Roosevelt Elementary expands tiered attendance challenge; school reports month-to-month gains

Roosevelt Elementary staff described a tiered attendance and social-emotional program that school leaders say has produced month-to-month gains for participating students.

Kristi Sloma, speaking as the Roosevelt presenter to the Binghamton Board of Education, said the school piloted a Tier 2 attendance challenge last year and expanded it this year to 84 students in grades 3–5 who had averaged 80%–94% attendance the prior year. Students compete against their own prior-month attendance; those who improve earn certificates and up to five monthly celebrations during the year’s PBIS assemblies, Sloma said.

School officials linked the program to a broader attendance goal: increase average daily attendance by 3% this school year. Sloma said the district has increased average daily attendance by 1.1% so far and reported month-to-month improvements among challenge participants; the highest month-to-month improvement reported was a December-to-January jump in which 85% of the participating students improved their attendance.

Sloma outlined the district’s three-tier approach: universal classroom incentives (Tier 1), the Tier 2 attendance challenge with both enrichment and intervention components, and Tier 3 supports coordinated through the district CARES partnership with Binghamton University. She said the CARES team meets with families and the student support team to dig into root causes for persistent absence.

School staff provided additional program details: 37 students had been served in Tier 2 social-emotional learning groups this year (some students attended multiple groups); the student support team maintained 24 active cases and 12 inactive cases; and Locker Room 345, a partnership that supplies clothing and footwear through Dick’s Sporting Goods, had processed 167 orders to meet basic needs. Sloma said changes to lunch and recess choices — adding library and structured gym options — appear to support students’ sense of belonging and attendance.

Looking ahead, Roosevelt officials said they will expand the attendance challenge next year to include second grade and lower the initial eligibility threshold from 80% to 70% (to capture more students). The school also plans to use Panorama screener data to help place students into Tier 2 SEL groups earlier in the year and to begin those groups in October.

School leaders emphasized ongoing work to identify trends behind absences. Sloma said cold weather and the need for families who walk younger children to school were cited as a recurring barrier; staff said they will coordinate with the CARES and student support teams to explore remedies.

Board members asked follow-up questions about what drove the December–January improvement and how check‑in/check‑out coaching connects to attendance. Sloma said students were motivated by celebrations and prizes and that check‑in/check‑out provides daily adult support, goal-setting and celebration that reinforce attendance and school belonging.

Roosevelt officials asked the board to note the program’s results as part of continued efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism and expand early-identification interventions.