HERE! for Their Future
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West Des Moines Community Schools’ (WDMCS) role in preparing our students for postsecondary learning, careers, and life is best fulfilled when we are all HERE. Together, we play an important role in supporting student success. That's why we've launched HERE!, a multi-faceted outreach campaign to combat chronic absenteeism in WDMCS.
What is Chronic Absenteeism?
A student is considered chronically absent if they miss 10 percent of school, which is 18 or more days in a year. This equals only two days a month.
Why Do We Need to Talk About It?
Research shows consistent attendance:
- helps children reach early academic and developmental milestones;
- helps students develop positive relationships with peers and staff;
- prevents students from falling behind academically;
- connects families to additional community resources; and
- increases graduation rates.
HERE! Family Resources
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Attendance Works Resources
The following information is provided by Attendance Works, as part of their R.E.A.L. framework.
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Support for Elementary Students
Routines: Daily attendance routines can reduce stress, increase your child’s self-confidence, and lay a foundation for good attendance in later grades.
Engagement: Participation in school helps your child connect with other children and adults and get excited about learning.
Access to Resources: Schools can give you access to meals, physical and mental health care and other supports, and fun enrichment activities (sports, clubs, music, afterschool and summer programs, etc.).
Learning: Children learn best from hand-on activities and through meaningful interactions with their teacher and other students.
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Support for Junior High Students
Routines: Establishing a routine of daily attendance helps reduce stress at home and supports a habit of attendance that will help your teenager get and keep a job.
Engagement: Being in school helps students get to know each other and school staff and builds relationships that can motivate participation in learning.
Access to Resources: Schools provide access to valuable resources such as meals, health, mental health supports, and enrichment activities such as sports, clubs, music, and other afterschool and summer programs.
Learning: Students who attend school regularly do better academically in junior high and are more likely to graduate from high school.
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Support for High School Students
Routines: A daily attendance routine can help you reduce stress and develop habits that help you keep a job.
Engagement: Being in school gives you a chance to see your friends and build relationships with school staff.
Access to Resources: Schools provide access to valuable resources such as meals, health, mental health supports, and enrichment activities such as sports, clubs, music, and other afterschool and summer programs.
Learning: You are more likely to pass classes and graduate from high school when you miss less than a week of school each semester.
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My Family's Helpers Worksheet
The My Family's Helpers worksheet was originally posted by Attendance Works and adapted with permission from the DeVos Family Foundation from materials created by Early Works. Click on the worksheet in your language to download a printable worksheet.
What Are We Doing?
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WDMCS is addressing chronic absenteeism in a variety of ways.
Building Awareness
The purpose of our HERE! campaign is to:
- educate families and students on the topic of chronic absenteeism and its impact on student success.
- engage students, staff, and families by connecting everyone to their "why" for choosing WDMCS and coming to school each day.
- connect to the broader community to develop resources and break down barriers that may prevent some students from making it to school each day.
Data Collection/Analysis- Student absenteeism by school and grade;
- Other demographics that may stand out (example: open enrolled students, English learner families, etc.);
- Reasons marked for a student's absences: Excused? Unexcused? Illness? Travel? Transportation issues? Other reasons?
Enhancing Ways to Reach Families- Adjusting automated messages to families.
- Providing ways for teachers to reach out directly to families to learn more about why a student is absent.
- Determining resources families may need to help them with their students' attendance.
- Adding TalkingPoints, a two-way texting tool to break down barriers in reaching families quickly regarding a student's absence. This tool also translates messages from other languages.
WDMCS Data
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Chronic Absenteeism Percentage Districtwide
As of May, 2023, 21.7% of our students were chronically absent in the second semester. This is a slight improvement from the first semester.
As of February 2023, 22.99% of our students were chronically absent in the first semester. This means over 2,000 students missed 12 or more days of school from August through early February.
This includes both excused and unexcused absences. As a reminder, a student only needs to be absent two days a month to fall into a chronically-absent category.
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Chronic Absenteeism Data by Subgroups
Data as of May 2023
- Asian: (8.98%)
- African American: (27.95%)
- Hispanic: (30.55%)
- Two or More Races: (25.93%)
- White: (18.35%)
- Female: (22.36%)
- Male: (21.02%)
- Special Education: (27.62%)
- English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL): (27.05%)
- Free/Reduced Lunch: (30.15%)
Data as of February 2023
- Asian: 64 (11.29%)
- African American: 280 (28.54%)
- Hispanic: 526 (30.55%)
- Two or More Races: 162 (26.64%)
- White: 1,048 (20.25%)
- Female: 1,028 (22.95%)
- Male: 1,059 (23.05%)
- Special Education: 296 (29.22%)
- English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL): 338 (28.99%)
- Free/Reduced Lunch: 1,498 (31.06%)
Note: within these subgroups, students may fall within more than one category.
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Chronically Absent Open Enrolled Students
As of May 2023, 33% of our open enrolled students were chronically absent. This is a demographic we want to learn more about to understand what support systems they may need to get their students to school each day.
As of January 2023, 30% of our open enrolled students were chronically absent in the first semester. This means approximately 250 students missed nine or more days of school from August through early January.
This includes both excused and unexcused absences. As a reminder, a student only needs to be absent two days a month to fall into a chronically-absent category.
