AMHERST — Student attendance at the Amherst-Pelham regional schools is above the state average and chronic absenteeism across the district is declining, even as high school students continue to miss more days than their middle school peers.
In a state of the school presentation to the Regional School Committee Tuesday, Superintendent E. Xiomara Herman showed that across the regional schools attendance is averaging 94.9%.
“We’re steadily moving above the state average,” Herman said. The average attendance at public schools last school year was 93.2%.
The highest attendance, at 97.1%, is at 7th grade, with a slight decline of the average attendance in the upper grades year-over-year, which Herman said could reflect these students’ work commitments, family obligations or other factors.
But Herman said there has been a marked improvement from the 92% rate two years ago to a 94% rate this year, attributing this to targeted attendance strategies, advisory frameworks and increased family engagement.
Still, chronic absenteeism, defined as those missing at least one in 10 school days, is at 12.3%, 8% at the middle school and 14.4% at the high school.
“We’re trying to make sure these students don’t miss more than 10% of the school year,” Herman said.
Talib Sadiq, principal at the high school, cautioned that daily attendance isn’t being entered as accurately as it was in the past, stating that it’s not always being done “in the moment.”
The attendance system includes having teachers reach out to families if there are three absences in a short amount of time, and eventually coming up with a plan for ensuring these students are in school. Sadiq said he has attendance meetings with seniors, but others aren’t being scheduled due to a clerical shortfall at the building.
Seniors are a top priority for these meetings because they’re close to graduation, and missing days of school could impact whether they can graduate with their class or not, he said.
Sadiq noted that some families are in a better position to work with him than other families.
Other updates
As part of the updates, Sadiq was joined by Juan Rodriguez, principal at the middle school and Diane Chamberlain, principal at Summit Academy, the alternative school housed at the high school.
At the middle school, where the 382 seventh and eighth graders are divided into two teams, Rodriguez said the essential skills program has been reestablished for students with intensive needs, welcoming four students into that, and the school also has developed a new schedule compliant with state requirements, while also preserving many of the qualities teachers advocated for in the previous schedule.
One of those elements in the research-based curriculum is increased advisory time, from 20 to 40 minutes. “We’re working so that all advisories are in the same pace and going through the same lessons and having the same discussions each week,” Rodriguez said.
The middle school also has adjusted the morning routine, directing all students to the cafeteria for breakfast, leading to a dramatic increase in the number of students accessing that meal.
A final vacancy for a middle school teaching position is expected to soon be filled, but 3-1/2 paraeducator positions are still vacant.
“We’re working hard and continuing interviewing and trying to get those filled,” Rodriguez said.
He also cited more student opportunities, with four student ambassadors to Project 351, the youth service-based organization where they will engage in civics projects. In addition, 89 students are in the before-school Morning Movement program and 32 students are part of the VELA after-school program.
The middle school has added a dean to support culture and respond to bullying and discipline issues. There has been a 28.9% reduction in incidents, from 256 to 182, reported in Educator Handbook, and bullying reports and allegations have gone down by 59%, from 27 to 11.
“We’re happy the work we’re doing with students,” Rodriguez said, observing that they are accessing reporting systems and trusted adults. “We’re engaging with students, we’re teaching them how to use their skills.”
One problem that has developed is the inconsistent drop-off times for students taking the buses, with some getting into the building after 9:05 a.m.
Sadiq said this issue is also occurring at the high school and its 798 students, where a late bus pass system is in place for those getting into the building late. They are marked “tardy because of the bus” and go right to class.
Half of 11th and 12th graders are taking AP classes, most classes have around 20 or so students, and the school is aiming to fill some teaching positions, including a dance instructor.
But the Extended Block schedule isn’t working as well as officials had hoped, with students meeting each day with core teachers. Sadiq said a number of students would benefit from getting extra help through the former Flex Block, but that was removed due to the state determining that was not structured learning time for students.
A green pass system has been implemented in Extended Block, allowing these students to see a teacher they aren’t scheduled to be with that day, “Not an ideal situation, but trying to make the best of things that way,” Sadiq said.
Bullying prevention is happening through connecting adults with students, though there is one open bullying case.
Vaping is still an issue at the high school. The school may do more assemblies and advisory lessons to tell students about the dangers and collaboration is happening with outside providers to address this problem. But many of those who are vaping are students who are addicted to nicotine, Sadiq said.
At Summit Academy, where there has been turnover in staff, with a new teacher and three new paraeducators, Chamberlain said a review of practices and curriculum is underway and the school improvement plan is being refined.
Summit also has identified several issues in a safety assessment that are being addressed.