Multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) Early Warning Indicators

Tier 1 Plan/Referral/The Whole Class

Tier 1 is intended to reach 100% of students, parents, school staff, and community stakeholders. This is where the school’s attendance campaign casts a wide net. Strategies are general to reach the largest audiences.

 • Leadership team will monitor and review the percentage of Regular Attenders, At-Risk, Chronic & Severe Chronic Absent students twice each month as a collaborative team. Data will help the team determine communication needs to students and parents.
• Every week of school, the administrative team will review a weekly report from Focus that provides a preliminary list of students who may be exhibiting a pattern of nonattendance. The administrative team will determine next steps for each student with the guidance from one or more support teams (Collaborative Problem-Solving Team and/or Response-to-Intervention team). Each week, the team will discuss any social- emotional concerns, multiple behavior concerns, and overage students.
 • The administrative team will monitor attendance input from teachers and attendance clerks to ensure that all students have an attendance code recorded by their teachers for every period of each school day. Monitoring the number of attendance codes per student helps to improve attendance recordkeeping practices within the school.
• School website includes a page titled “Report an Absence” under the Contact menu to inform all stakeholders how parents can report an excused absence by: ➢ note, ➢ voicemail, or ➢ electronic transmission. The website will include the dedicated Attendance Line phone number and a link to an online form.
• In regular ParentLink communications, the administrator or designee will include brief messages about school attendance.
 • Appropriate staff will call or email parents to verify excused absences as needed.
• Regularly share information about the current state of attendance at parent conferences, PTA/PTSA meetings, SAC meetings, SAF meetings, student assemblies, morning announcements, school newsletters, and ParentLink communications. (SAC is the School Advisory Council; SAF is the School Advisory Forum)
• ParentLink emails can be used to communicate attendance goals to all parents. This strategy helps maintain a focus on the impact of attendance and academic achievement.
• Regular attenders are at school more than 95% of school days. Recognize entire grade levels that have the highest percentage of students in regular attendance. Announcements may be made during morning announcements/show, lunch periods, afternoon announcements, a common bulletin board, and special student assemblies.
• Start with “hello.” Teachers, administrators, and support staff visibility in the hallways is helpful for safety. Greeting students with positive affirmations helps establish positive relationships and a healthy school culture associated with improved attendance.
• Congratulate regular attenders with an email through ParentLink to all parents of regular attenders. Community partners may share coupons or vouchers that can be distributed by email (saving paper, ink, time, and manpower for distribution).
• Make direct phone calls to discuss attendance, after-school opportunities (clubs, athletics, academic support programs, post-secondary plans).
• Ensure that parent phone numbers and email addresses remain current by encouraging online registration at the beginning of the school year and cross-checking parent contact information when a parent reports an absence.
• For each student absence, a robocall will be initiated to the parent of each absent student to include a voice message, text message, and email to notify the parent of a recorded absence and the expectation to request the reason for absence from the parent.
• Include attendance information on student report cards to display the number of days present, absent, and tardy.
• Promote awareness of the school breakfast program that is available to all students AT NO COST.
 • Invite parents and community members to community meetings to help address the barriers that keep children from attending school. Topics may include mental health, transportation, homelessness and the McKinney Vento Act, Child abuse, domestic violence, foster care, and other topics identified by stakeholders (parents, teachers, administrators, students, community partners).
• When appropriate, promote a safe-walk-to-school program to address community safety.
 
Tier 2 Plan/Student Review/Small Group Interventions

• Each week, the leadership team will review the non-attendance report from Focus during leadership meetings. Students will be identified, and teachers will be notified which of their students might be at-risk. Each week, the team will discuss scholars who are failing numerous courses, below a 2.0 GPA, and have substantial reading difficulties.
 • Identify students with 5 unexcused absences within a 30-day period. At the earliest possible date, schedule parent conferences with an administrator, teachers, school counselor, and/or school social worker. This conference is intended to educate parents about their responsibility to report absences, identify barriers to regular school attendance, and resolve the problem of nonattendance. For truancy prevention of enrolled students age 6 and up, a meeting is required by all public schools under Florida statute 1003.26(1)(b). This conference also helps reduce the number of parents that may be involved in final stages of the Broward Truancy Intervention Program (BTIP) or for families that may reach a point where the State Attorney’s Office must become involved in relation to a student’s nonattendance under Florida statute 1003.27.
• Weekly, using Focus, the leadership team will identify students who have enough absences to be considered chronically absent. Data will help the team determine which families to include and send special messaging to reduce absences.
 • Teachers will monitor attendance using Focus and consult with support staff for help in redirecting absenteeism behavior.
• School Counselors will monitor attendance with the leadership team to assist in identifying students who may have needs for wrap-around services. Appropriate District support staff will be included in communication for cases that are likely to involve a need for medical interventions (school nurse), assess needs related to mental health and family stability (school psychologist or school social worker).
 • Attendance Success Plans and Attendance Contracts: For students with excessive absences (excused or unexcused), templates are available from the Student Services Department’s Attendance Program and School Social Work Program. Parents and students will work with the School Counselor or School Social Worker to develop a personalized “Student Success Plan for Attendance” to help track attendance so the child does not miss too many school days. There is a correlation between good attendance and good academic performance.
 • School Counselors, as part of the school’s leadership team & support staff, will reach out by phone to speak with parents of chronically absent students to identify if any support is needed for the family.
• Staff will help identify any family needs and connect the family with services (food pantry, clothing assistance, literacy programs, transportation, etc.).
• Help parents understand and avoid legal consequences of extreme chronic absence.
• Nurture teacher interest and capacity in helping to reach out to chronically absent students and their families.
• Determine if the student has make-up work that is needed to keep up their grade point average and ensure the student and their family understand what make-up work is due.
 • Parent-Teacher Conferences with support staff will be scheduled to discuss absences and challenges to identify the barriers that may be addressed through community supports (transportation, food pantry, family counseling through BCPS).
• Involve public agencies, community partners, and resources as needed to address barriers identified through parent conferences, communications with family, or other sources.
• Involve the school nurse when necessary for a follow-up on medically related absences and train staff to recognize signs of illness.
• Connect families with the School Social Worker to provide insight as to the role of a School Social Worker, establish a relationship, and provide clinical support and services.

Tier 3/Intensive Interventions

• August/September: Identify students with a history of severe chronic absenteeism (missing more than 20% of a school year).
• Review attendance daily and ensure that Tier 3 students are in school each day. Follow up on each absence for each student identified for Tier 3 intervention. Personal communication early in the school year may mitigate the need for further Tier 2/3 interventions later in the school year.
• The Leadership team will monitor the non-attendance reports from Focus, and identify students who are missing too many school days. Determine if a student is exhibiting a pattern of nonattendance. Child study teams like Collaborative Problem-Solving Team (CPST) or Response-to-Intervention (RTI) may be needed for determination.
• Attendance data is one of the metrics brought to discussion for the Collaborative Problem-Solving Team (CPST) and Response-to-Intervention (RTI).
• For students whose parents are not responding to interventions, ensure that teachers have logged frequent attempts at communication in Focus. The school should retain copies of attendance contracts and “Attendance Success Plans” that may be used as evidence of school interventions if legal interventions are needed in the future.
Determine if the student and their family is, or should be, agency involved. If they are, work to set up a meeting to coordinate services.
• Refer students and families to appropriate service agencies (ex. social services, human resources, counseling, housing, and health services).
• Work with relevant agencies to develop a comprehensive educational plan that also addresses student and family needs.
• Share data with appropriate agencies and ensure that agencies are using chronic absence as a must-respond-to indicator.
• Work with families to avoid legal consequences to the extent possible. If necessary, leverage the power of the courts to involve families and students in needed services and interventions.
• Determine if the courts have access to additional programs or services that would assist the family in overcoming barriers to attendance.
• Incorporate appropriate positive reinforcements into plans for supporting the student’s improved attendance.
• Include recognition practices from Tier 1 and Tier 2 as appropriate.
 • Ensure continued positive and regular contact with the family.
• The admin team will check in on agreements at appropriate intervals.
 • Follow through on commitments of support to the family.
 • When the student is absent from school, ensure assigned personnel is following up on each absence.
 • Implement agreed upon family intervention plan. Monitor for progress.
• Connect students who have chronic physical and mental health issues to medical providers.