Individual Reflection by Ashley Gillingham

lisa_raymond — 2025-05-02 14:39:28 UTC

I see a lot of students who are tardy or absent 1st hour and/or 7th hour.

In general, some of these students have one or two classes that they are consistently tardy to or absent from.

The students are social and enjoy interacting with friends.

2025-05-02 14:39:50 UTC

2025-05-02 14:40:26 UTC

Students tardy to 1st period - beyond their control.

2025-05-02 14:40:38 UTC

Friends are also in the hallway.

Chromebook

2025-05-02 14:40:40 UTC

Many are ones that are missing their CB or have broken CBs.

2025-05-02 14:40:43 UTC

Work avoidance and/or low academic skills

Need for 1:1 or small group support

lisa_raymond — 2025-05-02 14:40:45 UTC

How many of our students with low attendance still have high grades?

2025-05-02 14:40:48 UTC

We need to help students to learn to cope with frustration/ feeling overwhelmed so they can stay in the classroom instead of trying to avoid.

The students say there are no consequences for skipping. It is more fun to skip, eat chips, scroll through TikTok, and gossip. During 6th and 7th hour, there are usually 50 students skipping.

2025-05-02 14:41:00 UTC

2025-05-02 14:41:23 UTC

I wonder how many students are on this list due to being absent or tardy to first how, that is not in their control? (ex: parents drop them off late)

lisa_raymond — 2025-05-02 14:41:26 UTC

Lack of hallway support to help students get back into classrooms and/or process what they need to in order to be ready to return and engage.

2025-05-02 14:41:56 UTC

Students who struggle academically fall behind and then give up and then try to leave class so they don't have to show that they don't understand.

Some students skipping say the work is too hard. There are no (or very few) interventions in place for students way below grade level.

2025-05-02 14:42:04 UTC

2025-05-02 14:42:13 UTC

Immersion students have study hall assigned to them. There isn't a clear carrot for students to use that time wisely and many leave for long periods of time during the period or arrive late.

2025-05-02 14:42:27 UTC

Some of these students that are on these lists are friends with each other and tend to be with each other through out the day in the hallways and unfortunately not in the classroom.

2025-05-02 14:42:31 UTC

Students attend classes less if they don't feel a positive connection.

2025-05-02 14:42:38 UTC

Students are not receiving timely consequences to understand why they need to be in class

2025-05-02 14:42:42 UTC

Many of these students are present in the building all day, they just aren't attending class.

2025-05-02 14:42:51 UTC

I agree that we need to figure out which classes/ subjects students are missing the most.

2025-05-02 14:43:04 UTC

Students are often tardy to the same class(es) consistently

Attendance party. If students attend over 80% each quarter or semester, let's celebrate with social time and a treat.

2025-05-02 14:43:10 UTC

2025-05-02 14:43:21 UTC

I'd like ideas on how to provide more positive reinforcement for those students that have good attendance.

Armstrong sports or siblings that pick up students before 7th period

2025-05-02 14:43:23 UTC

2025-05-02 14:43:46 UTC

Kids who are at school and not going to class continue to do so because they know either the teachers or admin aren’t going to hold them accountable. There needs to be more CONSISTENT actions taken for kids that fall under this category.

lisa_raymond — 2025-05-02 14:44:03 UTC

Lack of a space for students who have gaps in learning that make it hard for them to engage in classroom instruction.

Example: Student misses a week of school due to illness, but does not have a space to go to catch up on what they learn. So they go back to class, but the class has moved one. Student feels confused and overwhelmed.

2025-05-02 14:44:07 UTC

I feel Catalysist techniques help build relationships in my classrooms.

2025-05-02 14:44:08 UTC

How are students navigating medical or mental health needs being supported and encouraged to stay connected to their day at PMS?

2025-05-02 14:44:08 UTC

Instructional factors may be a confidence peace for the specific class. Do they not feel confident with the subject, are they already failing or feeling singled out? Do they not have peers in the class? Do I not have my materials? Is something trending on Tik Tok that needs my attention? Will anyone notice I am missing?

What interventions can we do on our own that require minimal prep? So many students can't do math, spell, or capitalize the first letter of a sentence.

2025-05-02 14:44:10 UTC

If the absent rate by race is similar to our schools population by race.

2025-05-02 14:44:16 UTC

2025-05-02 14:44:24 UTC

Students chronically absent, tardy, or leaving class frequently are also struggling with learning gaps, ex math/reading.

Some might have transportation issues in am (1st period), or family responsibilities?

Some students tell me not having materials (chromebook) due to obligations at home, and desire to be more consistent with bringing materials.

What instructional or system factors might be contributing to low full-day attendance?

2025-05-02 14:44:38 UTC

There are approximately 105 EL students at PMS. Of those students, 25 of them are Beginning EL students who receive intensive support in their sheltered English/Reading classes and from the EL EA on their content coursework via EA supported math classes, EL study halls, and EL LEAP. These are not the students who are missing class, for the most part.

The other 80 EL students in our building are only receiving EL support in co-taught English classes and some LEAP support. THESE are the students who need more support in many ways -- academically, socially, emotionally -- and we are not staffed to provide more support through additional EL staff, so we very much need to empower all the staff in our building to more effectively meet the needs of these students.

However, as was said in the discussion, one major factor is to create a school culture of high expectations in which teachers are supported to run classrooms that are calm and learning-centered, and that the expectation is that if students are in the building, they should be in class,.

2025-05-02 14:44:40 UTC

Students are lacking in fun connections to school as a whole (ie school dances, field trips, high spirit week participation). School isn't as fun anymore which means some of our panther pride/community building as whole isn't as strong.

2025-05-02 14:45:05 UTC

Does marking students Tardy/Excused or Absent/Excused (like when they're with their counselor) affect their full day attendance?

2025-05-02 14:45:10 UTC

One thing I have noticed - looking specifically at students I know I have that are on the low full day attendance list - is that a lot of them skip my class specifically because I "do too much" or require them to actually engage in the learning/complete work, and don't lower my expectations for them. Work avoidance - if I have to put a name to it - is a huge factor. And I am not talking about kids who can't do the work based on ability/special needs - even providing modifications and adaptations students are choosing to avoid any type of work that they need to put forth effort to complete.

Why are we cutting support staff? Clearly, we NEED support! Mental health, hall monitors, admin, etc.

2025-05-02 14:45:14 UTC

What’s is being told to kids who aren’t going to class but are at school? What are we doing in the disciplinary end to motivate them to lower the frequency this behavior?

2025-05-02 14:45:15 UTC

2025-05-02 14:45:23 UTC

How to help students in a setting that fits them better (students that are often in the halls but who want to do well but can't because they are distracted and need more adult support. I want to help these students but I am playing whack-a-mole with behaviors and don't have time)

2025-05-02 14:45:35 UTC

When the idea of afterschool detention and full tardy sweeps were a real concern, students made their attempts to be more active on getting into classrooms... It seems as though the concern of Needing to be in class for some has turned into more of an option of being in class.

2025-05-02 14:45:41 UTC

Students that are leaving class usually round up their friend(s) to escort them to wherever they are going. Even if they have a pass to leave they usually are walking in groups. Kids usually do not skip class alone. I think eliminating the "+1" would be helpful in reducing the numbers.

2025-05-02 14:45:44 UTC

Students are of such varying differences in the classroom as far as learning goes that it is hard for the teacher to meet that students need when they enter the room.

2025-05-02 14:46:00 UTC

Disproportionality based on race and ethnicity - Black students make up a larger proportion of the <79% Full Day than the proportion of Black students overall at PMS

2025-05-02 14:46:21 UTC

Students learning from other students that walking out or skipping class is acceptable

2025-05-02 14:46:27 UTC

If study hall continues to be part of student day, how can the students' team of teachers work with the study hall supervisor to provide direction/support to students that encourages them to use their time wisely while they are there.

They always have a reason to be out in the hallway. They’ll ask to go to the bathroom, and then water, and then the nurse. They don’t hide well what their intentions are, but still have the EXPECTATION that they’ll be allowed to leave. Thats why they get so angry if and when a teacher says no.

2025-05-02 14:46:34 UTC

Some students may be getting picked up early and or dropped off late.

2025-05-02 14:46:41 UTC

2025-05-02 14:46:50 UTC

Can we work together to narrow down the students that need support from those who actually are on the list due to circumstances like late arrival to the building?

Can we work together to reach out to families?

Is there a way that we can teach families and the community the importance of school attendance?

2025-05-02 14:47:02 UTC

Lack of accountability for students who are not attending class but who are in the building - ie: They know that if they skip all day, there isn't really a negative impact to them (no consequence that 'matters' to them)

Students being dropped off late or picked up early - out of their control

Some students do sports or other activities after school and with our late start/end time they are forced to leave early a lot

Modern classroom style teaching - incentivizes the "I'll do it later" mentality.

Is anyone running attendance reports and contacting these families whose students are frequently absent?

2025-05-02 14:47:16 UTC

2025-05-02 14:47:17 UTC

Students may need more support managing their chrome books. Students may need more support helping them become independently responsible for skills as these.

2025-05-02 14:47:26 UTC

CLR trainings for more engaging hence I say, more exciting approaches to lessons. More support to get kids off their phones and headphones (that for some reason is allowed)

2025-05-02 14:48:52 UTC

Our school culture needs to be one of high academic standards. We need to hold students (ALL students) to high expectations for not only behaviors but what they can achieve academically. I have seen, and know, all students can meet our high expectations, and they need that from us - we can support them to get there but we can't continue to lower our expectations and then act surprised when our school culture becomes one of skipping, not academic focus, and negative.

Can we think of new consequences? Such as having students who skip clean? Then, going to class might sound like a better option!

2025-05-02 14:56:48 UTC