Rebounding with Attendance: Maximizing Student Engagement Webinar Series (Virginia Department of Education, VDOE)

This is a completed event.

Description:

September is Attendance Awareness Month! To kick off this year’s Attendance Awareness Month, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) invites you to attend a free webinar series, “Rebounding with Attendance: Maximizing Student Engagement.” COVID-19 has disrupted education for almost every student, and vulnerable students such as those with disabilities, experiencing homelessness, or English learners face the greatest consequences when it comes to attendance. Chronic absenteeism is a challenge more than ever before, and schools are rallying to address barriers to learning and improve student engagement and attendance. The goal of the webinar series is to:

  • Share innovative and effective practices that improve school attendance,
  • Provide opportunities for meaningful collaboration through closing question and answer (Q&A) sessions, and
  • Build capacity to address attendance through collaborative and comprehensive approaches.

Participants must register for each webinar, and there is no cost to participate.

Those that attend the live webinars will receive a certificate of attendance for each webinar.

August 23, 2021 - 10:00am-11:30am

Introduction - Attendance: Working Together to Support Students and Families

Presented by: Chiquita Seaborne, Family Engagement Specialist/Special Projects Coordinator, VDOE

Collaboration Continuum

Presented by: Jane Moreland, Program Administrator – Outreach Services, Newport News Public Schools; Tiffany Hardy, Ph.D., Professional Development Supervisor, Prince William Public Schools; Sophia Allmond, Ed. S., Acting Senior Director and Senior Coordinator: District-wide Transition Specialist, Norfolk Public Schools

Participants will identify strategies for attendance-related collaboration at the school, division, and community levels; reflect on current attendance practices to identify opportunities for growth; and examine models of collaboration to evaluate which aspects may be applied to their specific contexts.

August 24, 2021 10:00am-11:00am

Eyes Wide Open: Multi-pronged Approach to Support All Students

Presented by: Dr. Patrick Doyle, Principal, Norfolk Public Schools; Ms. LaVonya Blowe, Assistant Principal, Norfolk Public Schools

We will reflect on educational practices through a wide lens, not a single, narrow scope or single policy item, with the intention to improve student outcomes. With our eyes wide open, we will look at changes that support our students through a variety of approaches. Participants will learn how to improve attendance through an intentional focus on school culture and climate, developing student leaders, and increasing family engagement.

August 25, 2021 10:00am-11:00am

What’s BELOW the Iceberg? Exploring Root Cause Analysis

Presented by: Tiffany Hardy, Ph.D., Professional Development Supervisor, Prince William Public Schools

The session will begin with an overview of barriers and variables that can negatively impact student access and attendance. Participants will explore and review how to collect and unpack information and data to identify root causes for chronic absenteeism and truancy. Participants will also examine a sample model for aligning specific resources and strategies to address the identified root causes. This session will connect back to the corrective action planning process as an essential step toward equitable access to learning.

August 26, 2021 10:00am-11:00am

When Going Gets Tough: Considerations for Addressing Significant Absenteeism and Supporting Student Engagement

Presented by: Carrie Mendelsohn, Social Work Services Program Manager, Fairfax County Public Schools; Cindy Dickinson, Manager, Crisis Intervention and Dropout Prevention Services, Fairfax County Public Schools

When students have missed a significant amount of school and attempts to re-engage students have been unsuccessful, we can find ourselves at a loss for what to do next. What resources and services have been considered? What kind of information are we gathering and how are we including students and families? Are we utilizing an equity-centered and trauma-informed approach? What can we do to increase capacity of services and bring about systemic change? During this session, we will share considerations and examples to assist in supporting students with significant absenteeism.

Date(s):


8/23/2021 10:00 AM ET - 8/23/2021 11:30 AM ET,
8/24/2021 10:00 AM ET - 8/24/2021 11:00 AM ET,
8/25/2021 10:00 AM ET - 8/25/2021 11:00 AM ET,
8/26/2021 10:00 AM ET - 8/26/2021 11:00 AM ET

Tag(s):

Behavior Collaboration Paraprofessional Professional Development