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

West (Hampden, Hampshire)

Northeast

Metrowest

Boston

Central

Southeast

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• Teaching self-management strategies within the classroom

• Newsletters about health-related topics

• Clear communication about attendance

• Nurse participation at each building for attendance team/committee

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• Universal - free breakfast and lunch; when to/not to come to school guidance shared with families via website and newsletters

• Tier 1 - letters home after 5 unexcused absences; handwashing lessons in elementary schools

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• Health Services' CQI at Bridgewater Raynham Regional is "Chronic Absenteeism will be reduced by 3% by May 2025"

• Data Acquisition through PowerSchool

• Aug 28- Introduction to Chronic Absenteeism Toolkit (created by Kim Fallon RN).

  Sept 15th- run attendance

  Oct 15th- Run attendance and create a spreadsheet with a list of students with > 10% absence, review list for medical conditions and alerts

  Oct/Nov- Nursing attendance at Student Assist/Attendance meeting, reach out to parent/guardian via phone

  Nov 15- Run attendance, review medical considerations/alerts/IHCPs/504s, contact Guidance and building admin, send out Letter form Health Services communicating number of absences and encouraging contact with school nurse and or PCP.

  Next Step: Dec 15- Run attendance, Plug attendance data into Demographic Table

  ***Obtaining the demographic table as related to absenteeism is very challenging!

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• Establishing expectations: Clearly communicate attendance expectations to students, parents, and staff

• Coaching and support to attendance teams

• Nurse serve on building based attendance team

• Answer medical questions

• Sick day guidance on Website

• School Nurse Coordinator on District Attendance Team

• Monthly newsletter with a health tip. Keep connected to the community

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• The tier 1 school nurse strategy I am currently working on is assessment, identifying chronically absent students. I collaborate with the Principal, Assistant Principal, and guidance counselors to identify students who are chronically absent and to discuss potential reasons for this. We then formulate a plan on how to address the issue based on the information gathered. I am focusing on creating a system to accurately identify and track the chronically absent students.

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• I have reached out to our IT department to see if race and ethnicity can be pulled from Aspen to FL. I have looked at the absentee rates of each building and started to investigate reasons and how each building handles chronic absences.

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• Monthly health committee meetings to discuss these students

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• Providing a supportive environment so students feel welcome in school

• Providing a supportive environment so students feel they have a staff member they can reach out to when struggling

• Encouraging daily breakfast through the free breakfast program

Tier 2 Strategies:

• Identifying students who are chronically absent and working with their parents, doctors, and school staff to create and implement a plan to support the student

• Regular communication with parents/guardians to identify the issue

• Create a support team/plan to support the student and family

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• clear communication about attendance

• newsletters about health-related topics and in-person sessions with students about health-related topics and self-care teaching

• identifying partners to provide wraparound services

Tier 2 Strategies:

• develop health care plans for students with chronic illnesses

• targeted positive family education

• teaching staff about chronic health conditions

• link families with community resources

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• Nursing staff to call home and providers for students heading toward chronic absenteeism.

• Referrals to providers or establishing a health care provider for new students.

• Screening incoming new students with complex medical needs to address needs and provide resources.

Tier 2 Strategies:

• Collaborate on IEP and 504 development to ensure that all student's needs are addressed.

• Encourage an open-door policy in the nurses' office to foster positive relationships.

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• working with IT to have better systems in place to run reports to track students

• health and wellness committee meets once a month to discuss multi integration approach to better suit the students' needs and keep them in school

• self-advocate

• sending home letters in our weekly seahawk news about better communication when absent

• we need dr proof if they are out for more than 3 days

• open door policy for students to come to health clinic

Tier 2 Strategies:

• small group counseling happening with counselor and advisors

• meetings with parents and students about expectations

• communicating updates on chronic health issues/concerns that may affect attendance and develop team approach

Tier 2 Strategies:

• review of processes with admin

• revisit previous process that involved SRO and school nurse

Tier 2 Strategies:

• Building nurses are sending informational outreach letters to parents of students with 10% or more days absent two times per year (in addition to district letters)

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• Following attendance tracking and presence at building based student assistance meetings the nurse is reaching out via phone and email to the parent.

• In grades 5-12, the nurse is checking in with the individual student regarding their absences.

• Ongoing tier 1 interventions with already identified population as well as newly added students with >10% absenteeism

Tier 2 Strategies:

• Tier 2 interventions to address chronic absenteeism include a formal letter home to the parent/guardian and then contacting the PCP with an informative status update.

• Creation of relevant IHCPs

• Review relevant 504 and IEPs in identified chronic absenteeism population

• Individual behavioral/ So Emotional/ Health in-person check-in with student in nurse's office

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• District-wide collaboration to decrease chronic absenteeism.

Tier 2 Strategies:

• Working with PCP and specialists to decrease chronic absenteeism for our students with chronic conditions

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• share info with guidance and teacher.

Tier 2 Strategies:

• contacting PCP if parents failed to respond.

Tier 3 Strategies:

• SRO proved effective in visiting hard core chronically absent students at home

Universal & Tier 1 Strategies:

• Monitoring absentee data.

• Creating an inclusive and welcoming school environment.

• Encouraging and developing meaningful relationships with students.

Tier 2 Strategies:

• Identify students at risk.

• Discuss individual needs of students and barriers to better school attendance.

Tier 3 Strategies:

• Involve individual families and look for wrap around and community services to help assist individual needs.