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Board hears attendance and discipline updates; district to provide truancy numbers and midyear attendance scan findings
Summary
The board received first-quarter chronic absenteeism and incident data, learned about division strategies (MTSS, PBIS, Attendance Matters) and requested that staff produce a truancy report and midyear attendance update for the next meeting.
Gloucester County Public Schools staff presented first-quarter attendance and discipline data at the Jan. 14 school board meeting and outlined interventions in place to reduce chronic absenteeism and disciplinary incidents.
Assistant directors explained chronic absenteeism (defined by the state as missing 10% or more of the school year) and differentiated it from truancy (unexcused absence where parents are unaware). Staff emphasized that first‑quarter snapshots do not necessarily predict end‑of‑year chronic absenteeism, but they do provide early targets for intervention.
Key district actions described included quarterly MTSS division data meetings, monthly school MTSS teams, the Attendance Matters campaign, an annual division attendance scan (under way), school-based attendance teams that contact families, PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports), and attendance-recovery (in-person flexible instructional time) to make up lost instructional minutes.
Board members pressed for more detail on truancy rates and middle-school attendance problems. Staff said the truancy officer and registrars track unexcused absences and agreed to provide a building-by-building truancy breakdown and a midyear (second-quarter) synopsis when that data closes.
On discipline, staff showed first-quarter incidents by category, reminded the board that an “incident” can range from a principal conversation to an expulsion, and highlighted that 90% of students had no exclusionary practice (ISS/OSS) recorded in the two months sampled. The district said it will continue quarterly data reviews, TOPS (teacher and observer partners for success) classroom feedback, PBIS matrices and student leadership approaches.
The board asked the administration to deliver midyear attendance scans, the truancy breakdown, and to continue sharing discipline trend data to inform interventions.
