Prestwick STEM Academy
Prestwick Profile - Community Vol. 9 September 23
September is Attendance Awareness Month
The Importance of Being in School: A Report on Absenteeism in the Nation’s Public Schools
America’s education system is based on the assumption that barring illness or an extraordinary event, students are in class every weekday. So strong is this assumption that it is not even measured. Indeed, it is the rare state education department, school district or principal that can tell you how many students have missed 10 percent or more of the school year or in the previous year missed a month or more school − two common definitions of chronic absence.
Because it is not measured, chronic absenteeism is not acted upon. Like bacteria in a hospital, chronic absenteeism can wreak havoc long before it is discovered. If the evidence in this report is borne out through more systematic data collection and analysis, that havoc may have already undermined school reform efforts of the past quarter century and negated the positive impact of future efforts.
Students need to attend school daily to succeed. The good news of this report is that being in school leads to succeeding in school. Achievement, especially in math, is very sensitive to attendance, and absence of even two weeks during one school year matters. Attendance also strongly affects standardized test scores and graduation and dropout rates. Educators and policymakers cannot truly understand achievement gaps or efforts to close them without considering chronic absenteeism.
Chronic absenteeism is not the same as truancy or average daily attendance – the attendance rate schools use for state report cards and federal accountability. Chronic absenteeism means missing 10 percent of a school year for any reason. A school can have average daily attendance of 90 percent and still have 40 percent of its students chronically absent, because on different days, different students make up that 90 percent.
Data from only six states address this issue: Georgia, Florida, Maryland, Nebraska, Oregon and Rhode Island. How these states measure chronic absenteeism, however, differs by number of days and by whether or not data include transfer students.
Such limited data produce only an educated guess at the size of the nation’s attendance challenge: A national rate of 10 percent chronic absenteeism seems conservative and it could be as high as 15 percent, meaning that 5 million to 7.5 million students are chronically absent. Looking at this more closely sharpens the impact. In Maryland, for instance, there are 58 elementary schools that have 50 or more chronically absent students; that is, two classrooms of students who miss more than a month of school a year. In a high school, where chronic absenteeism is higher, there are 61 schools where 250 or more students are missing a month or more of school.
The six states reported chronic absentee rates from 6 percent to 23 percent, with high poverty urban areas reporting up to one-third of students chronically absent. In poor rural areas, one in four students can miss at least a month’s worth of school. The negative impact chronic absenteeism has on school success is increased because students who are chronically absent in one year are often chronically absent in multiple years. As a result, particularly in high poverty areas, significant numbers of students are missing amounts of school that are staggering: on the order of six months to over a year, over a five year period.
Chronic absenteeism is most prevalent among low-income students. Gender and ethnic background do not appear to play a role in this. The youngest and the oldest students tend to have the highest rates of chronic absenteeism, with students attending most regularly in third through fifth grades. Chronic absenteeism begins to rise in middle school and continues climbing through 12th grade, with seniors often having the highest rate of all. The data also suggest that chronic absenteeism is concentrated in relatively few schools, with 15 percent of schools in Florida, for example, accounting for at least half of all chronically absent students.
Missing school matters:
- In a nationally representative data set, chronic absence in kindergarten was associated with lower academic performance in first grade. The impact is twice as great for students from low-income families.
- A Baltimore study found a strong relationship between sixth-grade attendance and the percentage of students graduating on time or within a year of their expected high school graduation.
- Chronic absenteeism increases achievement gaps at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
- Because students reared in poverty benefit the most from being in school, one of the most effective strategies for providing pathways out of poverty is to do what it takes to get these students in school every day. This alone, even without improvements in the American education system, will drive up achievement, high school graduation, and college attainment rates.
Students miss school for many reasons. These can, however, be divided into three broad categories:
- Students who cannot attend school due to illness, family responsibilities, housing instability, the need to work or involvement with the juvenile justice system.
- Students who will not attend school to avoid bullying, unsafe conditions, harassment and embarrassment.
- Students who do not attend school because they, or their parents, do not see the value in being there, they have something else they would rather do, or nothing stops them from skipping school.
Despite being pervasive, though overlooked, chronic absenteeism is raising flags in some schools and communities. This awareness is leading to attendance campaigns that are so vigorous and comprehensive they pay off quickly. Examples of progress nationally and at state, district, and school levels give hope to the challenge of chronic absenteeism, besides being models for others.
In addition to these efforts, both the federal government, state departments of education, and school districts need to regularly measure and report the rates of chronic absenteeism and regular attendance (missing five days or less a year) for every school. State and district policies need to encourage every student to attend school every day and support school districts, schools, non-profits, communities, and parents in using evidence-based strategies to act upon these data to propel all students to attend school daily. Mayors and governors have critical roles to play in leading inter-agency task forces that bring health, housing, justice, transportation, and education agencies together to organize coordinated efforts to help every student attend every day.
Important Dates
September 23 6 p.m. Lobo ColLEgiate Academy Parent Meeting (at LEHS)
September 24 Progress Reports go home (grades K-12)
September 26 6 p.m. Lobo ColLEgiate Academy Parent Meeting (at LEHS)
September 27 8 am - Coffee with Principal Gibson
September 30 6 p.m. Parent Education Academy Session (at LMS)
Coffee with Mrs. Gibson
We hold these events once a minimum of once a quarter in order build two way communication between our families, community and campus leadership team. We would love for you to join us! This year we have created a form (click here) in order gather topics of high interest from our families so that we can tailor our messages to meet your needs. Thank you for your input!
Our first topic will be an explanation of our campus rating based upon state assessment and how this relates to our campus goals for the year. We can also help interpret your own students state assessment results.
Please join us and send us your input. I look forward to seeing you! ~ Mrs. Gibson
Fundraiser Goals 2019-2020
Orders may be taken on the form provided or there is an online order option. Order form orders will be delivered to campus for pick up and we will share more information as that date approaches. Online orders have options to be delivered to the recipient. Online orders include additional items as well - don't be concerned if you see items besides the cookie dough.
Thank you for participating in our fundraising options this year which help us reach campus goals. We simply could not do it without you. Our goals for fundraiser are as follows:
- Expanding outdoor learning options such as portable green houses, water tables/sensory tables, additional playground equipment, outdoor reading stations
- Supplementing indoor recess kits with items such as kinetic sand and other options for days when the weather does not allow students to go outside
- Staff and student incentives including but not limited to rewards for growth, student and staff member of the month, lobo loot store incentives, field day additions, etc.
1st Grade Learned about Changes in Matter & had Scientist of the Week
Lobo Collegiate Academy - 8th Grade Students
Lobo Collegiate Academy Kicks off with Parent Meetings this Month
by Karmen Brown, LEHS SeniorThe Lobo Collegiate Academy is an innovative partnership between the District & with North Central Texas College. Students will have the opportunity to earn up to 50 college credits during high school. Parents will have a chance to learn more this month. Continue reading about the Lobo Collegiate Academy at www.mylittleelmnews.com.
Staff Spotlight
This week our spotlight is on Mrs. van Hooff one of our newest members of our Prestwick FamiLE. Here is what she has to say about herself:
Hello!
My name is Abigail van Hooff, and I teach fifth grade math and social studies. Math may not be a favorite for some, but it has always been a favorite of mine, and one of my goals is to instill an excitement for math in every student.
A little about myself: I graduated from Baylor University with my BSEd in Elementary Education, with a specialty in Gifted and Talented instruction, in 2018, and then with my MSEd in Educational Psychology this past August, also from Baylor. I will always bleed that green and gold for my Bears. Sic Em’! I am originally from Florida, but have lived in Texas since 2012, and y’all, Texas has stolen my heart. I miss the beaches, but nothing beats this true southern hospitality. In November I will be getting married to my college sweetheart, so I will soon be Mrs. Stevenson! We have two dogs, Bella and Chekov, and they are the coolest pups ever. I enjoy coffee and long walks through Target.
I am so excited for this school year! It is my first year teaching, and I could not be more thrilled to be spending it as a part of the Prestwick FamiLE.
Students in Vex have begin recoding and modifying their robots
PTA Needs You!!
Please Volunteer for Our Lobo Loot Store!!
Thank you Blue Goose for Sponsoring the September Staff Luncheon! It was delicious!!!
My School Bucks Challenge
Parent organizations can register for a challenge with myschoolbucks. The top 10 school organizations with the most new parent sign-ups from Aug. 1-Oct. 15 will win a donation of $1,000!
Don't Cook After the Homecoming Parade, Oct. 2nd
LEISD Mobile App - Stay Connected
Introducing the New LEISD Mobile App
Stay connected to Little Elm ISD and have student information in the palm of your hand! With the new mobile app you will have real-time access to student information, including grades, classes, attendance, and bus information. The app is FREE and available for download today. It is available for both iPhone and Android smartphones. Click here to learn more about the new LEISD Mobile App.Community Section
Visit the Tribute Live @ the LPGA Volunteers of America Classic
Be sure to visit The Tribute: LIVE! pavilion to experience life on The Tribute peninsula. Scroll through our schedule of events to see all the FREE programs and activities for all ages focusing on nature, wildlife, STEM, makerspace, fishing and boating, golf, home design, lifestyle, games and much more.
Enter To Win Prizes including a Women’s Huffy Bicycle, a Men’s Huffy Bicycle, Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board and a custom set of Golf Clubs with Bag – or even a new boat! Take advantage of our onsite photo opportunities and tag us to also enter to win Amazon gift cards!
Attention (Fun) Runners: Please also join us for The Tribute Trail 5K Presented by AT&T! The Run will take place at 7:30am on Saturday, October 5th, prior to tournament play. Visit https://www.voaclassic.com/5k/ to register by September 27th!
FREE Living for Zachary Heart Screenings in McKinney
Date/Time
Date(s) - 10/12/2019
9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Location
Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospital - McKinney
Categories
Schedule a screening by calling 469.814.3565 Option 4
Living for Zachary is providing FREE youth heart screenings to youth between the ages of 12-22 on October 12, 2019 from 9:00am-2:00pm at Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospital – McKinney.
- Appointments required
- Spaces are limited
- *Parents MUST BE PRESENT for youth under 18.*
The “Living for Zachary Heart Screening” is a special screening program created and provided by Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospital Baylor – Plano for youth ages 12-22 that can help detect heart abnormalities that may lead to Sudden Cardiac Arrest.
THIS NONINVASIVE SCREENING PACKAGE INCLUDES:
- Electrocardiogram
- Limited screening Echocardiogram
- Blood pressure screening
- SCA Risk Health Questionnaire (AHA recommended)
- Screening reviewed and interpreted by a board-certified cardiologist