study again, come in after school and take the test again. If he got an “A” the second time around, I gave him the “A” and wiped out the “F.” I always wanted kids to succeed. As for missing homework, if a girl needed a second, third, fourth or fifth chance, I gave it. If a child fell behind, I offered ten chances if ten were required. I gave out my home phone number if students or parents needed to call and ask for help. I called home, too, when kids fell behind—my record for one student, fourteen calls during a year. And what I found was this: a student might have a good excuse for one missed assignment—or two—or even five—but eventually the stack of excuses grew too tall and tipped over with a crash.

Then most teens would look in the mirror.

Unfortunately, parents were often the problem—and in many cases “school reform” had a very hollow ring.

I was a team leader for more than a decade, and I remember one occasion when our team of teachers proved incapable of knocking over a mother’s giant pile of excuse. Nicole, a seventh grade girl, was missing entirely too much school. Repeated absences were killing her grades.

I called mom—more than once—and finally convinced her in April to come in for a morning meeting to talk. 

Of course, as teachers, you have to guard against your own tendency to make excuse. So I began with this: Maybe the problem was our team. Maybe Nicole was unhappy with how we were treating her. Maybe attendance had never been an issue before. Maybe the problem was us.

In fact, it might be me! Perhaps I had offended Nicole and now she shut down. So I checked her records for clues. 

It turned out Nicole missed 45 days in fifth grade, when her family lived in a different district. 

Records for sixth grade records were incomplete; but in three quarters of the year, after moving to Loveland, she missed another 42 days. 

Okay.

It wasn’t just me or my team. 

In our meeting with mom, a few days later, it was readily apparent Nicole’s mother had an excuse for every situation. Nicole was unlucky, she claimed. That’s why the girl missed so much school. Nicole was a “carrier for strep.” Members of our team put on a polite façade. Behind that façade, however, I was wondering: What about the previous week, when Nicole missed an entire day for a dental appointment?

Michelle Miranda, a dynamic young teacher on our team, tried to pin mom down. It was like mud-wrestling with eels and mom wriggled away. Steve Ball, a veteran and a great educator, tried next. Nicole, he explained, was on target to miss forty or fifty days of class during the current year. Absenteeism was killing her academically, making it hard to keep up in math, where concepts built one upon another. Nicole’s mother squirmed out of danger again, making another excuse, this time in her own defense. Mom wasn’t failing in her duties. Nope. “Nicole doesn’t like all the snobby kids in Loveland,” she explained. “That’s why she stays home.”

In other words: mom was innocent. She wasn’t failing as a mom. It was all those other snobby kids!

I explained to mom that Nicole could always come in and complete makeup work for my class. Honestly, my door was always open.

I had already explained this in calls home several times before.

Mr. Ball and others on our team made the same kind of offers—but Nicole had to come to school to get help.

By now, time was running short and first bell classes were about to begin. Always obsessive about missing time for instruction, I motioned my team to get going to first period. Steve hung back a moment and the three of us, mom included, walked out in the hall, where I tried one last shot. I told mom we liked Nicole and said Nicole had plenty of talent. But mom had to get her to school. 

Mom replied, “I just didn’t realize she had missed so many days.”

I saw a shadow of resignation cross Mr. Ball’s face. He thanked her politely for coming, pivoted, and headed for class.

I had first period conference. So I talked to mom a few more minutes, gave her my home phone number once more, and assured her I’d be happy to stay in at lunch or stay after school anytime Nicole wanted help.

To be honest, however, the only excuse I could think of for a mother like this, who allowed her daughter to miss more than 120 days of instruction in just three years, was that perhaps no one had taught her how to count. 

That meeting was on a Monday.

I stayed after school three afternoons that week and let students who had fallen behind come in and catch up on work. I offered the same option every day during lunch and even offered to come in early every morning before school.

Nicole missed two more days of class that same week and never bothered to try to stay and catch up.

Yeah: not a question of school reform.


***

I saved my best stories for my book.

I cover this topic at greater length in my book, Two Legs Suffice (Chapter 15: The Poison Ivy Dilemma) now available at Amazon.com.

For sample reviews of my book, check out this post.


***

For a recent look at this problem, nationwide, readMore Than Six Million Students Nationwide Are Chronically Absent.

A chart I once prepared for our school board,
showing students with serious attendance issues.
Mary, an eighth grader, was pregnant. Karen had a drug addiction.

46 comments:

  1. I have not forgotten that it was the teacher that was required to come up with work that would make up for absences. When a student returned from a prolonged absence, teachers were required to offer them work to make up for the time lost. That added more work to my 60 - 100 hour work weeks as a teacher, and most of those students never did the work packets that I had to put together for them so they could catch up.

    ReplyDelete
  2. As the US Department of Education and the National Governor's Association continue their path of blaming teachers for the lack of performance of students, holding teachers accountable on their evaluations, there will continue to be the mass exodus leaving the teaching profession and those not willing to enter. When teachers are being held accountable for absences that is in the sole control of the parents of students, it both unfair and wrong. What the world needs to understand, is that there is an agenda to replace human teachers with the use of technology. Look at the last two decades in education to see the exponential switching from one to the other.

    To put this movement in check, citizens must be aware of the issue and information needs to get out into the everyday public's domain. The public must organize and collectively place pressure on elected representatives, our politicians in office, to craft laws that are sensible and fair for EVERYONE. Right now, it is clear that the ones benefiting from chronic absenteeism are the corporations providing online educational services and private schools providing "credit retrieval" to students lacking sufficient instructional time and assessments

    ReplyDelete
  3. Travis Lohman commented on the Facebook page of Badass Teachers Association: "got kids who miss like 32 or something days, no reason given, nothing. given opportunities to come in after or before school, nada. it's wild."

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jacksoon Kelly said: "That's my biggest struggle. Even students I have a great relationship with and work hard will miss 30-40 days a semester. What can we do?!"

    ReplyDelete
  5. David Bayne (all these comments on Facebook): I had a student not graduate because of this. Very sad. Mom tried to pawn it off as due to her cancer treatments, but when the principal reviewed the attendance history, the child's 70 days of missed school (!) was not uncommon. In the end, she just hadn't been here enough to have done enough work. She also hadn't tried to make it up (I'm available a lot outside of classtime). And mom took the kids to Disneyland during finals week. But somehow we should have excused all of that. Sigh.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Karen Gowing Benny: "At one time, the principal called CPS and the child was removed form the home fr several weeks and then for each school break so she could "catch u" with her work . . .and guess what? her attendance improved GREATLY."

    ReplyDelete
  7. Bev Baller: "We do our best. I work with LTA's, few attend even 80%. I try to remind myself there are reasons...students may be kept up late sharing a room with many others, they may be asked to work at a family business, or taking care of younger siblings. More than anything, few have stable environments with rules routines and expectations leaving the kids in a bad position. Not that it isn't a problem, or that there's not pressure to pass them even when there's no way they could have done the work, but just that sometimes the kids are struggling with circumstances beyond their control."

    ReplyDelete
  8. Barbara Baay: "This year we were told that 3 tardies no longer counted as an absence. Oh wait. Students are no longer docked or marked tardy. Seeing this website has informed ne about the reason for this. Reforms. Part of PBIS."

    (I'm not sure what the last part of that comment meant.)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Pam McGuffey offered a heartfelt response: "It's a challenge. Sometimes there are reasons for the absences that could be helped if we had the information and the resources. Sometimes it's the student who may have issues, including mental health issues, that they may not want to share...partially because the are often viewed negatively, especially in a 'no excuses' environment. It might be the parent who has health, or other issues. Of course this is not always the case, and sometimes it is simply a lack of responsibility, but we need to continue to be cognizant of the possibility of real hardships."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Star Ali Mistriel replied: "Yes, but this should NOT be our problem(we can work with the parent and student,but they need to do ultimately what is needed) and be reflected on our evaluations."

      Delete
    2. Wendy Stalbaum replied: "I had 3 who didn't show up the entire 18 weeks....still their F's count as my failure..figured in my evaluation."

      Delete
  10. Cindi Pastore: "It would seem to me our duty to report such chronic absenteeism that doesn't stem from a medical cause to child protective services. Parents should understand that if they enroll their child in school, there is the expectation that they should get them there. That said, the reformers actually play into and play on this, by more or less giving parents a ready-made excuse of that if the school were any good, the children would get there- then they suggest choice as the answer. And can I just say how many many adult students in our high school equivalency classes that we get whose last K-12 stop was a charter, and who now, are finally facing up to the fact that they must show up in order to learn."

    ReplyDelete
  11. I like Jerry Appel's response (although I doubt we're ever going to see the resources to pull it off): "There is a simple and drastic solution to many of these chronic attendance issues, a stable home. To create a stable home means our society must intervene by doing whatever it takes to stabilize that child. It might mean taking that child out of that home. It might mean providing economic support. It might mean drug intervention. It might mean finding a home for the homeless, etc."

    ReplyDelete
  12. Tonya Karlowicz provided a reasoned plan: "While chronic absenteeism is a problem, it is not THE problem - it is a symptom of a bigger problem. Many of the parents of children who are chronically absent did/do not have successful experiences with the school system, or any other bureaucratic system. Many of them are living in poverty and are constantly in survival mode, where school is less important than keeping the lights on, than taking an opportunity to pick up an extra food box, than having a babysitter to be able to go to a job interview,.... Instead of being harsh with the student or with the parent, we must create an environment of trust in order for the student and the parent to be open about their struggles so that they can get the support they need for their children to regularly attend school. In my district, we are required to send letters that are pretty threatening - law enforcement badges in the letterhead. They do get the parents' attention, and attendance may improve temporarily, but because the root of the problem is not addressed, the attendance symptoms return quickly. A parent may even be fined, up to $500, but that is not effective, and even another barrier for a family already struggling - and it is surely not going to promote a positive relationship with the school. I just sent out letters to parents of students with attendance rates of less than 85% - drafted it myself, so they are not threatening. We will meet with these families in the fall, before school starts, to develop a strategy for improved attendance. Some of these meetings may need to occur at residences or agreed upon meeting places because parents are uncomfortable in the school setting. There cannot be blame, but recognition of people struggling and often doing their best. We have to build partnerships of care and trust. It will not always work, but I think it will work more often than not."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Clara Duckett-Freeman: "Thank you! I was going to say this."

      Delete
    2. Lindesy Brwon: "Amen!! Thank you for being a voice of reason and compassion!!"

      Delete
  13. Sandi Lerman spoke as both a teacher and a parent: "The solution to these issues is not to continue "parent bashing" as is all too common. I am a teacher and understand these frustrations, but I am also a parent of a child who has severe mental health issues that have affected her attendance. We had multiple meetings throughout the year, where the teachers just said she "exhibited no anxiety at school" even though she had clearly documented evidence of school anxiety from her mental health counselor. Not ONCE did any of her teachers send an email or call me at home to see how she was doing and offer their support... Even after she was hospitalized for anxiety and depression. My kid is not the only one scared to come to school. Even the teachers don't like the toxic and stressful environment of test-driven curricula that it has become. I'm really really tired of all the blame and unwillingness to work together to make school a safe and supportive place for ALL kids."

    ReplyDelete
  14. Pam Griffith Lee: "I live in a rural like district and adding before and after school care and free bussing for older kids who participate in activities has really helped attitudes, attendance and achievement. Money is not always the answer but as a school board member this was a great bang for our buck!!!! A true win-win!!"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cari Minus: "Thank you for recognizing a need and finding a solution, Pam! I wish my school board members were as proactive... And less tight-fisted!"

      Delete
  15. Teresa Kiedrowski: "My chronic absentees are usually due to depression or exhaustion due to being one of the breadwinners in the family. Clearly the minimum wage needs to be raised to $15. And ample mental health services need to funded for schools."

    ReplyDelete
  16. Stephanie Serwa Vanhaerents: "I have had countless Nicole's. You do everything in your power and then get blamed by the state."

    ReplyDelete
  17. Evan Lowenthal captures the frustration of many of us in the profession: "Teachers have to double as truant officers. Or we are accused of not reaching out enough, or even not making our lessons compelling enough that students would attend class."

    ReplyDelete
  18. Linda Jones: "Nothing happens at all.....Nothing!"

    (I can say I remember a student in our school who missed 140 days one year; so we failed him; the next year he missed 108 more.)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Nick Mangieri reveals how absurd state policies can be in regard to missing days of school: "The new regulations in New York State specifically removed attendance or "dosage" as a variable that could be used to adjust student performance targets. Teachers are to be held accountable when students miss school."

    ReplyDelete
  20. Graham Ari Jeremy: "The best you can do is make your classroom a pleasant place where children want to be, by treating them with appropriate respect."

    ReplyDelete
  21. Lynne Marie: "We must not be engaging them enough with our scripted, age inappropriate lessons."

    (I'm thinking she has the same low opinion of standardized testing I do.)

    ReplyDelete
  22. Lindesy Brwon: "We could make school a place of relevance where students had the freedom to pursue whichever skills fulfilled them and aimed toward their own goals...but I'm just a radical dreamer. ♡"

    (Sorry, not in the era of standardized tests!)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Susan Oberg: "I don't know about your school district, but mine gives them ice cream and rewards their lack of attendance (and their lame parents)."

    ReplyDelete
  24. Susan Osberg then added a second shot: "Our superintendent actually did say if we were better teachers the kids would be inspired to come to school... yeah.. he lives in another dimension."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cheryl Munyon Rowe: "I have heard that too. Right!"

      Delete
  25. Rhonda Kent offers a great idea, at least for urban districts with involved parents: "One neighborhood near me has a "walking school bus" a very nice retired group of people at a local church who walk up to the houses of children who struggle to get to school on time or at all and they knock on their door and get them moving and walk them to school. I think that it is hugely successful."

    ReplyDelete
  26. Leila Donnelly: "Nothing...in my district.😡"

    ReplyDelete
  27. Elizabeth Hanks Boener: "Nothing in my district unless the parents are in trouble for something else so I find myself looking for all the faults of the parent hoping I can get them arrested for something. What a great way to build a positive relationship between school and home."

    ReplyDelete
  28. Suzy Grindrod: "Lip Service in my district. Threatening letter home."

    ReplyDelete
  29. Dean Goddard: "Blame the teacher......then pass them on."

    ReplyDelete
  30. Angela Geraci Csider: "Pass them on without blinking an eye! Sad but that is the reality."

    ReplyDelete
  31. Sylvia Bornfriend Philip: "So true. As teachers we were given the responsibility of somehow getting kids to come to school and told we couldn't use absence as a reason for failure. We were expected to offer quick easy make-up assignments for failing or absent students so they could acquire credits despite missing lesson after lesson. They called this credit recovery. It was a total abandonment of academic integrity and taught kids that they could get by doing hardly any work or mastering the subject matter. This is the life lesson we teach them as they get ready to go out into the world."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Laura Hays: "This one need[s] a HOORAH button. So true!"

      Delete
  32. Michelle Morgillo: "We blame the teacher for not getting the work to and from the child so they can pass....."

    ReplyDelete
  33. Laura Hays' next comment captures perfectly the dilemma teachers with finite amounts of time to teach--and even smaller amounts of time to address this grave problem--face: "I have multiple families who go on a 2 week cruise every year (during school) and others who have regular, though shorter, trips on a regular basis. Add to that the multitude of kids who are out for activities all the time and we have a huge attendance problem. Of course, all of these are "excused" absences, so it is up to me to try to 'catch them up'. When nearly 20% (of my nearly 170 kids) are out EVERY DAY, that is a HUGE undertaking. Keeping track of the paperwork alone is huge.
    I have considered telling people that if they want their kid to have extra attention (or have their make-up assignment grading a priority) because they were 'excused absent' that my tutoring fee is $30/hour and they can call me to schedule that time at my convenience."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Think about that: she's working with 170 students every day.

      Delete
  34. Chris Woodard: "I was told they couldn't be used in "data" and if they showed up and could pass a Final; then they should be passed. I wonder how that would work in business world."

    ReplyDelete
  35. Laura Hays spilled out her anguish, which any teacher might understand: "I was told that actually, if the student can pass the final, their attendance is not required. If that is the case, why do we rate/pay schools based on attendance? What are we shooting for? Are we going for competence as demonstrated by a total number of points on given assignments? Are we going for test scores as a measure of competence? Are we determining that any kid who's butt is in the seat in the classroom (even though they may be asleep or reading texts, or...) has gained enough for a passing grade? What is it that I am supposed to be accomplishing and how do I know if I made it? How do kids really know if they made it? What are grades (and hence class rankings, valedictorian, scholarships, etc) based on? I am all kinds of good with flexible, but having so many disparate goals means that I feel like I am chasing my tail all day, every day.

    "And no, standards do not make it better. Deciding on a course of action (just one) and getting to work makes it better."

    ReplyDelete
  36. David Bayne replied to Laura by name: "Laura, we were told to write a "test-out" exam so students could "prove" they knew the material and thus not have to take the class. Our solution was simple: Make the exam contain material from every unit, which would be fairly intuitive for a student who had sat through the entire course and which, if a student truly did have mastery, could pass. To date, only 3 have tried; none finished the 2nd problem (of 8), and even they needed help. Gee, I guess they know less then their parents (and my then-Admins) think they do.

    "All snarkiness aside, there is a place for competency-based education, as well as for time-based education. Both have their roles. And neither is an absolutely perfect system. But in the example being presented here, they're both being misused, to the detriment of the students."

    ReplyDelete
  37. One final comment (if there are others, I'm not going to transfer them to my blog) comes from Heather Poland: "There is a HUGE difference between kids who go on cruises and vacations every year and miss school, and those who miss school because they live in poverty.

    "In my district, if you are going to be gone for a long period of time- like on a cruise or whatever- you can get a homework packet to complete that makes up for the missed days."

    ReplyDelete