ERIC Number: ED631621
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Should Daily Attendance Be a Measure of Success? Prioritizing Community Building and Student Engagement. Case Studies in High School Redesign
Chu, Lisa; Casimere, Heather
Center on Reinventing Public Education
Nowell Academy in Providence, Rhode Island primarily serves pregnant and parenting, overaged, and undercredited high school students, 96% of whom have had past difficulties with consistent attendance. Nowell provides incentives for students to come to school by offering daycare services, learning experiences that connect curriculum to the real world, and resources like gas cards and gift cards for school supplies. Administrators noted they have "moved mountains'' in attendance, with rates rising to roughly 68% in recent school years. However, the extensive challenges young adults face outside of the classroom continue to make consistent attendance difficult, and because average attendance is a factor in Rhode Island's school performance ratings, Nowell is often compared to higher state averages for high school attendance. This has led some staff to want to continue working to raise attendance rates, both for accountability purposes and because of the importance of students engaging steadily in learning. Other staff feel it's more important to continue prioritizing relationship-building and engaging, real-world learning, since purely targeting improvements in attendance may not best serve the school's unique population. This case concludes with discussion questions for high school leaders working to boost students' engagement and ownership of their educational journeys, in addition to increasing attendance.
Descriptors: Attendance Patterns, Academic Achievement, Learner Engagement, High School Students, Early Parenthood, At Risk Students, Accountability, Student School Relationship, Teacher Student Relationship, Charter Schools, Child Care
Center on Reinventing Public Education. Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University. H.B. Farmer Education Building, 1050 S Forest Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281. e-mail: crpe@uw.edu; Web site: https://crpe.org/
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Arizona State University (ASU), Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE); Columbia University, Center for Public Research and Leadership (CPRL)
Identifiers - Location: Rhode Island (Providence)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A