This guide is dedicated to the thousands of educators who come up with new ways of helping every student attend school every day. Albuquerque Public Schools (NM) Austin Independent School District (TX) Baltimore City Public Schools (MD) Boston Public Schools (MA) Cleveland Metropolitan School District (OH) Columbus School District (OH) Dallas Independent School District (TX) Denver Public Schools (CO) Detroit Public Schools (MI) Duval County Public Schools (FL) Flint Community Schools (MI) Fresno Unified School District (CA) Hartford Public Schools (CT) Kansas City Public Schools (MO) Los Angeles Unified School District (CA) Miami-Dade County Public Schools (FL) Milwaukee Public Schools (WI) Minneapolis Public Schools (MN) New York City School District (NY) Oakland Unified School District (CA) Orange County Public Schools (FL) The School District of Philadelphia (PA) Pine Ridge Indian Reservation (SD) Pittsburgh Public Schools (PA) Portland Public Schools (OR) Providence Public Schools (RI) Sacramento City Unified School District (CA) San Antonio Independent School District (TX) Seattle Public Schools (WA) Sunflower County Consolidated School District (MS) This MBK Success Mentors model is supported by a public-private network which includes the following key U.S. Department of Education collaborators: Dr. Robert Balfanz, Hopkins University’s Everyone Graduates Center Ad Council Arnold Foundation Attendance Works Center for Supportive Schools Charles Stewart Mott Foundation City Year Corporation for National and Community Service MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership Roc Nation State Bags United Way Viacom’s Get Schooled
what works… Weekly Meetings. The Principal leads weekly Student Success Summit meetings with school staff and Success Mentors (or their representatives) to review school-wide attendance data and track chronically absent students, diagnose absences and determine the most strategic points of intervention (e.g., student, class, grade, school or community), direct appropriate supports to the student or family, and progress monitor the initiative. Organize Resources. The Principal’s on attendance makes the biggest difference for a school in combating chronic absenteeism by creating welcoming and supportive climate, offering programs that meet student needs and a system for recognizing good and improved attendance. Personalize Student Interventions. A school based or school linked caring adult or peer mentor provides one-on-one support, encouragement, and practical problem solving, for chronically absent students. Success Mentors create positive relationships with the students and their families/care givers, respond to each absence, recognize even small improvements, and leverage these actions to unearth the root-causes of the student’s absenteeism. They then connect students with the appropriate supports. Draw on Community Resources. Schools host Parent Success Summits or other events to connect parents, families and care-givers to vital community and youth services which help students attend school every day. Schools also use the support of local community partners to get the message out about the importance of attending school regularly and provide needed services to enable this.