Student Attendance The average student attendance rate during the 2000-01 school year was 92.8%. The effectiveness level is 96% and the mean is 93%. District-wide student attendance levels for this school year are below the mean and effectiveness level.
With some effort, the district should be able to attain effectiveness in this area. Disclosure of attendance goals to students and parents is often helpful in attaining higher levels of student attendance. Examination of practices in schools and school systems which have achieved effective student attendance percentages may reveal methods to be applied to increasing student attendance in the district. Teacher Attendance The average number of days of teacher absence in the Elmwood Park CUSD 401 for the 2000-01 school year was 6.47 days per teacher. The effectiveness level is 4.5 days per teacher per year, and the mean is 6.5. Generally speaking, the higher the teacher absence rate, the less effective is a school system (e.g., continuity of instruction; monitoring student achievement; positive attendance role modeling for students; cost of substitute teachers depleting funds which could be used for instruction). Only discretionary absences, that is, those absences directly under the control of the teacher, are included in the calculation of the teacher absence rate (see Appendix C). For reference, the total average number of days of absence per teacher per year for illness (sick days), personal reasons and professional reasons in 2000-01 was 9.68 days. Currently, the teacher absence rate reaches the mean, but does not yet achieve effectiveness.
Teacher attendance may be improved by publicizing absence rates, designing school district policy to recognize and reward teacher attendance, and implementing practices across the district adopted from buildings where teacher attendance is effective.
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