Thanks to an anonymous $300,000 donation, Rocky View Schools (RVS) has embarked on a research and pilot project - dubbed Present for a Purpose - to look at why kids miss school and what can be done to help them consistently get to classes.
Thanks to an anonymous $300,000 donation, Rocky View Schools (RVS) has embarked on a research and pilot project - dubbed Present for a Purpose - to look at why kids miss school and what can be done to help them consistently get to classes.
According to the project lead, Dr. Mitchell Colp, missing school more than a cumulative 18 days per school year is considered chronic absenteeism.
“We're trying to address the problem we're seeing with attendance across the division,” Colp said.
“What we're trying to do first off is educate communities about attendance because we know many people are unaware that only missing two days a month has a significant impact on the learning of students if this goes on for the entire school year.
“Schools who look at attendance data and make guided decisions about what they're doing with this information in a very quick manner have significant outcomes for addressing attendance problems in their schools.”
Colp said students may have valid reasons for being away from school and determining what those reasons are and seeing what can be done about them is key.
Colp presented information about the project to the RVS Board of Trustees at its meeting Oct. 6.
A pilot project is currently being run in Airdrie's R.J Hawkey Elementary School, Muriel Clayton Middle School and W.H. Croxford High School as well as Beiseker Community School. These schools were chosen in order to run the project at all grade levels, including one all inclusive kindergarten to Grade 12 school.
Ward 3 Trustee Sylvia Eggerer asked if absenteeism was a significant problem in RVS.
“I don't think we're anything unique or (should) specifically be alarmed by in terms of the numbers,” Colp said, indicating RVS had an absenteeism rate of between 20 and 30 per cent, which is consistent with rates seen in other provinces.
“When we look at our numbers, we're sitting at about 22 per cent…which is roughly 4,000 students across the entire division,” he said. “It could be a period here, a block here, half a day here. It doesn't mean they will be struggling. That's something we want to clarify; (absenteeism) places those kids at risk.”
Through the Present for a Purpose project, Colp said the division is looking to other agencies, such as North Rocky View Community Links and Calgary Region Child and Family Services to help deal with attendance barriers identified for families.
Colp said once the pilot project is completed at the end of this school year, he hopes it will be expanded to 10 schools within the division and ultimately to all RVS schools.
For more information, visit rockyview.ab.ca/21stC/supporting/rvs-attendance
