Which APS schools were identified as having an attendance problem?

[Anonymous]

We got an email from Campbell saying we were one of them, but that there are others too.

[Anonymous]

My kids are at Tuckahoe and we didn’t receive any communication. That doesn’t mean they aren’t on the list tho. I wonder if APS doesn’t want to advertise widely which schools are having attendance problems. But my guess is it could be many for varying reasons.

[Anonymous]

Oh there are a ton. There was a huge jump about a year after the pandemic, and right after the pandemic there was a jump too. Overall in APS, 18.9% of students are chronically absent. You can click around and look at the individual schools here.

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/divisions/accomack-county-public-schools#desktopTabs-6

Unsurprisingly, schools with lower SES have higher rates of absenteeism. But it's up among all groups.

[Anonymous]

Shoot, wrong school district. Arlington is lower. But its still high, with 13.5% chronically absent.

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/divisions/arlington-county-public-schools#desktopTabs-6

[Anonymous]

Wow. Wakefield had 27% of students chronically absent last year! Only schools at “level 3” on that indicator.

[Anonymous]

Turns out that if the leadership sends the message that showing up to school isn’t that important for learning, people listen.

[Anonymous]

I’m curious if the elementary schools that have an early start time have higher absentee rates.

[Anonymous]

Here are the most recent rates pulled off the Virginia website - the number is the percent of students with chronic absenteeism sorted from highest to lowest.

Arlington Community High 59.07
Wakefield High 27.63
Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary 23.66
Randolph Elementary 21.76
Abingdon Elementary 21.12
Campbell Elementary 19.41
Washington-Liberty High 18.85
Claremont Immersion 18.83
Kenmore Middle 16.42
Barrett Elementary 15.54
Barcroft Elementary 15.15
Yorktown High 14.65
Jefferson Middle 13.39
Carlin Springs Elementary 12.84
Oakridge Elementary 12.80
Innovation Elementary 12.67
Alice West Fleet Elementary 12.18
Hoffman-Boston Elementary 10.70
Gunston Middle 10.43
Long Branch Elementary 10.31
Discovery Elementary 9.94
Glebe Elementary 7.46
Swanson Middle 6.18
Dorothy Hamm Middle 6.01
Montessori Public School of Arlington 5.01
Williamsburg Middle 4.48
Taylor Elementary 4.02
Jamestown Elementary 3.65
Ashlawn Elementary 3.02
Escuela Key Elementary 2.93
Arlington Science Focus School 2.51
Cardinal Elementary 2.14
Tuckahoe Elementary 1.86
Arlington Traditional 1.77
Nottingham Elementary 0.52

[Anonymous]

Discovery’s number is much higher than I would expect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Discovery’s number is much higher than I would expect.

Probably vacations

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Discovery’s number is much higher than I would expect.

Probably vacations

That’s actually true in several of these schools. As an example, We have family friends at one of the schools who go skiing quite a bit and are getting letters at home about the repeated absences. In their case their children are doing fine in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Turns out that if the leadership sends the message that showing up to school isn’t that important for learning, people listen.

What are you talking about? The super just sent out a message emphasizing the importance of attendance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Turns out that if the leadership sends the message that showing up to school isn’t that important for learning, people listen.

What are you talking about? The super just sent out a message emphasizing the importance of attendance.

DP here - Where have you been the past few years? For me, it was the year where they basically told us school only has to be 4 days/week.

Also, the calendar is not designed by someone whose priority is having kids in school every day. Otherwise there wouldn’t be mid week holidays and teacher workdays all over the place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Discovery’s number is much higher than I would expect.

Probably vacations

That’s actually true in several of these schools. As an example, We have family friends at one of the schools who go skiing quite a bit and are getting letters at home about the repeated absences. In their case their children are doing fine in school.

I'm surprised that Nottingham is that low; it feels like everyone is always on some extended long weekend or random vacation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Turns out that if the leadership sends the message that showing up to school isn’t that important for learning, people listen.

What are you talking about? The super just sent out a message emphasizing the importance of attendance.

DP here - Where have you been the past few years? For me, it was the year where they basically told us school only has to be 4 days/week.

Also, the calendar is not designed by someone whose priority is having kids in school every day. Otherwise there wouldn’t be mid week holidays and teacher workdays all over the place.

Exactly - the calendar seems to indicate that the district doesn't see an issue with taking a random half or full day off at least a couple of times per month (usually midweek).