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Running head: ACTION RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Action Research Proposal: Attendance Protocol

--

The Principals Role as Leader of Change


Presented to the Department of Educational Leadership
and Postsecondary Education
University of Northern Iowa
-In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the
Master of Arts in Education
-by
Christopher Burke, Scott Firzlaff, Megan Richardson, and Angela Wessels
Dubuque Community School District
Dubuque, IA
May 10, 2014
-Dr. Ariel Aloe & Dr. Charles McNulty

Action Research Proposal

A missed school day is a lost opportunity for students to learn.


-National Forum on Education Statistics, (2009)

Introduction Section
Purpose of the study
The purpose of this study is to measure the results of the implementation of the
Dubuque Community School Districts (DCSD) attendance protocol that was
refined in 2010. As a group we recognize that attendance is an issue at all grade
levels. We want to research data from within our school district two years before
the new protocol was initiated in 2010 and review it again in 2015. From this
data, we will be able to gage if the protocol was making a difference on our tardy
and absentee rates. If we could prove the protocol in fact was making a
difference, as future leaders, we would be able to affirm that an effective
attendance protocol does decrease absenteeism.

Justification of the study


Related research has shown that increased student attendance rates have a positive
impact on student academic achievement. By analyzing the effectiveness of the
DCSD attendance protocol we can clarify/enact policies that increase attendance
rates. Further research has also indicated that schools with policies in place have
a strong communication with families. When families are engaged, absenteeism
concerns can be prevented more than if they were not committed to the policy.

Action Research Proposal

Research questions or hypothesis


Does the DCSD attendance protocol decrease absenteeism?
Definitions
Attendance: Section 299.1A of the Iowa Code mandates that children who have
reached the age of six and are under sixteen years of age by September 15 are of
compulsory attendance age for that school year. This code is stating that
students who are ages six to sixteen need to be present and on-time daily
during school hours.
Absenteeism: Absenteeism is when a student is not present at school.
According to The National Forum on Education Statistics, Every School Day
Counts; The Forum Guide to Collecting and Using Attendance Data, the types of
absenteeism include the following:
1. Absent:
2. Absent:
3. Absent:
4. Absent:
5. Absent:
6. Absent:
7. Absent:
8. Absent:
9. Absent:
10. Absent:
11. Absent:

Non-instructional activity recognized by the school


Religious observation
Illness, injury, health treatment, or examination
Family emergency or bereavement
Disciplinary action, not receiving instruction
Legal or judicial requirement
Family activity
Student employment
Transportation not available
Student is skipping school
Situation unknown

Tardy: Tardiness is when students are late to school or when students leave school
early.
Protocol: Protocol is the action taken by the school district to improve attendance
rates.
Literature Review
The topic of attendance is the key to the success or failure of not only a school or district
but specifically to each individual. If a student does not attend school, they take the chance of
missing integral parts of their educational foundation. Like a building that lacks a supportive
structure, a student who misses a piece of their education here and there might falter in their

Action Research Proposal

future plans for postsecondary education and the world of work. According to the National
Forum on Education Statistics Attendance Task Force (2009); poor attendance has serious
implications for later outcomes as well. High school dropouts have been found to exhibit a
history of negative behaviors, including high levels of absenteeism throughout their childhood, at
higher rates than high school graduates (p.1). As the Dubuque group began discussing their
proposal for action research, the topic of attendance and the protocols that are created to support
consistent attendance became the focus of what we were interested in at all levels of education.
Within our group, there are elementary, middle, and secondary educators who are able to see the
effects of consistent and inconsistent attendance on students and their peers. According to the
National Center for School Engagement (NCSE) (2005): Tracking school attendance is a
challenge at best, a nightmare for many. The No Child Left Behind Act holds states accountable
for reporting attendance. However, there are a variety of reasons why attendance data are often
misleading (p. 2). The report continues by reaffirming the thoughts of the Dubuque group:
The most daunting challenge is consistency. Attendance tracking is wildly inconsistent, often
between classrooms, schools, and districts (NCSE, 2005, p. 2). In addressing these thoughts,
the Dubuque group found information to guide the action proposal. The Indiana Department of
Education (IDE) stated in its research entitled Preventing Chronic Absenteeism and Truancy;
One of the first steps toward improving student attendance requires developing some
form of effective monitoring system. Schools, parents, and communities cannot act to
improve student attendance unless they understand which students are missing school.
Effective monitoring helps educators and communities effectively identify students who
are most at-risk of becoming chronically absent. Researchers and policy-makers have

Action Research Proposal

increasingly focused on early-warning systems as an important measure in preventing


student absenteeism and truancy. (IDE, 2014).

In analyzing current literature on attendance protocols, it became abundantly clear that


many other researchers identified consistent attendance as the key to educational success as well.
The Center for Mental Health at Schools at UCLA has observed that students cannot perform
well academically when they are frequently absent...low attendance is a symptom of
disengagement and academic difficulties. But when many students have low attendance in
classes, such behavior undermines the capacity of all students and teachers to pursue high quality
education (2014, p. 1). The National Forum on Education Statistics, Every School Day Counts
study from 2009 discovered a statistically significant negative correlation between grade point
average and number of days absent from school. It shows that the more absences students had,
the more likely they were to have a GPA below a 3.0, and conversely, the fewer absences, the
more likely students were to have a 3.0 GPA or higher (p. 18).
The common thread among all of the literature that we reviewed is the problem with
consistent collection of data. The monitoring, tracking, and reporting of attendance data is
completed by human beings. There is human error in this process. The National Forum on
Education Statistics Attendance Task Force (2009), as part of their focus, asked why quality data
mattered. Their research focus determined that high-quality attendance data serve as the
foundation for understanding where students are during the school day (p. 3). In addition, such
data allow comparisons between schools, districts, and states--which is necessary for educators
to identify relationships between students attendance and student achievement, promotion from
grade to grade, and high school graduation (The National Forum on Education Statistics, 2009,

Action Research Proposal

p. 3). To further address this point, a policy fact sheet from the John W. Gardner Center for
Youth and Their Communities stated that the recent rise in attention to school attendance
problems is the result of strong research indicating the relationship between school attendance
and academic success. (2012, p. 6).
In addressing the need for attention to attendance in connection to achievement, many
programs have been created across the country. This is mostly due to information similar to
what was reported by the Center for Mental Health at Schools at UCLA current policy is mainly
reactive. There is a clear need for greater attention to prevention and intervening as early as
feasible after attendance problems are noted. There is a need for a comprehensive, multifaceted
and integrated approach that weaves together the resources of school and community (2014, p.
2). The recent rise in large scale attendance campaigns demonstrates that communities are
taking significant steps to combat absenteeism, including stepping out of their silos to form
unique cross-sector collaborations, leveraging resources and investing in prevention efforts early
on in students academic careers (John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities,
2012, p. 6).
In assessing the methodology of each of the pieces of research literature, a common
theme arose in the ways in which the researchers outlined what an absences was. Since each
state has a different code that determines what an absences is as well as what a tardy is and those
definitions depend on a series of other factors, the Dubuque group found themselves in a
conundrum of sorts. Since each state defined absences in a varied manner, the methodology
would therefore be different as well. Reporting data would not be consistent from state to state.
In the aforementioned Every School Day Counts report from the Forum on Education Statistics

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(2009), the following series of information is a display of codes that could be utilized in
expressing each type of attendance code used in their study;

Category 1: Attending/Present
CATEGORY 1A: PresentIn school, regular instructional program
The student is in class. This includes attendance at sites other than the school of record if
the site is part of the students regular instructional program approved by the school
and/or state. Examples of other sites are institutions of higher education,
vocational/technical centers, and special education centers.
CATEGORY 1B: PresentNon Traditional school setting, regular instructional program
The student is engaged in his or her regular instructional program in a non-traditional
school setting. Examples include hospital- or homebound instruction, as well as offcampus distance education.
CATEGORY 1C: PresentDisciplinary action, receiving instruction
The student has been removed from the regular instructional setting for disciplinary
reasons and is receiving instruction. In-school suspension typically falls within this
category, but it also includes out-of-school suspension if instructional services are
provided.
CATEGORY 1D: PresentOut of school, regular instructional program activity
The student is involved in an activity outside of school that is part of his or her regular
instructional program, such as a field trip or workstudy. The student is under the direct
supervision of school personnel or someone who has been designated to act in place of
school personnel.

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CATEGORY 1E: PresentOut of school, school-approved extracurricular or co-curricular


activity.
The student is outside of school, participating in instruction that is related to, but not part
of, the regular curriculum. Examples include school-approved extracurricular or cocurricular activities, such as a debate, an athletic competition, or a conference that has
educational value.

Category 2: Not Attending/Absent


CATEGORY 2A: AbsentNon Instructional activity recognized by state or school
The student is out of school and involved in a non-instructional activity recognized by the
school or state. Examples include such civic activities as involvement with the National
Guard, service as a legislative page, jury duty, or participation on an election board. Note
that recognized activities are not necessarily considered excused absences.
CATEGORY 2B: AbsentReligious observation
The student is out of school observing a religious holiday or participating in religious
instruction.
CATEGORY 2C: AbsentIllness, injury, health treatment, or examination
The student is out of school because of personal physical or mental illness or injury,
including health-related appointments.
CATEGORY 2D: AbsentFamily emergency or bereavement
The student is out of school for unexpected family reasons. Examples include lack of
child care for a parenting student, care for a sick relative, and bereavement for a family
member.

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CATEGORY 2E: AbsentDisciplinary action, not receiving instruction


The student has been removed from his or her regular instructional setting for
disciplinary reasons and is not receiving instruction. This may include either in-school or
out-of-school suspension if instructional services are not provided. It does not include
expulsion since expelled students are not enrolled in school.
CATEGORY 2F: AbsentLegal or judicial requirement
The student is out of school due to a legal obligation to attend judicial proceedings,
required appointments, or trial or hearing dates. Or, the student is serving time in jail or is
in the custody of the court and is not receiving instruction.
CATEGORY 2G: AbsentFamily activity
The student is out of school because of a family vacation or other activity. This also
includes family time related to a parent being deployed to, or returning from, military
duty.
CATEGORY 2H: AbsentStudent employment
The student is out of school for employment purposes. This does not include workstudy
or school-related employment.
CATEGORY 2I: AbsentTransportation not available
The student is not in school because transportation is not available. For example, roads
have been closed due to flooding.
CATEGORY 2J: AbsentStudent is skipping school
The student is willfully not attending school without parent or school approval.
CATEGORY 2K: AbsentSituation unknown

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The student is not present and the reason for the absence is not known. (pp. 8-10)
According for the National Center for School Engagement as well as the National Forum
for Education Statistics, the need for the consistent use of a specific set of codes or taxonomies
may be one of the reasons for the struggle in obtaining reliable attendance data. In completing
their research, the NCSE determined that the challenges to attendance tracking included
incorrect codes on chronic truants/drop-outs (2005) and that the possible solutions included;
Immediate follow-up with truants.
Eliminate transfer or drop-out status assumptions insist on evidence of attendance
at the transferred school.
Create a common student number that identifies the student regardless of transfer
status.
Employ dedicated staff to address truancy, such as truancy officers and community
advocates.
Eliminate automated parental notification processes personalize the process via
phone and home visits.
Provide attendance data on report cards.
Encourage personal relationships between parents and teachers, such that teachers
follow-up with parents when a student is missing. (NCSE, 2005)

To actually perform attendance research, the National Forum on Education Statistics (2009)
stated that;
A variety of approaches can be used to help educators understand the scope of a

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schools or districts attendance problems. Qualitative analyses include taking a closer


look at local attendance policies to determine whether they support optimal student
attendance. Quantitative analyses include investigating whether student attendance data
correlate with student demographic groups, academic performance, grade levels,
retention patterns, school completion, and graduation. (p. 17).

After considering the literature that we found in reference to absenteeism and the
effectiveness of attendance protocol, it is even clearer to this group that attendance policies must
be clear, concise, and consistent in order to be effective in increasing attendance and
achievement. The body of literature available to the group was both wide-ranging and limiting.
We found that addressing the effectiveness of attendance protocols would include a distinct
process from grade to grade, and from range to range. For example, it is important to realize that
the causes of attendance issues in elementary school are much different from those issues in
middle school and high school. While the issues are all equally important, each of them needs to
be documented and reported differently due to the transference of the responsibility over the
course of a childs educational career. One area that we continue to agree upon is the concern
over attendance documentation and reporting. The fact that human error is a consistent variable
in attendance reporting is a cause for continued concern, but in the end, the attendance must be
monitored, tracked, and reported as accurately as possible. We must do this so we are able to
assist the student before they literally get lost in the system. Ultimately, we need to improve
attendance in order to help kids get to school, every day, on time, so they can learn about why it
is beneficial to be in school, every day, on time.

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Method Section
To complete our action research project we would need to follow a series of procedures.
First, we would need to review the DCSD Board Policy 5107, Chapter 5 Section 2 on School
Attendance. This would help to determine the baseline data needed for the study. From there we
would divide the data into three sets: elementary, middle school and high school. Looking at
each data set individually we would have a good starting point for our baseline data.
This by applying quantitative observational research to this study we will be describing the data
collected from the DCSD through the use of EdInsight. The sample being used will be all
students in the DCSD, grades PreK through 12, from the year 2008-2015.
We are intending to measure the rate of attendance as reflected through the Iowa Code
and clarified by DCSD policy. The DCSD schools are required to report to the state student
tardy and absence data on a daily basis. EdInsight collects and organizes this data enabling us to
reflect upon and interpret the data from this report at the end of each school year. The data we
will be looking at is quantitative data that analyzes attendance rates from one year prior to the
implementation date of the current attendance protocol. This data will be compared to
absenteeism rates after one year of implementation. We would also look at subsequent data from
years two, three, four, and five to determine the progress of the implementation. We will be using
a data spreadsheet with a graphing tool in order to compare both quantitatively and graphically
data from subsequent years. This research would cost zero dollars from the school or district
budgets due to the data being public knowledge and all information will be shared electronically.
Backed by the validity of the data and integrity of the study our action research plan will
help to identify the level of success of the DCSD attendance protocol as it relates to student
achievement.

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References

Center for Mental Health at Schools at UCLA (n.d.). School attendance: Focusing on
engagement and re engagement. Retrieved April 21, 2014 from http://files.eric.ed.gov/
fulltext/ED519166.pdf

Education Partners Inc. (n.d.). Research brief: Successful attendance policies and programs.
Retrieved April 21, 2014 from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED537719.pdf

Indiana Department of Education (2014, January 28). Preventing chronic absenteeism and
truancy. Retrieved April 21, 2014 from http://www.doe.in.gov/studentservices/attendance/preventing-chronic-absenteeism-truancy

John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities (2012, April). Collaborative
approaches to reducing absenteeism among k-12 students. Retrieved April 21, 2014 from
http://jgc.stanford.edu/resources/policy_fact_sheets/Absence_Interventions_PFS.pdf

National Forum on Education Statistics (2009, February). Every school day counts: The forum
guide to collecting and using attendance data. Retrieved April 21, 2014 from
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2009/2009804.pdf

National Center for School Engagement. (2005, June). School attendance tracking: Challenging
and effective practices. Retrieved April 21, 2014 from

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http://www.schoolengagement.org/TruancypreventionRegistry/Admin/Resources/
Resources/SchoolAttendanceTrackingChallengesandEffectivePractices.pdf

Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (2004, June). Increasing student attendance:


Strategies from research and practice. Retrieved April 21, 2014 from
http://educationnorthwest.org/webfm_send/302

U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs, (2009, October 15). Truancy literature
review. Retrieved April 21, 2014 from http://www2.dsgonline.com/dso/
Truancy%20Literature%20Review.pdf

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