Attendance analysis for 2002 School year
Prepared by Barry Bolek, Caryn Hinrichs & Kevin Marsh

We would like to share with you the following analysis of the data that we have in regards to attendance for the 2002 school year.  Some points to keep in mind of changes from the 2000-01 and 2001-02 School years are:

1. We implement Pentamation’s on line attendance for 50%+ of the staff.  This includes period by period real time on line attendance.  We are currently functioning at 100% for all teachers during the 2002-03 school year.
2. We implemented a daily calling system for students that were not called in by the parents the day of the absence.
3. We held meetings for excessive absences for students who missed more than 8 classes and were impeding the learning of their classes.
4. We sent home letters for any students with 5 or more absences in a class.
5. Deans interacted with every student who had 4 or more unauthorized absences from any class.
6. School related absences were not included in the numbers of this report.  School related numbers include students who miss class for a field trip, counselors meeting, religious holiday, nurses office reason or other miscellaneous school related absence that the school would ask a student to miss a class.
    

The authorized absence numbers reflect the total number of periods missed by all students at DHS.  The average student is assigned 8 periods of courses during the day.  92,216 reflects that 11,527 student day absences.  With a school population of approximately 1,500 for the average school year and this number, the average student would have missed 7 authorized days of school for the entire year. 

            The change from 2001 to 2002 is 92,216 to 63,748 or 7.7 days vs. 5.3 days of absences in the authorized category.  Students on the average were authorized to miss class 2 less days in the 2002 school year than the previous year.

The unauthorized absence numbers reflect the total number of periods missed by all students at DHS.  The average student is assigned 8 periods of courses during the day.  16,312 reflects that 2,039 student day absences.  With a school population of approximately 1,500 for the average school year and this number, the average student would have missed 1.2 unauthorized days of school for the entire year. 

            The change from 2001 to 2002 is 1,613 to 6,812 or 1.4 days vs. .6 days of absences in the unauthorized category.  Students on the average were unauthorized from class .8 less days in the 2002 school year than the previous year.

In reflection we feel that several factors come into play with the improved attendance.

• The period by period attendance system is more accurate for student records
• The automated phone calling system increase the reliability of absences
• Teacher and Department Chair intervention brings the focus of learning to the parents and students
• Parents did not authorize students to miss school as often
• Dean intervention decreased the unauthorized absences.
• Letters written on the fifth absence confirms our importance for attending school

Contact Person:

Barry Bolek, DHS Assistant Principal

page last updated 11/04/2002