DC Prep board discusses attendance strategy; sets target for consistent attendance

School leaders and trustees spent a substantive portion of the meeting on attendance, reviewing data, definitions and a three-part improvement plan that centers on clearer data use, tiered interventions and operational changes to support student support coaches.

Laura (staff member) framed the discussion by saying attendance “is really important” and explained how the school is shifting emphasis from single-day in-seat metrics toward a measure called consistently present — the percentage of students who attend at least 90% of school days. “Our goal is to make sure that at least 70% of our students are in school 90% of the days, or more,” Laura said.

Why it matters: consistent attendance is tied to third-grade reading outcomes and long-term graduation rates; improving attendance is part of DC Prep’s accountability measures with the Public Charter School Board (PCSB).

Key points from the presentation and board discussion - Definitions: staff distinguished in-seat attendance (daily present) — target 92% — from truancy (10+ absences) and consistently present (students at school 90%+ of days). Staff said consistently present better captures the daily attendance patterns the organization wants to change. - Goal and scale: a board-level target of at least 70% of students consistently present (90%+ days) was presented as an ambitious but achievable near-term goal. - Interventions and systems: staff proposed three buckets of work: (1) improve data use and thresholds to trigger interventions; (2) strengthen a tiered approach (tier 1 whole-school incentives and messaging; tier 2 extra outreach for new families and early-year interventions; tier 3 intensive casework for students with complex barriers); (3) operational changes to give student support coaches dedicated time for attendance work and to expand role-alike problem-solving meetings for campus leaders. - Partners and supports: DC Prep will continue working with Everyday Labs for parent communications and is exploring deeper coordination with the Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) to support students facing larger barriers to attendance. - Exemplars and spread: staff highlighted two school leaders — Kia and Deshaun (school leaders at AEC) — as teams that showed strong, consistent improvement, and trustees asked how those practices can be replicated across campuses.

Board members generally commended the emphasis on attendance. Pam (board member) said the focus on individuals and families was correct and expressed optimism about scaling successful campus practices. Trustees discussed how attendance links to proficiency and retention: “The same kids that are there, 95% of the time are the same kids that are on honor roll,” one trustee observed.

Next steps Staff will develop a new attendance dashboard, set clear thresholds for escalation, make space in coordination meetings for role-alike problem solving, and report back to the board with progress in the fall. Staff also said they will prioritize outreach for new families early in the school year to prevent the “snowball” effect of early absences.