West (Hampden, Hampshire)

Northeast

Metrowest

Boston

Central

Southeast

1. Scroll to the next section to complete any activities due. 
2. SHIELD will submit your responses and/or questions in batches on Wednesday and Fridays

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• Nurses are part of the School Wellness Committee.

• Nurses do follow up on students with consecutive or chronic absences.

• District has instituted ParentSquare to increase communication and outreach in a user-friendly manner.

• District has updated the Attendance Policy.

• District utilizes Open Architect to track absences.

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• Collaborating with administration and administrative assistants to use common terms so that running reports is more straight forward.

• Communication with staff and families regarding calling in absences and documenting reasons and working with parents/guardians on getting students to school.

• Encouraging school attendance with parents/guardians and sending letters home from administration quarterly for 5 or more unexcused absences.

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• Creating a welcoming and supportive environment for all students

• Monthly Healthy Habits Club

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• Nurses will follow up on students with consecutive or chronic absences.

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• We currently receive a list in the morning of absences and we coordinate with our outreach social worker or SEL team members when we note concerning amounts of absences or dismissals.

• We already call home if we don't hear from a parent and a student is absent, and we also follow up if a student has been out for 3 days.

• We coordinate with teachers and admin to monitor the students we identify at risk for chronic absenteeism.

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• Nurses are monitoring absence in their buildings, identifying students with greater than 10% to date and working with Principals, social workers and parents to improve attendance

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• In my district, we have created the SWIFT program, which offers students who have missed any extended amount of school additional support. This allows them to get caught up and hopefully alleviates the stress of feeling behind, which may, in turn, cause additional avoidance issues.

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• Currently we are keeping track of the students and the reason why they are absent on a daily basis, if no call from parents, we call and go over any questions/concerns the parents/guardians have. Also, have started to look at who has been absent 0-4% Green, 4-9.9% Yellow and >10% Red. Those students in red are getting letters sent home and in a few months if no improvement the team will discuss planning a meeting with parent/guardians.

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• Tracking daily absences, reasons for absence

Tier 2 Strategies:

• Communication with parents/guardians regarding the importance of notifying the school when their child/children are absent, along with the reason for the absence.

• Educate the parent/guardians about return to school policies.

• Educate staff about chronic health conditions.

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• This year we are continuing to address the topic of vision referral follow-up and close out rates. Last year we were able to compose a formal procedure to address this topic and this year we are implementing the plan.

• Created a formal spreadsheet with required follow-up dates to assist nurses with tracking.

• Provide teachers with resources to better understand the connection between vision and learning, so that they recognize why screening early in the school year is important.

• Engage families so they understand the importance of completing referrals.

• Address any socioeconomic barriers that might prevent families from getting outside of school follow-up and/or attainment of glasses.

• Have per-diem nurses help complete referrals and follow-ups.

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• Participation in building and district attendance teams to review data and establish protocols for responding to attendance concerns.

• Improve communication to all families about the importance of attendance.

• Improve communication to all families about illness guidelines.

Tier 2 Strategies:

• Work with Family Engagement Liaison to identify barriers such as lack of transportation, lack of access to health care, school avoidance.

• Provide health guidance and resources (such as thermometers) to MLL families at the ELPAC meetings.

• Provide access to resources such as Reading Food Pantry, bus transportation, extended day options, in school counseling.

Tier 2 Strategies:

• Collaborate on 504 plans that will either need to be established or added as a result of our screening findings

• Develope IHP's to address newly identified student needs

• Link students and their families with any needed community resources

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• Nurses attend regular Wellness Team/Student Support Teams in their buildings to share data with support colleagues.

Tier 2 Strategies:

• Nurses attend monthly attendance team meetings to share information and learn about students who are on list of chronically absent students.

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

Educating school nurses on MTSS and Tier 1 strategies which include school nurses in the district:

• utilizing ParentSquare to communicate with families on attendance and other health issues in multiple languages

• educating staff on appropriate use of nurse office during school staff meetings

• participating in student and wellness meetings on attendance

• reviewing emergency forms to identify students with complex medical needs and developing health plans for school

• monitoring attendance and those with chronic absenteeism

• collaborating with school staff and clinicians to support students

• building relationships with students and families

• working with community agencies to assist families

• putting systems in place and practicing emergency response drills

• providing health education to students

• training staff in emergency preparedness

Tier 2 Strategies:

School nurses are:

• developing emergency action plans and individualized health care plans for students with known medical conditions

• reviewing health plan, adjusting if needed, and tracking outcomes

• collaborating with school staff and parents on 504 and IEP plans

• educating staff on student emergency action plans and individualized health plans

• completing mandated screenings and referring as needed

• following up with school staff and parents on students with chronic absenteeism

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• Communication practices with parents and guardians of students with a high rate of absences

• Demographics and chronic health conditions contributing to a high number of absences

• The perceived importance of school attendance by students and parents/guardians

• School Attendance Perceptions and Incentives

Tier 2 Strategies:

• Assure all schools across the district are performing the same interventions for tracking absences and improving absence rate

• Communicate with parents/guardians and students the importance of school attendance and the policies of reporting absences

• Monitoring the input of data into the shared system so that the data is accurate across the district

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• The Swampscott Public Schools has committed to the following as Tier 1 supports to encourage attendance for all students:

  Nurses help to support these daily

  -Messaging from district and building leaders around the importance of attendance and the benefits of consistent school attendance

  -Creating a positive school climate, including a focus on building a sense of belonging for all students

  -Commitment to building relationships with all students with at least one trusted ‘anchor adult’ through activities like Morning Meeting at the elementary level, Advisory at SMS, and Learning Community at SHS - Our nurses become this person for many students.

  -Partnership with families including consistent messaging, engagement, and two-way communication - Nurses follow up on multi-day absences to provide support and guidance.

  -Maintaining a welcoming and inclusive physical environment including signage highlighting students from all backgrounds. Nursing offices are full of learning materials and information that is inclusive to all.

  -Engage in the continuous improvement process of curriculum to ensure that it is culturally responsive and relevant to students’ interests and long-term goals

Tier 2 Strategies:

• Send a personalized Parent Square message or write a postcard with social norms information

• Increased adult attention with classroom teacher/advisory teacher/Learning Community teacher (build sense of belonging, give trusted adult, 3 x10 protocol)

• Short-term counseling support (follow problem solving process, gather more info and gain rapport; Motivational Interviewing and Solution Focused Therapy)

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• Universal screening requirements

• Screenings completed by trained school nurses

Tier 2 Strategies:

• Follow-up with families via Talking points/telephone calls/emails

• Vision Resource Committee

• Vision Resource Book

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• Reviewing attendance reports daily to identify the cause of the absence.

• Purchased signage to positively promote on-time arrival with catchy phrases such as, "Every minute matters".

Tier 2 Strategies:

• Nurses- Contact the parent/guardian of every student with 3 or more consecutive absences. Provide education to encourage the student's earliest safe return. Identify any medical needs and provide resources to families.

• Attendance Supervisor- Contact the parent/guardian of every student with 3 or more consecutive absences with no identified cause such as medical or avoidance behavior.

• School Adjustment Counselor- Contact the parent/guardian of every student with 3 or more consecutive absences that have GAD, avoidance behavior or other identified issues that the counselor can help the student overcome.

Tier 3 Strategies:

• The HPS School Nurse training and resource manual has and will continue to efficiently and adequately train district school nurses which will allow them time to focus on working on issues such as chronic absenteeism. This includes participating in school committees to address chronic absenteeism. The resource document (still a work in progress) has been uploaded under other documents. There are internal hyperlinks to all of the additional necessary resources but this one document allows for easy access.

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• Student and family engagement

• Tracking attendance of students with medical conditions and provide support

• Assessing risks

• General emergency preparedness and staff training

• General health education for school community

Tier 2 Strategies:

• Develop health plans for students with medical conditions

• Train staff in emergency action plans

• Increase returned referrals for vision and other health screening referrals

Tier 3 Strategies:

• Develop individual, unique plans for students with challenging behaviors/conditions

• Review and update plans as needed

• Ensure accommodations are in place

• Participate in student meetings.

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• Universal vision screening

• Vision Committee

Tier 2 Strategies:

• Vision Providers Resouce List

• Reaching out to families via call, text, email, letter

• Providing individual student support

Tier 3 Strategies:

• Pilot program - Small Steps to Eye Care: A Conversation Guide

• Transportation (gift cards for UBER, MBTA cards)

• Setting up appointments for students