Showing Up For Class Matters

Attendance & Reengagement in the NWESD Region

As early as the first month of school, chronic absence can be an early warning sign of academic struggles for students in all grade levels. By sixth grade, it becomes a key predictor that a student will drop out of high school.

The United States Department of Education reported that at least 10.1 million students were chronically absent during the first full year of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a significant increase from 8 million students who were reported chronically absent pre pandemic (www.attendanceworks.org).

At the regional level, the NWESD has three Attendance & Reengagement Specialists (ARS) by county:

• Heather Huntington – Skagit, Island, San Juan • Elizabeth Hanna – Snohomish • Keegan Lawler – Whatcom

Our specialists work with participating districts to help address chronic absenteeism through one-on-one case management and working in coordination with the district, students, parents, and schools. At a time when many schools are short on resources, specialists can become a valued part of a district’s school team. They help to identify why students are disengaged and identify and work with them to reengage by providing resources, connecting them to the right supports, and helping them to advocate for their needs.

“We come to the students and meet them where they are at. We provide a human connection and assist with mediation, education for parents, and negotiating on behalf of students/parents and school staff. After the first meeting with a student (who usually think they are in trouble), we start to learn about their challenges and what is troubling them, we get to know them first, and then we can offer help.” - Keegan Lawler, ARS for Whatcom County.

Specialists also serve students re-entering their community and school settings from the judicial system and students identified by schools as potential dropouts. Through a process customized for each student, specialists focus on student academic, social/emotional, and physical health to overcome barriers that prevent student success in school. They meet students where they are, often playing the role of counselor, communicator, connector, they can provide referrals for Community-Based Organizations, housing/basic needs, human connection, mediation, education for parents, negotiating for not only students, but for parents, and school staff, too.

Connecting Students with Resources

Advocates look for the root cause of the student’s absences, starting by asking questions like are the absences due to a lack of housing, poverty, generational trauma, lack of support, health care access, or is it mental health-related? Or, in our current climate, is it COVID-related? Was the student being out of school a pattern learned over two years of not attending? The goal is to try to catch the students before they disengage.

• Student Support • Needs assessment • Individualized success plan • Advocacy and support • Case management • Coordinated communication

Elizabeth Hanna, ARS Snohomish said, “There are a lot of resources, services, and options available to students throughout the district, but many times they just do not know, are afraid to ask, or do not care to ask. We educate them about options and explore those options with them.”

Supporting Districts

There has been a lot of interest in the free NWESD monthly networking sessions. Many district personnel supporting attendance work report feeling isolated. These sessions provide a community and a collaboration space where job a-likes can all learn from, support each other, and improve processes.

Participating schools have a variety of school level employees attending these sessions. For instance, attendance secretaries, (attendance professionals are people who arrange meetings with parents). Some schools have a dedicated attendance person, but sometimes it is the administrative assistant at the district level who is the contact person who oversees the process in the entire district.

District Services

• Assistance navigating OSPI’s attendance contacts • Help understanding recent state policy changes • Evaluation of systems-level functions, like reengagement boards, attendance teams, and levels of action from the district to the school level. • Collaborate and share out best practices, research, and resources

OSPI ESSER grant provides case management, direct service for kids who have been or are at risk of being disconnected from schools. Simultaneously assisting students and collecting data about why they disengaged. Oneon-one case management allows specialists across the state to obtain direct feedback from students and families. This will allow policymakers and future funding to address challenges contributing more precisely and equitably to gaps in academic achievement in our state.

Instilling Hope

“Instilling hope is breaking life down to the next possible action, no matter how small it is and showing them that through little actions they can have success. If you can help a student focus on small progress, things do not feel so overwhelming. Hope is not a feeling, it is a behavior. It is taking the next step because there is a belief that something is possible. That is hope. Taking steps, one at a time. Or even one breath at a time.” - Heather Huntington, ARS for Skagit, Island, San Juan counties.

Connect with us

Keegan Lawler serving Whatcom county districts klawler@nwesd.org (360) 299-4484 (O) (360) 298-8101 (C) Heather Huntington serving Skagit, Island and San Juan county districts hhuntington@nwesd.org (360) 299-4484 (O) (360) 298-8517 (C) Elizabeth Hanna serving Snohomish county districts ehanna@nwesd.org (360) 299-4483 (O) (360) 298-8059 (C)