Attendance policy keeps kids in class

     By Tina Allen
     View staff writer
      It's been about 1 1/2 years since the Clark County School District put its new attendance policy into effect. But has the law that has been in place since Jan. 15, 1998 helped?
      "I do see a significant improvement," said Ruth Joseph, the district's attendance administrator. "When you look at our overall attendance, it's higher now than it has been in years and years."
      School district records show a 1.9 percent overall increase in average daily attendance since the 1997-98 school year. The most noticeable change is in high schools, up from 91.2 percent in 1997-98 to 94.1 this school year.
      Middle schools had a 2.4 percent increase and elementary schools a 1.4 percent increase in the past three years.
      Joseph credits the increase to attendance incentive plans required at all schools, information distributed to parents and a stronger enforcement of truancy laws.
      In fact, the number of truancy citations issued to students has almost doubled in the past year. Clark County School District school police have issued 1,242 since August. Of that number, 865 were referred to truancy court, where fines include community service, loss of driving privileges and payment of $100.
      The required school incentive programs vary according to each school's needs, Joseph said.
      For example, Bridger Middle School has a grant-funded family aid and attendance officer who work directly with the families of children who aren't showing up at school. The two try to identify the source of the problem and find help. However, when necessary, the children are issued truancy citations.
      Joseph said as a result, the excessive absent rate has been reduced 82 percent in the first semester over last year.
      Western High School was one of five schools in the district to be below the required 90 percent attendance level in 1998-99. Through its Renaissance Program implemented this school year, principal Pam Hawkins said she has seen dramatic improvement -- an increase of about 4 to 5 percentage points, which has brought them above the requirement.
      In the program, students who receive good grades or have high attendance are recognized in quarterly awards ceremonies. In addition, a drawing is held each Monday for students with perfect attendance for the week. The winner receives $10.
      Hawkins said they also are reaching out to the school's Hispanic population, which numbers about 27 percent. She noted some students, because of language barriers, don't always feel an attachment to school, causing poor attendance. They have found success, Hawkins said, through monthly luncheons, often with motivational guest speakers.
      "Certainly attendance is tied in directly with grades," Hawkins said. "If they are not here, they can't learn, and if they are not here they are not passing their classes. It's imperative these young people realize how important it is to come to school every day. That's a life skill they will need on the job."
      The attendance regulations fall under the Nevada Education Reform Act of 1997, also called the accountability law. The law requires that schools determine a set number of days that kids have to be in attendance before they can be promoted to the next grade.
      The number of absences was set by the Clark County Board of School Trustees in September 1998 at 10 per semester for secondary students, 20 per school year for elementary pupils and seven per trimester for year-round middle school pupils.
      "I think they are positive changes," Joseph said. "The more kids who attend school, the larger number of them who will pass the proficiency exam and graduate. I think it's really important to stay focused on the academic issues of attendance, that we don't enforce attendance just to enforce attendance. What's sadder than the kids who are in school for 12 or 13 years who can't get a diploma? To me, that's the worst thing that happens in education."