By Anne Scheck
TACKLING DAILY ATTENDANCE GAP
School is off to a good start this month, but Thursday seems to be the day more absences are occurring at the elementary school level, Jennifer Kubista EdD noted. Any school day that shows a relatively high level of absenteeism can be a problem – funding is directly tied to student attendance, she said.
And, increasingly, chronic absenteeism is viewed as an important measure of school quality. Three weeks ago, Gov. Kate Brown issued a proclamation declaring September “School Attendance Month,” to help bring attention to the need for addressing chronic absenteeism in the state. Oregon has one of the highest absenteeism rates of any state in the nation, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
“You have the ingredients to get this (better attendance) done in Oregon,” according to Pedro Noguera PhD, who gave the keynote speech at the annual meeting of the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators, which was held last week. Dr. Noguera is distinguished professor of Education at UCLA.
After his speech, he said that local schools in Oregon can follow the same formula as those in Los Angeles that have significantly increased their attendance rates. Teachers and administrators who call out and greet students at every opportunity have seen declines in absenteeism, he pointed out. Another important factor: Programs that allow all kinds of students to participate, such as expansion of sports and clubs beyond traditional offerings.
Dr. Kubista said she wants to see more emphasis on career and technical education – enabling students to have different kinds of engagement, including shop-style, hands-on experience. Some of that training was once considered a typical part of the curriculum.
TACKLING DAILY ATTENDANCE GAP
School is off to a good start this month, but Thursday seems to be the day more absences are occurring at the elementary school level, Jennifer Kubista EdD noted. Any school day that shows a relatively high level of absenteeism can be a problem – funding is directly tied to student attendance, she said.
And, increasingly, chronic absenteeism is viewed as an important measure of school quality. Three weeks ago, Gov. Kate Brown issued a proclamation declaring September “School Attendance Month,” to help bring attention to the need for addressing chronic absenteeism in the state. Oregon has one of the highest absenteeism rates of any state in the nation, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
“You have the ingredients to get this (better attendance) done in Oregon,” according to Pedro Noguera PhD, who gave the keynote speech at the annual meeting of the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators, which was held last week. Dr. Noguera is distinguished professor of Education at UCLA.
After his speech, he said that local schools in Oregon can follow the same formula as those in Los Angeles that have significantly increased their attendance rates. Teachers and administrators who call out and greet students at every opportunity have seen declines in absenteeism, he pointed out. Another important factor: Programs that allow all kinds of students to participate, such as expansion of sports and clubs beyond traditional offerings.
Dr. Kubista said she wants to see more emphasis on career and technical education – enabling students to have different kinds of engagement, including shop-style, hands-on experience. Some of that training was once considered a typical part of the curriculum.
MENTAL HEALTH AT ALL SCHOOLS
A behavioral health specialist will be at every school in the district this fall – consistent with survey results last year from all local schools, which showed emotional well-being for students is a priority for families.
In outreach meetings held during the 2018-19 academic year, District 13J parents and other attendees cited student health – including care for mental and emotional needs -- as the second-most important goal for the future. Topping the list was a call for examination of class size.
The findings were tallied from thousands of responses gathered during the public meetings, said Superintendent Jennifer Kubista EdD. Dr. Kubista shared the results at one of the first “community chats” scheduled this fall, which was held last week at the Henry Hill meeting room.
At a mental health forum last week, Steve Allen, the behavioral health director for the Oregon Health Authority, said programs that are simple, responsive and meaningful are key to success in addressing mental-health needs.
“I agree with that,” said Eugene Superintendent Gustavo Balderas EdD during a brief interview at a meeting of school administrators held the same day as the mental health conference. Dr. Balderas, a graduate of Western Oregon University, was named superintendent for the year 2020 by the Oregon Association of School Executives and the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators.
Making it simple: Being able to see a behavioral-health specialist by having one right there at school is a good step, Dr. Balderas said. And for responsiveness: Knowledge that a caring person is immediately available is hugely important, he added. “For students to learn, they need to feel safe,” he pointed out.
To make it meaningful, it’s good to establish a “baseline” so that comparisons can be made year-to-year, he said. Dr. Kubista has said she would like to establish benchmarks and data points for many of the points in the district’s plan.
The next community chat with Dr. Kubista will be held Oct. 10 at Ash Creek Elementary School from 6 to 7:30 pm.
A behavioral health specialist will be at every school in the district this fall – consistent with survey results last year from all local schools, which showed emotional well-being for students is a priority for families.
In outreach meetings held during the 2018-19 academic year, District 13J parents and other attendees cited student health – including care for mental and emotional needs -- as the second-most important goal for the future. Topping the list was a call for examination of class size.
The findings were tallied from thousands of responses gathered during the public meetings, said Superintendent Jennifer Kubista EdD. Dr. Kubista shared the results at one of the first “community chats” scheduled this fall, which was held last week at the Henry Hill meeting room.
At a mental health forum last week, Steve Allen, the behavioral health director for the Oregon Health Authority, said programs that are simple, responsive and meaningful are key to success in addressing mental-health needs.
“I agree with that,” said Eugene Superintendent Gustavo Balderas EdD during a brief interview at a meeting of school administrators held the same day as the mental health conference. Dr. Balderas, a graduate of Western Oregon University, was named superintendent for the year 2020 by the Oregon Association of School Executives and the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators.
Making it simple: Being able to see a behavioral-health specialist by having one right there at school is a good step, Dr. Balderas said. And for responsiveness: Knowledge that a caring person is immediately available is hugely important, he added. “For students to learn, they need to feel safe,” he pointed out.
To make it meaningful, it’s good to establish a “baseline” so that comparisons can be made year-to-year, he said. Dr. Kubista has said she would like to establish benchmarks and data points for many of the points in the district’s plan.
The next community chat with Dr. Kubista will be held Oct. 10 at Ash Creek Elementary School from 6 to 7:30 pm.
NOTE
The new Student Success Act is going into effect with an estimated delivery of $1 billion to public schools -- but districts won’t start seeing the new money from the legislation until the 2020-21 academic year.
The new Student Success Act is going into effect with an estimated delivery of $1 billion to public schools -- but districts won’t start seeing the new money from the legislation until the 2020-21 academic year.
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