The mission of the Huntington Beach Union High School District (HBUHSD) is “to educate all students, responding to their diverse needs, using a challenging curriculum with multiple avenues of learning, to develop creative, responsible and productive members of our community.” Achievement of this mission is directly related to daily school attendance by individual students across the district. The most successful students in the district attend school every day, complete class assignments and homework on time, and follow school rules. When students are absent for any reason, they do not receive important classroom instruction, and the district does not receive necessary funding to support quality educational programs. Parents as partners are asked to avoid planning activities that reduce daily school attendance. Vacations, appointments for medical services, and other non-school related activities should be scheduled outside the school day.
The HBUHSD is committed to excellent learning outcomes for all students and continues to strive for an average daily attendance rate of 96% or better across all schools in the district. In addition to increased daily phone contact, several programs have been implemented to inform parents of absences in a timely manner and hold students accountable for daily and period-by-period attendance. The Truancy Reduction and Intervention Project (TRIP) began last year with the purpose of improving student learning through increased attendance. Freshman and sophomore students with chronic attendance patterns are identified, and home visits during the school day are conducted by district personnel. At the time of the visitation, students in the home are transported to school for the balance of the day. The Saturday School Program, currently conducted on all comprehensive high school campuses, conveys an important message that excessive truancy has consequences and that lost instruction time must be recovered on a Saturday. Students who are assigned Saturday School and fail to attend lose privileges which may include school social events, parking permits, lunch passes, or the opportunity to participate in graduation ceremonies.
Recognition for excellent attendance is also part of the attendance improvement plan in the HBUHSD. Each campus has developed a local program for improved attendance and excellence in daily attendance throughout the school year. Many students have perfect attendance and are recognized at school honors ceremonies with awards and certificates that can be placed in their senior portfolio and may be presented to future employers.
Another significant reason for aggressive action on non-attendance is supported by current research which has clearly linked attendance to school dropouts according to David S. Broder in a syndicated column published February 27, 2006. He reviewed a study titled “The Silent Epidemic” which was conducted for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation by the private research firm Civic Enterprises. The authors noted that dropouts typically show many signs of disaffection before they actually quit school. One of the most common signs is excessive absence—skipping school entirely, or cutting classes or leaving early in the afternoon. According to the study, students who drop out of school pay a significant price for non-attendance their entire life. Dropouts earn on average $9,200 less per year than high school graduates. In a recent study, Princeton University researcher Cecilia Rouse notes that “those who do not complete high school are less likely to be employed and have significantly lower annual earnings than those with at least a high school degree, and they also contribute significantly less to tax revenues.” Rouse estimates that the lifetime difference in income between a high school graduate and a dropout is about $260,000. Clearly, students have a vested financial interest in developing strong attendance patterns and completing high school.
In keeping with the HBUHSD mission statement, “to educate all students, responding to their diverse needs, using a challenging curriculum with multiple avenues of learning, to develop creative, responsible and productive members of our community,” the entire district will continue to develop a circle of support and consequences to help students and their families “keep students in school.”
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