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CCSD piloting attendance-incentive program in 10 schools; district reports early gains
Summary
District said a nine-week pilot that rewards perfect attendance is showing early positive results at 10 schools; the pilot is funded with residual WSF dollars and will be evaluated by an external reviewer before any expansion.
Charleston County School District staff described a pilot program that rewards perfect attendance at 10 schools and presented early, week-by-week attendance figures on April 7.
What staff said: The pilot is in week five of a nine-week run and is funded with residual weighted student funding (WSF) monies left by schools that did not expand some activities in the first semester. Staff reported significant early gains: six of eight elementary and middle pilot schools saw double-digit increases in perfect attendance in weeks two and three compared with pre-pilot levels; individual schools recorded weeks with full perfect attendance.
Third-party evaluation and allowable expenditures: District leaders said they have contracted a third party to analyze the pilot data and produce an objective evaluation. Staff also noted they are tracking how incentive funds are spent and that purchases inconsistent with allowable uses are being denied; permitted uses have included groceries, bill support and transportation in individual cases, and disallowed items have been rejected.
Context and rationale: Superintendent Ms. Huggins framed the pilot as part of a broader strategy to boost student outcomes through increased daily attendance. She and other speakers said the approach is intended as a cost-effective complement to other attendance-support strategies such as truancy follow-up and home visits.
Related community work: The superintendent and other staff highlighted multiple community-engagement efforts, including a “Principal for a Day” initiative where community partners spend a day at a school and a series of outreach events led by the district’s family- and community-engagement teams. The district also announced state approval to provide local alternative-route certification for early childhood, special education, multi-category and ESOL teachers, enabling local certification and pipeline development.
Trustee questions and next steps: Trustees asked for end-of-year surveys and for district follow-up on pilot results; staff said a formal end-of-year review and community feedback will be produced and shared with the board.
Ending: District staff asked trustees to bear with the pilot period while data are analyzed; they said a formal report will be presented after the pilot ends for any decision about expansion or continuation.
