Speaker: Sarah Murphy, Evaluation Manager and Professional Learning specialist
What do you hope teachers will take away from this course?
Sarah Murphy: Chronic absenteeism is America's hidden educational crisis. It was a problem before COVID-19 disrupted education and chronic absence rates have nearly doubled following the pandemic. In this course, educators will gain a deep understanding of what chronic absenteeism is. It's defined as a student missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, including excused and unexcused absences and suspensions. And you'll learn how this approach differs from truancy. You'll discover how the pandemic impacted chronic absence rates and causes and exacerbated educational inequities. The course includes information on the negative and lasting effects of chronic absence on students', academic achievement, social emotional well being, and health and career outcomes throughout life. You'll learn about the root causes of chronic absenteeism which fall into four categories, barriers, aversion, disengagement and misconceptions. Course participants will investigate absence data from their school to understand the underlying causes and how students are impacted in their setting and develop potential solutions.
What do you love about this course?
Sarah Murphy: This course is focused on forming positive partnerships to address the root causes of chronic absenteeism. When schools, educators, families and community groups work together, they can make a meaningful difference. Course participants will learn about a research backed tiered approach to addressing chronic absence. Foundational supports for all students such as a welcoming school culture and strong family- school partnerships have been proven to support good attendance. You'll also learn how to implement strategies and solutions that fall into three intervention tiers to address specific barriers like transportation, chronic illnesses., or safety, and form partnerships with organizations that can help. By the end of the course, you'll develop a comprehensive plan geared towards your role and students needs to improve attendance in your school setting.
